Moth in the kitchen - effective remedies

Moth in the kitchen is, of course, not a pleasant phenomenon. Do not rush to blame yourself for being unscrupulous - a small winged creature can appear very imperceptibly, both in the form of an adult and in the form of larvae. The whole difficulty of fighting the moth lies in the fact that it is necessary to breed comprehensively - both adults and larvae. Get ready for the fact that you have to completely part with some products, for example, stocks of cereals. Moths come in many forms, in this case we are talking about a tiny butterfly, with a gray-yellow body.

The life expectancy of a kitchen moth ranges from a couple of days to three weeks, but this time is enough to deposit so many larvae that its offspring will give the owners a “fun life” for a long time. A large number of dry foods are suitable for her. Kitchen moth leads a nocturnal lifestyle, so it may take a long time until you find it - because she likes to move freely only at night.

This tiny creature is pretty nimble and so easy not to catch. Difficulties in its destruction also arise in the fact that we are talking about a kitchen where the use of chemicals is unacceptable. Larvae of the moth gnaw at products, and also leave their excrement in them.

Note! The season does not affect this individual - it can feel great in the absence of good ventilation and with a lack of air. If products with its larvae were placed in a hermetically sealed jar, then they will live there for a long time.

Habitat

Larvae of moths can get into your kitchen and can be found in the following products:

• cereals;
• dried fruits;
• nuts
• flour;
• Sugar
• pasta;
• tea, coffee.

Moth in the kitchen, the cause of which may be expired or unprocessed products from pests, once in the kitchen or in tea or cereal, will remain for a long time and will be happy to grow new and new offspring if you do not immediately get rid of it.

Moth, which was chosen by dried fruits, is not a pleasant sight. If your stocks of dried apricots and other dried fruits sometimes befall such a consideration, we recommend that you read the article: How to recognize and get rid of moths in dried fruits.

How to get rid of moths in the kitchen?

To remove moles from the kitchen an integrated approach will be needed - the destruction and implementation of preventive measures. Let's see what you need to pay attention to first.

Product Verification

Since the larvae of this little butterfly are in the products themselves, and then pupate, being in your cabinet, then first examine all the cereals, check pasta, sugar, nuts, flour, dried fruits. Think, maybe there are some spoiled foods that need to be thrown away - you need to look for moth in them first.

Advice! When checking, pay attention to the following symptoms: cobwebs, cocoons, yellow-white larvae. If there are any, then with this product you must immediately say goodbye.

Preventive action

Pay attention to such simple rules:

• You should not purchase products in very large quantities.Kitchen moth multiplies very quickly and you do not have time to “blink an eye”, as large stocks of products will be all infected and there is nothing to be done about it - you will have to throw everything away.
• Be sure to inspect the cereals and other products at the time of purchase. Now much is sold in transparent packaging and this will not be so difficult to do. When inspecting, remember the main signs of a moth - even if you notice only a web, it is better to immediately abandon the purchase.
• Give preference to more reliable brands. Let them be more expensive, but you will be more confident that the heat treatment was carried out and the manufacturer did not save on this in order to make the price more affordable in the future.
• Regularly arrange a "clean day" in kitchen cabinets, on the balcony and in the pantry. If you see that somewhere the cereal has crumbled - be sure to remove everything and wipe it clean.
• Check also packs with herbs. They can be stored for some long periods, inspect all old stocks.

Here are some more effective remedies for moths in the kitchen.

• Moth does not like garlic and citrus fruits, so it makes sense to put in each jar a clove of garlic and the crust of any citrus fruit in a cabinet.
• Ventilate the room often - the moth's fresh air is also not pleasant.
• Store food in ceramic or glassware that the moth is unable to gnaw, making it harder for her to get to the “new” cereal.
• Moth does not favor the smell of herbs such as cloves, mint and lavender. Therefore, bags or soaked sponges with essential oils of these herbs in the cabinets will bring to your kitchen not only a pleasant aroma, but also getting rid of the pest.

Food Rescue

If during the inspection you found such products that the moth has not yet had time to greatly affect and you are sorry to throw them away, then you can try to save them. To do this, it will be necessary to sort out (for example, cereals or pasta) and get rid of cocoons. After this procedure, conduct heat treatment - warm the product in the microwave for about 15 minutes, setting the temperature to 60-70. Of course, this method may not be suitable for all products, but for dry bulk it will be a salvation.

Room processing

For processing, it is recommended to wipe all surfaces inside and out with a soap or vinegar solution. When you wash, be sure to wipe all the cracks - cocoons may “linger” there. After that, leave the cabinet doors ajar to let everything dry well. Do not forget about the existence of pheromone traps - they will attract moths of males. However, with this method, care must be taken not to accidentally pull a mole from a neighbor through an open window. The smell is quite strong and will last for several days.

Follow these simple rules and soon the question of how to get rid of the kitchen moth will cease to disturb you.

Here's what the moth looks like in a sealed package: