How to Get Rid of Kitchen Moths

Moths fluttering in or near the kitchen are not a good sign. Kitchen moths, also called pantry moths, meal moths or grain moths, lay their eggs in dry stored food, quickly spoiling it. But you can send these unwelcome guests packing. To do this, you’ll need to get rid of both the adult moths and the larvae.

The first step is to set out pheromone traps to catch the adult moths. Place the traps in several locations. If the traps catch moths in the kitchen, this will confirm that you have an infestation. Place the traps around the kitchen to see if you can narrow down the point of the infestation. Pheromone traps can be bought online from Arbico Organics, and cost about eight dollars for two traps. The traps last for one to three months. Keep replacing the traps until you’re no longer catching adult moths.

Next, look in all your dry stored foods for the kitchen moth larvae. The larvae are about a quarter inch long and are white with an amber-colored head. Foods they’re likely to be found in include flour, cereal, nuts, dried fruit such as raisins, birdseed, and dry pet food. When you find the larvae, throw the food out. You’ll have to get rid of all the larvae to break the moths’ life cycle and get rid of them for good. If in doubt, throw it out.

Give the kitchen a thorough cleaning. Spilled flour on a shelf, cookie crumbs under a table, or bits of dog food on the floor can all harbor kitchen moth larvae. You may think you’ve gotten rid of the moths, only to have them come back for a return engagement.

If you have dry packaged food that hasn’t been opened yet, you can put it in the freezer for a few days. Any larvae that have gotten into it will be killed by freezing.

Don’t use insecticide; it won’t work on kitchen moths and may be hazardous to children and pets. It’s also not a good idea to use insecticide around food.

It may take a while to get rid of a large infestation. Kitchen moths are quite good at settling down for a long stay. But be persistent; keep trapping the adults and throwing out food infested with the larvae. Give the kitchen a good scrub down. Eventually you’ll come out as the winner of the moth wars.