Getting rid of food moths in the kitchen

Food moth in the kitchen is a dangerous pest of various food products. It multiplies very quickly, spoils various cereals, flour, and can even eat dried fruits, nuts and bread. After infection with it, the products become unfit for consumption, and their complete deterioration occurs quickly enough. Let's talk about how to get rid of food moths and some of its other species, as well as about the important nuances of this pest control.

 

Urgent measures to get rid of moths in the kitchen

There are many signs of the appearance of moths in the kitchen: these are small brown butterflies under the ceiling and on the walls, cocoons in flour and cereals, and even pinkish caterpillars crawling along the walls of kitchen cabinets. All these signs quite clearly indicate that a food moth has appeared in the house.

In order to quickly and effectively get rid of this pest, it is useful to have an idea about the biology of the food moth and about modern highly effective anti-moth agents. It is important to understand that occasionally running around the kitchen with a slipper and destroying moth butterflies is a very ineffective struggle option that simply creates the appearance of destroying food moths. The main mass of pests (larvae) continues to actively develop in contaminated food products.

On a note

Moth is a generalized name for small butterflies from the Lepidoptera order. They can be divided into insects that spoil food and property in the house, and agricultural pests. Domestic moth, in turn, is divided into species that spoil clothes, and a group of species that affect food. Of course, all these insects are also found in nature, but there they feed on other foods.

In its development, food moth goes through several stages, and in order to get rid of moths in the kitchen, you need to destroy butterflies, larvae, and moth eggs. It should be remembered that there is no seasonality in the reproduction and distribution of moths: it can appear at any time of the year, so you need to get rid of the food moth as soon as possible after its discovery.

It is necessary to start getting rid of the kitchen moth with the larvae. It is they who spoil the products, gluing cereals into small lumps of a characteristic type and leaving winding passages under the surface of fruits and vegetables.

It is interesting

Food moth, depending on the products on which it lives, is divided into grain - parasitizes on grains of wheat, rice and corn, apple (fruit) - spoils apples, pears, apricots, potato - lives in tubers of potatoes, tobacco and others. Any of these types of moths can be found in a city apartment.

Moth larvae are fairly easy to destroy.In order to get rid of food moths, the first step is to go through all the food supplies in the kitchen, clean the pantry, checking the condition of the most stale stocks.

Small gray pellets at the bottom of packages and cans, glued grains of cereals, covered with a grayish coating, are evidence of a moth infestation of the product. You can get rid of moths in cereals by heating it in the oven or in a pan, or by freezing it for several days in the freezer. To get rid of the cereal moth, it is enough to place the infected product in the cold below minus 10 ° C for 2-3 days, or in heat above + 60 ° C - for 1-1.5 hours. However, if more than 20% of the product is contaminated, it is best to discard it altogether.

It is most expedient to get rid of food moth butterflies in an apartment mechanically. You can simply swat flying pests, or you can hang adhesive tapes or special sticky traps in places where they spread. It is irrational to use insecticidal aerosols in these cases, but with parallel persecution of cockroaches or domestic ants, they will give a good result against moths.

Thus, getting rid of a small amount of moths in products is quite realistic by making an audit of food supplies, calcining infected cereals at a high temperature, or freezing them.

 

Destruction of moths in cabinets and furniture

It must be understood that complete disposal of moths in the kitchen is impossible without disinfection and disinfection of the entire pest habitat. Moth eggs can be found in the smallest furniture cavities, and without destroying them, it will be problematic to clean the kitchen from the pest.

To get rid of food moths, you need to know the enemy in person. Below in the photo are varieties of food moths:

• barn moth
• flour moth
• potato moth
• grain moth
• mill moth
• dried fruit flame.

You can get rid of kitchen moths using a wide range of special chemicals. In general, they can be divided into liquidation - insecticides containing toxic substances and destroying existing insects, and repellents - created on a plant basis and repelling new pests. The most common form of release of insecticides are aerosols.

There are many different sprays you can use to get rid of moths in the kitchen. Among the most popular are Raptor from moths, Armol, Antimol and Kombat aerosol.

Raptor "Moth Protection" is used against moth butterflies and their larvae. Sprayable on furniture, including wood, clothes, carpets, effective for 12 months or until the first wash.

Moth aerosol Armol has an instant effect against butterflies and a prolonged effect against moth larvae. Used to clean and protect furniture and carpets from insects. Valid for 6 months.

Anti-mole Raid is used on clothes, furs and fabrics of any type, remains effective for a year or until the first wash.

Aerosol "Combat SuperSpray" has a universal action against most flying and crawling pests. It is sprayed in the corners of rooms, at the junction of furniture and in places where insects spread, it is safe for animals.

