Help me get rid of pantry moths!
Our kitchen seems to be infested with pantry moths (aka flour moths), in the larva form - they look like large grains of rice.
We found some a few months ago on a cereal box, so at the time we inspected all our dry goods (didn't find any more larva) so we made sure to seal all bags with a clip or twist tie, and put flour & sugar in plastic containers. We also removed everything from the shelves, then cleaned them and sprayed with Raid, then waited until the next day to put everything back.
But I guess it didn't work. Over the past few days, we have found over a dozen of these (just one or two at a time) crawling on our kitchen ceiling. So my husband asked me to go through all the flour/sugar/grains etc tonight to see where they are coming from. Needless to say, I am completely freaked out about doing this. The sight of a colony of these things in my rice or oatmeal would almost give me a heart attack.
Based on things I've read online, it seems that the most common recommendation is to toss all dry goods and start fresh, keeping everything in solid plastic or metal containers, since they can chew through plastic bags. While I would be upset at the loss of all those paid-for products, I'm thinking that might be the best way. My husband still thinks I should inspect everything first, just so we can see where they are coming from, but I'm not sure what that would prove, if we are just going to toss it all anyway.
I've ordered some "pheromone" based moth traps from Amazon on 2-day shipping, due to arrive tomorrow. Does anyone else have any thoughts on what to do? Is tossing everything out the best way?
- Login to post comments
Replies to This Discussion
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 11, 2011 at 12:42 pm
-
Tossing everything out is the nuclear option, but sometimes it is also the only one.
The problem with just throwing out the food is that you won't necessarily get all the larvae and unhatched eggs that way, you also need to clean the countertops, drawers, nooks & crannies, etc.
They aren't just in the kitchen, either, though that's where most of them will be.
We knew someone whose kitchen got thoroughly infested while they were on an around-the-world trip, they threw out EVERYTHING, including spices, canned goods, and everything in the freezer and refrigerator, and had the kitchen steam cleaned, including disassembling some cabinets, moving major appliances, etc.
The pheromone traps are very effective at first, but seem to lose effectiveness over time. You could put them out for a while, then use other traps for a few weeks.
Keeping all your flours and grain-based products (like cereals) in sealed containers will help keep them uncontaminated and control spreading.
There doesn't seem to be a consensus on whether freezing flour affects bugs and unhatched eggs, but it won't hurt to try that.
If you have flour in a sealed container and don't see any signs of infestation in it in 3-4 weeks, it's probably uninfested.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by swirth on October 11, 2011 at 12:42 pm
-
I love the moth traps and have used them quite successfully for many years.
Dog and cat foods and birdseeds are one way many of these things get going in a house and folks don't think about those items dragging them in.
I'd much rather have the bugs that to use Raid in my house!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by cwcdesign on October 11, 2011 at 1:07 pm
-
On occasion, we would get pantry moths for the same reason everyone else does. They come in on some package. There was a time when we got such a bad infestation, I literally had to get rid of everything. To warn you, they will also make nests on the bottom of cans, not just dry goods. I think I probably used bleach or another good strong cleaner - I would never use RAID in my cabinets. For a year or two afterward, I would either freeze or put in an airtight container EVERY thing that came into the house, to prevent the return. I think I had only one minor issue after that.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by swirth on October 11, 2011 at 1:27 pm
-
I've even seen them (larvae) in brand new/clean clothes in the house...I just plucked them off and dropped into the toilet or bleachy water in the kitchen sink. They usually peak in late June but they can be seen in houses any time of year.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by mrscindy on October 11, 2011 at 2:19 pm
-
Go for Mike's nuclear option and DON'T use Raid. You are going to spend the next few days throwing out food to the point where you will be ready to burst into tears, but just do it! You have to get rid of them or you will be fighting them forever!
Your husband's idea of trying to find out where the infestation started is a nice one, but you still have to throw everything out. Just do it. I know I keep saying that, but I've been there. There is no substitute for getting it done. Once done, the sense of relief is worth every penny of tossed food.
Anyone who bakes and has flours and grains in the pantry has dealt with a problem like this. Listen to the voices of experience and get rid of the little buggers!!!
~Cindy
- Login to post comments
- Reply by frick on October 11, 2011 at 5:50 pm
-
I'm very sorry about all your problems but there is a way out of this without throwing everything away. You would save money in the long run if you invested in a lot of Cambro 2 and 4-qt containers or glass jars. Find an independant deli and ask to have or buy their gallon pickle jars. Run the lids through the dishwasher three or four times and the jars once. They are fantastic for all your cereal and will hold five pounds of flour or rice.
This may surprise you but I found where eggs had been laid in the crevices of screw-on caps of canning jars, and bottles of things like worcestershire and spice jars, and of course in the folds of plastic and cellophane bags.
Keeping things in plastic bags is a no-no because an infestation will chew out of the bag and crawl around into the most unbelievable places. So, anything I own, once it has been opened goes into glass jars with tight fitting lids or Cambro containers or those Lock-Lock type of containers. Any container needs to be run through the dishwasher or given a swish of bleach before thoroughly rinsing.
I personally wouldn't throw away any food that looked ok but would toss out the box and put the product in something tightly sealed. That way, if the product is infested, it will be visible, and it can't contaminate anything else. This includes all cereals, grains, cornmeal, oatmeal, panko crumbs, rice of any type and all pasta. No boxes or packages allowed around here. And I might add I haven't had a problem with any moths, larvae or weevils in years.
