Guest guest Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Hey all, This is slightly off topic, but I was hoping fellow animal lovers / eco friends could help .... I used to live in an apt. that was absolutely INFESTED w/ pantry pests. Nothing I tried work - I kept everything in glass containers and still wound up having to throw away all pasta/rice/cereal - you name it. Now, in my new apartment, I've only found one or two bugs every once in awhile and nothing seems to be showing up in my food pantry. Still, I'm living in fear of these little buggers. Has anyone had any luck w/ keeping these moths out of food/kitchens? I hate to use a pesticide or a killing mechanism, but I can't keep throwing food away! Thanks in advance, -K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Toss out all the infested products. Wash the shelves with a bleach and soap solution. Place an open bowl of bay leaves in the cupboard. After a while the bay leaves loose their potency and need to be replaced. I buy bay leaves in the Mexican food section (in bags) of the grocery store. I use the whole bag when I use this method. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Another timely tip. Always store you dry goods in glass jars or zip loc plastic bags. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Those little silver-winged pantry moths are the worst! So hard to get rid of and in the summer, new guys fly right in and they always head straight for my cupboards, too. I have such a difficult time with them so don't feel bad. I hope we can get some helpful advice. The only thing I have found that works well is tossing out anything infested and then investing in wide-mouth canning jars; they don't seem to be able to get into those as easily... but you have to be sure the food you are packing into the jars is not contaminated. If one wee little black egg speck falls in there, they hatch and grow. ~ PT ~ It may well be that the greatest tragedy of this period of social change is not the glaring noisiness of the so-called bad people, but the silence of the so-called good people. ~ Martin Luther King, during the Protestant Reformation ~~~*~~~*~~~> , " Jigilou Snicklefitz " <jigilou wrote: > > Hey all, > > This is slightly off topic, but I was hoping fellow animal lovers / > eco friends could help .... > > I used to live in an apt. that was absolutely INFESTED w/ pantry > pests. Nothing I tried work - I kept everything in glass containers > and still wound up having to throw away all pasta/rice/cereal - you > name it. > > Now, in my new apartment, I've only found one or two bugs every once > in awhile and nothing seems to be showing up in my food pantry. > Still, I'm living in fear of these little buggers. > > Has anyone had any luck w/ keeping these moths out of > food/kitchens? I hate to use a pesticide or a killing mechanism, > but I can't keep throwing food away! > > Thanks in advance, > -K > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Yes I have had a problem with these pantry moths too. Very difficult to get rid of. Can you imagine if you had a whole warehouse full of products they like. I wonder how they get rid of them. You have to wash down the shelves and wall and ceiling in the pantry to get rid of those clinging there and their little nests. At one point I thought I had gotten rid of them and stored most everything in rubbermaid or glass. Alas they are in far fewer #'s now, but not completely gone. Still throw out stuff from time to time... Ughhhhhhhh. I heard Martha Stewart talking about these one day that she battled with these bad boys too.......... Basically she gave the same suggestions that I gave. I called the county extension agent and they haven't even heard of them.... Where to they train these folks nowawadays...............? So many know less than the average person. Judy - ~ PT ~ Sunday, August 20, 2006 10:12 AM Re: Slightly OT Question - Pantry Pests Those little silver-winged pantry moths are the worst! So hard to get rid of and in the summer, new guys fly right in and they always head straight for my cupboards, too. I have such a difficult time with them so don't feel bad. I hope we can get some helpful advice. The only thing I have found that works well is tossing out anything infested and then investing in wide-mouth canning jars; they don't seem to be able to get into those as easily... but you have to be sure the food you are packing into the jars is not contaminated. If one wee little black egg speck falls in there, they hatch and grow. ~ PT ~ It may well be that the greatest tragedy of this period of social change is not the glaring noisiness of the so-called bad people, but the silence of the so-called good people. ~ Martin Luther King, during the Protestant Reformation ~~~*~~~*~~~> , " Jigilou Snicklefitz " <jigilou wrote: > > Hey all, > > This is slightly off