When you opened the kitchen cupboard, an insect resembling a moth flew out, and while cooking porridge in water, tiny white larvae appeared? This is a sign thatyou have food moths at homeUnfortunately, you need to fight them as soon as possible, because the products in which moths feed are not suitable for consumption. We advisehow to recognize food moths , how they differ from clothes moths, andhow to fight food moths at homeSee photos of food moths and learn about effective a way to get rid of them!
Food moths are most often found in loose products - groats, flours, etc.
Fig. pixabay
The food mole is the European Bormey moth(Plodia interpunctella), which is a common household pest that feeds mainly in powdery foods such as sugar, groats, flour and oatmeal. Food moths, however, do not disdain other powdery products (we can even find them in coffee or tea) and solid products (they can often be found, for example, in nuts and dried fruits).
An adult food moth is a moth in subdued, brown-gray colors, with a body length of up to 1 cm and a wingspan of about 1.5 cm. The female lays eggs mainly in powdery products. Food moth eggs are white, round, white in color, about 0.5 mm in diameter. The eggs hatch into larvae in the form of caterpillars. Their body is white and their head is dark.
Food moths - adult insect
Fig. Kaldari, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Food moth larvamay be about 0.5 cm long, and depending on the food consumed, its color may change, e.g. to yellowish or slightly orange. The pupae are brown, 7 mm long, hidden under a dense leaf.
Additionalsymptoms of feeding moths are delicate cobwebsin which lumps of food products are stuck together. They can appear inside the dishes, as well as, for example, with the lid of a jar with flour or other loose products. These spider webs arethe effect of moth larvae feeding , which are hidden just under a thread of sticky thread that glues loose products into lumps.
Food moth larva
Fig. Pudding4brains, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Food moths can be brought home unknowinglyalong with new purchases, especially rice, groats, flour, oatmeal, dried fruit, etc.Often these insects fly in from other apartments through the ventilation grills, but they can find their way into our house simply through the window. However, the mainway of spreading the food moth is by carrying it along with the food it feeds- any powders, grains, seeds, confectionery and sweets, nuts, dried fruit, and also along with … animal feed !!!
I emphasize the latter, because this type of products is often overlooked, whilefood moths can also be brought home from a pet store .
Food moth chrysalis on a bag of semolina
Fig. Malybudowniczyickiewicz, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
It is very important to distinguish food moths from clothing mothsas the methods of combating them vary widely.Another species of insect is called a clothes moth. The clothes moth is yellowish, sometimes slightly silvery and slightly smaller than the food moth. Most of all, however, the difference lies in the place of occurrence -food moths can be found in kitchen cabinets and food products, and clothes moths in wardrobes, wardrobes, atticsWhile the harmfulness of the clothes moth is mainly seasonal when we replace the stored spring-summer clothes with autumn-winter clothes (or vice versa), food moths make our lives unpleasant all year round.
Note!
"Ways to combat food and clothing moths vary widely. Particular care should be taken when using various fragrances and dried moth repellent herbs. For example, bags with dried lavender, which are recommended to be placed in wardrobes with clothes in order to deter clothes moths, will be a great nutrient for food moths in the kitchen.Thereforeto fight moths, always choose products dedicated to fighting a given type of moth , and use all home remedies for moths with caution and only after checking which species of moths they are fighting. "
Step 1
After noticing food moths, throw away all dry products from kitchen cupboards- pasta, cereals, flour, cereals, coffee, tea, cocoa, nuts, raisins and more. We make no exception here. The discarded products are tightly sealed in a foil bag and immediately taken to the garbage can outside. Throwing them in the bin at home does not make any sense, because the moths from the bin will quickly spread around the kitchen.
Step 2
Clean the cabinets thoroughly , preferably using a cloth soaked in a liquid for cleaning the cabinets or, even better, disposable wipes with antibacterial liquid (disinfecting wipes). Clean all nooks and crannies of cabinets and hard-to-reach places, including the areas behind the cabinets and under the cabinets.If you can't reach some nooks and crannies with a cloth, you can use a vacuum cleaner, but remember to immediately replace the bag in the vacuum cleaner with a new one.
Step 3
Check the ventilation grids. If you do not have nets with fine meshes installed in the holes under the grille, be sure to install them.This will prevent the moles from entering through the ventilation .
Step 4
After cleaning the kitchen cabinetsset up moth trapsRemember to use traps dedicated to fighting food moths. Remedies for clothes moths may be ineffective, and even act counterproductive. A good quality food moth trap will last for a long time, providing protection against moths for up to 3 months.
Food moth trap
Fig. target
For this reason, as I mentioned before, nI do not recommend any home remedies for moths, if we are not sure that they will be effective on food moths Unfortunately, in many home guides, natural methods for treating moths are recommended for fighting food moths (I have read a lot about it and there are really many articles / guides where there is a lot of ambiguity). So be careful not to cause yourself any additional trouble! "
Step 5
Put freshly bought dry products in the freezer first. The moth larvae die at low temperatures. This will give youcertainty that you will not bring the moths in againIt is also recommended not to keep anything in the cupboards for a few weeks after cleaning the kitchen, and only use the refrigerator and freezer. Permanently implement the rule thatyou store all dry and loose products in tightly closed containers , which will prevent moles from getting into these products.