Review

“Recently, I was horrified to find moths in groats in my kitchen. Where - it is not clear, but the larvae crawl in huge quantities. I decided to get rid of it radically - I washed everything, threw out the spoiled products and sprayed the Raptor with a spray.It turned out that even after my cleaning, insects still remained in some places. Removed and sprayed again. Now I enjoy cleanliness.

Diana, Rostov-on-Don

When using insecticidal agents in the fight against food moths, it is important to prevent the drugs from getting on food!

 

How to protect things and products from moths and their larvae

The mechanism of action of repellents is that they repel insects and prevent them from laying eggs. Most often, repellents are in the form of tablets, plates and briquettes, some of them may contain naphthalene and camphor.

It should be remembered that naphthalene has pronounced carcinogenic properties, therefore it cannot be used in residential premises, and when choosing a repellent, its composition should be checked. Because of this, their use in the kitchen as a whole is limited and it is undesirable to use them near food.

To get rid of food moths, you can use lavender and fir oils. Cotton pads impregnated with these oils should be laid out in places where the pest appears. And to get rid of cereal moths in the kitchen as a whole, it is worth spreading a few tablets over cabinets or under furniture. The most famous repellents are Antimol and Dezmol tablets, Moleboy plates, Arsenal, Phytocid, Zitol, Gela cassettes.

Review

“My grandmother always laid out bunches of dried lavender in the kitchen from the cereal moth. You can get rid of it, she said, but it's better if it doesn't exist at all. When we moved to a new apartment, after a general cleaning, I laid out lavender tablets in different secluded corners and periodically change them. For a year and a half there was not a single moth butterfly in the house.

Anna Melnik, Krasnodar

 

Sections from the moth

Sections from moths are considered the most rational and effective means of preventive control of moths. They may come in lavender, tangerine, or chamomile scents, or they may not be scented at all.

Generally speaking, sections are designed to protect things in wardrobes, but they can also help get rid of food moths in the kitchen. Being, in fact, a fumigation agent, they release active substances that prevent the reproduction of moths and, in addition, repel adults (butterflies).

Among the well-known brands of moth sections are Raptor, Mosquitall, Globol.

The Raptor moth section is designed to protect woolen and fur products. Helps to get rid of both adult butterflies and moth larvae in the kitchen. Sections should be changed every 4 months.

Mosquitall sections provide comprehensive moth protection. They work poorly against larvae and eggs of the pest, it is advisable to use them as a means of prevention. Valid for 6 months.

Review

“I always use Mosquitall sections to protect my clothes. Recently I decided to apply them in the kitchen - there was a case of the appearance of grain moths. It was possible to get rid of it by throwing out all the grits, now I would like to avoid its reappearance. The Mosquitall section has a very convenient shape and a hook with which you can hang it even on the eaves. In addition, the section has a special slider to mark the start of the use time. I hope the kitchen is now as secure as the closet.”

Natalia Korotkova, Novgorod

Globol sections have an original design and protect the space from both moth butterflies and caterpillars. Contains natural lavender oil. One section is enough for 6 months.

 

Folk remedies for moths

In addition to chemicals to combat moths, folk remedies also have a certain effectiveness. These include tobacco leaves, pepper, fresh geranium and nettle, wormwood, mint, orange peel, fresh and dried lavender flowers, laundry soap, and others.

To repel moths, a small amount of natural repellent is usually laid out in the back of kitchen cabinets. The smell emanating from these products will scare away the adult moth and prevent it from laying eggs. But folk remedies practically do not work on the larvae of food moths - this must be remembered.

To get rid of flour moths, folk wisdom recommends sifting the flour, then drying it in the oven, and then storing it with a few cloves of garlic. In the fight against moths, you can also use salt.

A folk recipe for getting rid of fruit moths is to rinse the product in salt water. Practice shows that this method works only with a slight degree of contamination of the product.

 

Moth prevention methods

It is much more effective to prevent the very appearance of moths in the kitchen and in the house than to deal with the results of its vital activity later.

First of all, this concerns food stocks. There is no need to massively store cereals, flour and pasta in the kitchen - food should be bought for no more than a week. At the same time, give preference to better known, well-established brands. Bulk products should be stored in tightly closed containers.

If possible, it is not recommended to leave fruits and vegetables outdoors. You can get rid of the found fruit moth by placing the fruit in the refrigerator.If a potato moth is suspected, the tubers should be sorted out and the infected should be disposed of as soon as possible. And of course, the best moth prevention is a careful check of all purchased products.

In conclusion, we note that a moth can equally successfully live both in a rural house and in a fashionable apartment, so simply keeping the house clean does not guarantee that the pest will not come to visit you. Proper use of preventive measures and measures will save your home from the invasion of food moths with a greater probability.

 

Useful tips for getting rid of clothes moths in the closet and food moths in the kitchen