Blue Hen Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 We found these disgusting things this morning in the dog treats, inside my pantry.... I'm cleaning out my pantry --- do they live in tea bags? coffee beans? spices? are the spices in closed glass jars ok? I've trashed the jello, pudding, crackers, dry pasta (wanted that out of here so that gave me the excuse) Thanks Carole, whose sons are even grossed out by these things! :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Inspect what you have...if you don't see webbing/larvae/moths, the food is fine. Put what you can in glass jars or ziplock bags. Go to the hardware store and get a pantry moth trap and put that on the top shelf. You'll be fine. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I've had trouble with them too. I'm going to look into the trap, Ria mentioned. But I had to dump some bags of beans and rice that I'd left in plastic. I think I've cleared out the source, but now I'm waiting for the moths to DIE. My pantry looks much nicer though since I was forced to clean it out. If there's a bright side. :tongue_smilie: Nasty little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 I have tons of space in my pantry right now, particularly since I stopped shopping at BJ's (food warehouse) last December. They just sent me a 'free 60-day' membership and I was going to go there after school was done today. Needless to say, we didn't go. I read through some of the previous threads on Pantry Moths and threw quite a few things into the freezer that looked OK, beans was one of the items. But I have so many spices in bags and the bugs supposedly will eat right through the plastic bags so I'm not sure what I'll do with those. UGH, this was not what I wanted to do today either. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 In fact, I still do. I thought I'd cleaned everything out, but they're still there. I guess I'll have to go through another time. Yuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chai Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 I had these in my last home a few years ago. They were nearly impossible to get rid of. I started storing all of my spices, flour and dry goods in the freezer. It seemed like even my "airtight" containers still got infected. I finally tossed everything and started over. I sterilized all of my containers and washed all of my cupboards with bleach. They hide everywhere. Spilled a little flour in the cupboard? They can live on that. I would still get a bug now and then after the clean-up. I've moved, now, and thankfully, have no bugs! I still store everything in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 So OT but I was reading the titles of the threads quickly and read this one as Panty moths and had to do a double take. :lol: I was starting to worry about you on that one lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 So OT but I was reading the titles of the threads quickly and read this one as Panty moths and had to do a double take. :lol: I was starting to worry about you on that one lol :lol: I needed that today. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele B Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Go to Gardeners Supply online and order their moth traps. They work wonders. Go ahead and order two sets. I have been using them plus throwing everything out plus vigilantly using my food saver to seal everything. Oatmeal, cereal, tea, flour -- even baking chocolate--I found a ton of the little wrigglers in the UNOPENED baking chocolate! I put everything in wide mouth mason jars and seal it up - every time - everyday! Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 (edited) Did you know that Pantry Moths live off of paper products too! I kid you not. Above my pull-out pantry drawers is my paper product stash. I haven't gone into that place since July cause only bathroom items are up there and we're in the process of remodeling the first floor bathroom. The toilet paper and tissues are covered~~~~gross, gross, gross...... and I'm only about half-way through the clean-out of this pantry....... Carole ps---on a good note I found a can of sardines that was bulging. It went straight out to the trash. I have no idea how old it is either and there wasn't an expiration date on it. Edited September 29, 2008 by Blue Hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Also, make sure you empty the cabinets and wash down the inside and vacuum the crevises. Eggs can hide in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 They can eat through Ziplock type bags. They also like to make a home under the label of canned goods. Double, triple check EVERYTHING - no matter what type of container it is in. Freeze whatever you can to destroy any unseen critters. Buy the traps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 This happened to me once. I threw everything away, cleaned and started over. It took care of the problem. The question is always," what store gave them to me?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted September 30, 2008 Author Share Posted September 30, 2008 I have the traps on order --- thank you. After seeing them in with the toilet paper I was wondering about those labels on the cans. UGH!!! My pantry does look spic-and-span clean right now, and very empty. Guess we'll be eating all those canned items before I go shopping again. Oh, and my freezer has lots of stuff which is fine since it was looking rather empty. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missplacedalaskan Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 UGH! I'm sorry you are dealing with those nasty buggers! We had a bout with them in July/Aug...found them right before our 2 week vacation to Alaska! We have the house up for sale and there was NO WAY I was leaving with bugs in the house. What if someone had come to look at the house and found bugs?! We got them all cleaned out, I had to diligently clean the pantry for 2 weeks. I threw everything imaginable in the freezer, and threw a bunch of stuff out. I found them in an opened box of tea bags...the vacuum was my best friend! I even found them on the bottom of the canned goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 The reason they are inside sealed packets are because they come- in egg form, I presume- in the goods inside the packet. They seem to be a seasonal thing around here. The way to stop them coming into the house in the first place, is to place all flour type goods in the freezer for a week or so before placing them in the cupboard. It kills the eggs apparently. Often I forget the flour is in the freezer and it just finds a home there. I never keep unsealed packets of grain type foods in the cupboard any more- everything goes into seled containers once opened. I had a bad pantry moth situation about 6 months ago, and chucked a whole lot of food, vacuumed the cupboard, wiped the corners etc. I have traps set, and they do seem to work- but only in combination with freezing the most likely food culprits as well. Having said all that, they don't bother me too much if I find one or two in something. Extra protein :) I doubt they are carrying germs the way , for example, flies can. Particularly if they are breeding in the food- where are the germs? Maybe it's that Australian convict cultural heritage- they always had weavils in the flour in those early pioneering days, and food was so precious, you couldnt afford to throw it away. We waste so much. I had weavils (which are the larvae form of the pantry moth) in a big bag of rice- when I put the rice in water, some weavils would float to the surface, and I just fished them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 So OT but I was reading the titles of the threads quickly and read this one as Panty moths and had to do a double take. :lol: I was starting to worry about you on that one lol Me too! I thought she had months eating her panties. