Let's get rid of kitchen moths once and for all

At that moment, when unattractive gray moths begin to fly around the kitchen, and the cereals begin to become covered with cobwebs, a natural question arises - where did this come from? Moths in the kitchen are a fairly common occurrence, no one is immune from it, and, what’s most offensive, it’s difficult to get rid of this nasty thing. But it is possible. There are certain ways to solve the problem that have already been tested by thousands of people and proven effective.

Where do food moths come from?

Many victims of such insects worry: the kitchen always seems to be clean, and food is stored in separate jars and bags. So where do moths come from in the kitchen? Don't worry, it's not about you at all. You could simply buy already contaminated cereal and bring it home. And further in the warmth, the moth laid larvae, which began to eat your supplies. These butterflies do not live long - a maximum of three weeks. But during this period they manage to acquire huge offspring that can spoil all your cereals, flour, tea, herbs and even spices. Therefore, if you see that food moths have appeared in your house, do not delay in taking measures to get rid of it. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to get rid of all the instances.

Advice

You can often find advice on the Internet: just wash spoiled cereal, bake it in the oven, and it can again be used for its intended purpose. Should not be doing that.There is no guarantee that it will be possible to completely clear the supplies of insect waste products that can cause an allergy attack. And the simple fact that there is some moth left in your food, which you will then eat, is unlikely to improve your appetite. It’s better to immediately throw out spoiled cereals - it will be safer.

Moth control measures

So, we’ve sorted out a little bit about where the eaters of your food could have come from. Now it’s worth moving on to the question of how to get rid of food moths. You should immediately prepare for the fact that the battle will be long and exhausting. Cereal (or food) moths will not easily leave their homes, where it is warm and there is a lot of food. Therefore, we stock up on patience, weapons of struggle and begin to get rid of insects.

1. You will definitely have to throw out all foods that may be of interest to moths.. These insects are found not only in cereals or flour. They love dried fruits, tea, sweets, pharmaceutical herbs, and spices. Unfortunately, you'll have to throw everything away. Even those bags in which the food moth larvae are not yet visible. The moth could have time to lay eggs, which are not particularly noticeable, but under favorable conditions, new babies will soon hatch from them. And everything will start again.
2. The next action that will help remove moths should be a thorough cleaning of the kitchen. You will need to wash all the shelves, drawers, and even the doors and sides of the cabinets with water and vinegar. Be sure to treat all the cracks and grooves where the larvae could hide. Yes, this is a long and tedious task. But you have hope of getting rid of food moths for a long time, or even forever. After wet cleaning is completed, leave all cabinets open until they are completely dry.
3. You can also treat food storage areas with special chemicals: smoke bombs, sprays, gels. But it should be borne in mind that these are somewhat toxic products, and animals and children should be removed from the kitchen during processing. You should definitely wear a respirator and gloves. After processing, be sure to ventilate the room, wash the surfaces, and only then put the jars and bags of food back in place.
4. If you are unsure of the measures taken, a good food moth trap will help.. You can buy such a thing in any department that sells pest control products. These products are laid out in food storage areas. The trap is completely harmless to people, but insects attracted by the smell stick to the surface and die. Thanks to such traps, you will know whether the cabinets need to be re-processed or if you no longer have to worry about your supplies. And the second plus is that dead insects will definitely not lay eggs.
5. Be sure to rinse with hot water and a good solution all containers where food containing moths was stored.. If these were fabric bags, wash them in very hot water. They cannot be used immediately - only after serious processing.

Folk remedies

These methods are widely known and are used primarily. If you are not ready to resort to chemicals or want to try something different, test the food moth repellent from the folk arsenal. Numerous reviews confirm that these options are no less effective than vinegar and chemicals.