topic, but I was hoping fellow animal lovers / > eco friends could help .... > > I used to live in an apt. that was absolutely INFESTED w/ pantry > pests. Nothing I tried work - I kept everything in glass containers > and still wound up having to throw away all pasta/rice/cereal - you > name it. > > Now, in my new apartment, I've only found one or two bugs every once > in awhile and nothing seems to be showing up in my food pantry. > Still, I'm living in fear of these little buggers. > > Has anyone had any luck w/ keeping these moths out of > food/kitchens? I hate to use a pesticide or a killing mechanism, > but I can't keep throwing food away! > > Thanks in advance, > -K > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 You are soooo right on Judy. You definitely have to pull out everything and give the whole pantry a clean sweep and wash down. Their nests are like fine spidery webs and cling to the tops and undersides of the shelves. Just when I think I have ridded of them all I will open the cupboard and new moth will float out! Then I get like Bugs Bunny and say, " You know of course that this means WAR! " *lol* Hey, at least we know we are in good company if Martha also has trouble with them! ~ PT ~ Out beyond fields of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there. ~ Rumi ~~~*~~~*~~~> , " wwjd " <jtwigg wrote: > > Yes I have had a problem with these pantry moths too. Very difficult to get rid of. Can you imagine if you had a whole warehouse full of products they like. I wonder how they get rid of them. > > You have to wash down the shelves and wall and ceiling in the pantry to get rid of those clinging there and their little nests. At one point I thought I had gotten rid of them and stored most everything in rubbermaid or glass. Alas they are in far fewer #'s now, but not completely gone. Still throw out stuff from time to time... Ughhhhhhhh. I heard Martha Stewart talking about these one day that she battled with these bad boys too.......... Basically she gave the same suggestions that I gave. I called the county extension agent and they haven't even heard of them.... Where to they train these folks nowawadays...............? So many know less than the average person. > > Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Bay leaves really work? I never knew they did anything but flavor food. : )))) Judy - grow514 Sunday, August 20, 2006 1:57 PM Re: Re: Slightly OT Question - Pantry Pests Toss out all the infested products. Wash the shelves with a bleach and soap solution. Place an open bowl of bay leaves in the cupboard. After a while the bay leaves loose their potency and need to be replaced. I buy bay leaves in the Mexican food section (in bags) of the grocery store. I use the whole bag when I use this method. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Bay leaves work in your flour bin too. Like I said, after time, they lose their potency and will need to be replaced. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 When I use bay leaves in the flour bin, I just dump the bay leaves from the bag into a small colander and set the colander on top of the flour. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 in my experience, the only way to really get rid of them is to toss all possibly infested products, clean out your cupboards really well, and start storing things in airtight plastic containers. i also found a great solution to help prevent ant infestations-- ordinary liquid dish soap! i poured it all along the perimeter of my house, and the ants don't seem to be trying to come in any more. guess they'd rather just stay dirty. melody http://www.flawlessfitness.com http://www.melodysmusic.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! I will definitely invest in some Ball jars and some bay leaves! I've only found the odd one or two again (and I'm hoping they're flying in from the outside...) but yes, I agree, This Means War (tee hee!) , grow514 wrote: > > Bay leaves work in your flour bin too. Like I said, after time, they lose > their potency and will need to be replaced. > > Joanie > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 , " Jigilou Snicklefitz " <jigilou wrote: > > Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! I will definitely invest in > some Ball jars and some bay leaves! I've only found the odd one or two > again (and I'm hoping they're flying in from the outside...) but yes, I > agree, This Means War (tee hee!) just be aware that it is possible that they have laid eggs in your dry goods, so it may only be a matter of time before you get another infestation. that's why it's good to just get rid of everything they may have gotten into. good luck! melody http://www.flawlessfitness.com http://www.melodysmusic.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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