Many types of household pests are attracted to food. While some only cause limited damage, others can contaminate your entire pantry. Learn about one of the most annoying and destructive pantry pests in Dallas, the pantry moth.
What Are Pantry Moths?
Pantry moths are also known as Indian meal moths. In Dallas, they are one of the most common types of kitchen and pantry pests. They feed on items that contain grain and cereal, which puts most of your pantry at risk.
Although there are several ways in which pantry moths can enter your home, the most common way is through your dried goods. Some grocery store products contain the eggs of pantry moths. Eventually, those eggs mature and turn into larvae. They eat the food around them as they grow into adult moths.
Females can lay as many as 500 eggs in one lifetime, which makes an infestation difficult to beat. Once you have pantry moths in your home, you could have a constant struggle. In addition to being a nuisance, the eggs and larvae contaminate your food. You need to dispose of anything that has come into contact with pantry moths.
Identifying Pantry Moths
The eggs of the moth are small and difficult to see. Meanwhile, the larvae are a little more noticeable. They are about ½ inch long and are off-white with pink or green hues. They tend to stay in the corners of your products, chewing through bags and cardboard to get to more food. As they eat, they leave behind a silk web.
An adult meal moth only lives for about a week. The pest has wings that are bronze on the bottom and tan on the top. Although they don’t do much damage to your food, they’re responsible for laying the eggs that will eventually force you to replace your dried goods.
Pantry moths waste your food and money. Unless you try to prevent them from entering your home, you could find yourself fighting an infestation.
Preventing Pantry Moths
There are a few things you can do if you want to keep pantry moths out of your home. All of the following are ways to deter the pest:
Store Your Food With Care
Leaving your food opened or in poorly sealed containers is a big mistake. If there are larvae in your food, they will be able to get out, mature, and start breeding. Use resealable plastic containers for flour, oatmeal, and nuts. Mason jars also work well for storage purposes.
Inspect Or Freeze Your Food Before You Store It
Typically, pantry moth infestations start in the grocery store. You might buy a baking mix or oatmeal that contains the moth’s eggs. When you take it home, you welcome the eggs and larvae into your residence.
After you do your shopping, check your dry goods for larvae. If you don’t have time to do so, store your dry goods in the freezer. Keep them in there for at least a week, and any larvae will die off. Then, store the food in containers in your cabinets or pantry.
Use A Moth Repellent
Some herbs repel moths. For instance, bay leaves, mint, and lavender deter the pests. You can store them in our pantry to keep the moths away.
Clean Your Pantry Regularly
Although most homeowners regularly clean their kitchen, they don’t often clean the pantry. Several times a year, you should give it a deep clean. Whenever food spills in your pantry, do an immediate spot clean.
Call A Professional
The most effective way to prevent or eliminate moths is to work with a pest control company. Contact Romney Pest Control for more advice or assistance.