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Well, it could be worse, you could have a rodent in your stove hood.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Way back in September I had a pantry moth infestation. (pantry NOT panty :rofl:) Some wonderful person here told me to get pantry moth traps---THANK YOU. I used them at first and wow, did they ever get loaded up with moths. I replaced them and just a few came, few enough that I could count them and tell that I hadn't caught any new ones for a couple weeks. Again I purchased new traps, set them out and relished in the thought that the traps (and us) were free from moths. DH told me there was no need to buy Lock-and-lock containers since the moths were gone. And, btw, he wanted to know why we STILL had those silly traps. His eyes told me he thought I was crazy for thinking those moths were still around, waiting to hatch from some tiny spot. Most of December passed with those new traps, without a moth on their sticky surfaces. Well, last weekend I checked the traps again. One trap had 3 moths, the other a dozen! That's just what you said would happen----they come out weeks, and months after you think you have taken them out so the trap is needed to catch them. No adult moths to lay eggs! DH thought we had them licked but the proof was in that trap! Today my 21 pieces of Lock-and-lock arrived from QVC. DH didn't blink an eye either. The traps are still there and now with these containers I can move some of my dry goods from the freezer back to my pantry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I've had moths flying out of my pantry for the last week or so. I have no idea what they could be in because I'm usually very careful about bagging up everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I cleaned out our pantry and found that they were hatching in my flavored and brown rice! It made me feel like I was filthy and unclean..I scrubbed down my pantry and threw away anything that was open or had signs of any larva:ack2: I read online somewhere that if you put your rice in the frig for a few days it will kill anything that might hatch..nasty I know! I have not had any moths since then!! Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 ps---on a good note I found a can of sardines that was bulging. It went straight out to the trash. I have no idea how old it is either and there wasn't an expiration date on it. Uh, yeah. I think BIUB dates have been on canned goods for 10 or 15 years. Pantry moths seem to like nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, pasta, and herbs. I think they can lay their eggs between the label and the can. When we had an outbreak in September, there were two of the little !@$#! inside my microwave door, flying around. A bag of pecans was completely unrecognizable - it looked like sawdust. We had good luck with the bait things, though I have occasionally seen a single one, which I stalk till it's squashed. Right now, we have "little flies" - which are like latrine flies but, you know, not. Anyway, they fly in clusters, in delightful little holding patterns, like mime flies in the little invisible box, generally under a "cover" like a light. And you can't whack them. And they seem to never. die. Is it NOT January on Delmarva? Did I miss a memo? WTH?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missplacedalaskan Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I was not the poster that suggested the moth traps, but I'm glad they worked for you. Those moths are so gross! We had an infestation and rice was the culprit also. I ended up throwing so much food away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 We found them in the box of ziploc bags - arggh! Our only defense after months was to clean everything out every week and put as much in the fridge as possible. We also found that they LOVED brown rice. I thought if we put a fan in the pantry that would make it harder for them to fly, my dh thought I was crazy. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hmm...after reading through this thread, I discovered they like tea :scared: Yep, they hit my tea stash. I have a lot of cleaning to do tomorrow *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I read online somewhere that if you put your rice in the frig for a few days it will kill anything that might hatch..nasty I know! Good luck!! I have not had any brown rice medley in months because I found something in a sealed bag that was forgotten in the back of a cabinet. Maybe this will help me get over the mental image of unseen larvae in my rice. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Guys, what's the trap like? I've see someone say that she had a bunch stuck to hers. Is it chemical or adhesive only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 It's a triangular "tube" that has adhesive on the inner surfaces. You drop a little pheromone square in there to attract them, then they fly in, commence the mating dance and stick fast. They do have to be replaced periodically, because the pheromones apparently stop wafting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Ah, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbasil Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I just wanted to add that it's best to only use one trap at a time, as the pheromones in 2+ can confuse them and you'll catch fewer. We used the pheromone traps and one of the hanging sticky fly traps. I think it took at least a year to *finally* get rid of them, as they do appear in cycles. From the first sighting, I began putting most boxes in the freezer for a couple days before putting them in the pantry (I've read this kills the eggs). I also put ground cloves in all the shelf crevices, and laid out whole cloves and bay leaves as deterrents as well. There's one store I frequent where I usually see a pantry moth or two flying around the cereals or flours. And it's a rather upscale store, with high turnover. Those critters are hard to beat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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