1. Garlic cloves should be placed in cabinets where grain moths live. You can even put them in cereal bags for greater effect.But some argue that over time, food moths adapt to this smell. You can also use bay leaves, peppercorns, and whole cloves. In no case ground - insects eat such spices no less than flour and millet.
2. Various herbs also help fight moths well: mint, oregano, lavender, sweet clover. Simply wrap the plant branches in gauze or place them in cloth bags. Place these blanks in cabinets and drawers where moths have appeared. You can even put them in dried fruits or cereals; it certainly won’t harm them. This method will achieve two goals at once - you will be able to remove insects and there will be an unobtrusive, pleasant aroma of herbs in the kitchen.
3. Experts also say that food moths cannot tolerate the aroma of citrus fruits. If you eat an orange, don’t throw away the skins. They can be placed around the kitchen and easily get rid of uninvited guests. You can lubricate all surfaces with essential oils of orange, lemon or grapefruit. Moths are also not particularly fond of fir oil.
4. Geranium. An undeservedly forgotten plant that used to grow on any windowsill. Almost all insects, including food moths, cannot stand this house flower. All you need is to place a pot with a plant in the kitchen. You can also use the essential oil of this plant - lubricate all surfaces with it and wait until the fruit moth disappears from your home.
5. If you have people who smoke in your house, you can use their bad habit for good. That is, to get rid of insects, you need to scatter tobacco in their habitats.
6. You can also come across the opinion that food moths do not like strawberry soap. It’s not a fact that this is the case, but you can try to remove harmful insects in this way.

In general, these are the main methods known today and tested by more than one sufferer from voracious insects. How to deal with food moths and what exactly to choose is up to you, although you can try everything at once. The main thing here is not to get carried away, so as not to harm your respiratory tract. And after using particularly caustic substances, be sure to ventilate the kitchen and thoroughly wash all surfaces. Only after this can you place the jars with supplies in their rightful places.

How to warn?

Prevention is everything to us, since it is always better to find a pest repellent rather than throwing away kilograms of cereals and dried fruits, trying to get rid of unpleasant insects. Therefore, we arm ourselves with knowledge and try to prevent these nasty winged creatures from appearing in the kitchen.

1. Since the main source of moths is the store, while still there, carefully inspect each package. If you see even a little cobweb, and even more so larvae, it’s better to take not even another bag, but cereal from a different manufacturer. There is a risk that the entire batch is contaminated.
   

   Important!

   Some insurance against food moths is price. The cheaper the products, the greater the risk of infection. The manufacturer saves on processing raw materials from pests, which allows them to reduce the price of the final product. A manufacturer with a well-known name is unlikely to risk its reputation. But, unfortunately, this is not a guarantee.

2. When you get home, be sure to double-check all food packages that could theoretically harbor kitchen moths. You could look through the larvae or just hurry up. If you see the first signs of infection in the cereal, return the product to the store - they should accept it back.Well, or you’ll have to get rid of your supplies and go to the store again to shop.
3. Store food in linen bags, not plastic bags. Or it’s good to use glass jars with tight lids for this. Plastic, although affordable, is not suitable for storing products of interest to insects.
4. You can often come across advice that, as a preventive measure, you need to stick a metal nail into food. Naturally, well washed, dried and without signs of rust. Some housewives claim that any metal object is suitable for this purpose.
5. Now let’s remember all the aromatic ways to get rid of the scourge and begin to use them to prevent the appearance of moths in dried fruits, flour and other products. That is, you can place bags of herbs, tobacco, orange peels in the cabinets, and wipe the surfaces with essential oils.
6. You can also use a chemical agent. For example, the same trap for food moths, which is harmless to people, but will become a signal that unwanted insects have again appeared in the house.
7. Don't forget about geranium in the kitchen - it's beautiful, cozy, and insects don't like this plant.
8. Kitchen furniture should be kept clean, periodically wet cleaning with vinegar. And be sure to ventilate the room.
9. Since it is rare, but it happens, that flour moths penetrate from neighbors, it is worth protecting the ventilation openings. To begin with, you can put a fine mesh here, which will serve as a barrier to the entry of pests into your kitchen. Additionally, you can treat the ventilation holes around the perimeter with essential oils or hang bunches of aromatic herbs nearby.

Strictly speaking, these are all measures that will help you prevent the reappearance of flying pests. As you can see, the main “weapons” are attentiveness and cleanliness. Of course, there is always a minimal risk that this trouble will return to you again. But now you know well how to get rid of food moths, and you can quickly take the necessary measures.