I clean with windex and vinegar, only occasionally Chlorox Clean-up after cutting up chicken. The last time the larvae were found crawling on the ceiling was from a cello package of walnuts in my "baking cabinet". Since the larvae were almost everywhere, after emptying the cabinet, I saturated all the crevices with vinegar. I also removed all the caps from all the jars, finding larvae here and there. These caps were cleaned with a toothbrush and run through the dishwasher. But because most all my supplies were in glass jars, the moth larvae DID NOT INFEST anything else.
With determination you can get rid of them and anything new that may be infested can be kept contained. Hang in there.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by BakerIrene on October 11, 2011 at 10:05 pm
-
Prevention is better than cure. I shop at discount grocery stores (selling a quality house brand) where the turnover of everything is so high that the bugz ain't got a chance.
Look at the store shelf as soon as you pick up any box of cereal or mix--if there is ANY speck of dust, call the manager over and make him inspect. An upscale grocer down the street from me had to be shut down for a couple of weeks, because of mice from the fruit section getting all over the cereal section half a block away. It was a near-heart-attack customer that saw them first. They ended up replacing all the shelving, they got in better lights, and they replaced the manager while they were at it. They did trace the infestation to their warehouse, but...
I dump all my bags into glass jars or canisters IMMEDIATELY as soon as I get them home from the store. The empty packages go OUTSIDE.
Empty out all your kitchen cupboards, and take a flashlight and check the corner where the cupboards meet the wall. Use silicone bathtub sealer to fill those gaps, so the nasties won't be able to get in and out of there.
If you have room in the freezer, sift and freeze the most expensive stuff instead of tossing it. Discard a generous ratio of small bits: that is, directly outdoors.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by cwcdesign on October 12, 2011 at 8:08 am
-
BakerIrene,
I agree with you about taking the empty packages out IMMEDIATELY. But, even with a high turnover, if the store has been in existence for a very long time, they are going to get into the store and stay there. For example, an old general store. Higher turnover means they are less likely to go home with you, but people have brought them home from modern supermarkets where the bugs presumably arrived from a warehouse or production facility.
The best way to get rid of and then prevent infestations is to do what we all do - be vigilant and if you see them, clean like H***. And I do agree with frick that vinegar and water is better than bleach most of the time.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Irene@KAF on October 12, 2011 at 9:48 am
-
I feel your pain - At home, we had some weevils that came into our kitchen cupboard - we tried everything (bleach the cupboards, bay leaves, toss ALL grains, mixes, sugars, well - most of the cupboard contents, crying, begging, pleading). Finally invested in exterminator visit. It was all painful, but worth it to have the pro's come in as our repeated efforts didn't get the rascals in the cracks and crevices. Wishing you the best in this challenge. Irene @ KAF
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm
-
One thing to keep in mind about the pheromone traps it that they only work during the adult phase of the life cycle of the Indianmeal moth, which is about 4 days out of a life cycle that can run anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks.
They can help break the cycle, but you may continue to find larvae for the next month or two from eggs that were laid in crevices and cracks around the kitchen. The underside of drawers seems to be a favorite place for egg laying.
So clean all your drawers and cabinets and take everything off the counter tops, and then do it again in a few days, and again, and again. Consider it an excuse to reorganize your kitchen.
The larvae will seek out food after they hatch, and they can crawl completely across the kitchen in a few hours. They will find tiny specks of food in places you swear are completely clean, even areas where no food is stored.
Once you get things under control, keep checking the traps. Every time you spot moths in them, it's time to do all the drawers, cabinets and counter tops again. :sigh:
- Login to post comments
- Reply by chiara on October 12, 2011 at 1:29 pm
-
I agree with frick's comments. I would also note that my experience with pantry moths has been that it generally happens in the summertime when I was away and the air conditioning was off for long periods. I think the hot temperatures hatches the eggs in certain products. I keep all my flours in plastic containers in the freezer or refrigerator. I also keep my nuts in the freezer. When I had the infestation, I opened all boxed items in my pantry and inspected the contents then resealed okay food in ziplock bags. Both times I had an infestation, it was from the spice packets in rice mixes, such as Near East brand. Also, pay attention to "use by" dates. The longer food is around, the more likely something is to hatch.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by frick on October 12, 2011 at 7:21 pm
-
I attribute part of my success to an extreme dislike of shelves that get dusty or sticky (from things like molasses, olive oil, etc.) And from being raised in Houston, one of the buggiest places ever. Every shelf in my kitchen is cleaned 3-4 times a year, not on a schedule but just as I notice something. It's surprising how many spiders a person can find when they like open windows. :) Somehow un-spotless shelves bothers me more than dusty furniture.) Like kfk said (standing in the kitchen), I need a maid!
I finally convinced my DH to cover his drinking glass in the bathroom when I found a spider drowned in it. Smile.
Another place to clean where eggs might hatch out is underneath your bread machine bucket. Use the vacuum.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by ZenSojourner on October 13, 2011 at 6:34 am
-
About the Cambro containers, I bought a BUNCH of these a little while back and I have to say they were a huge disappointment. I bought 4 Qt squares and the lids are not tight fitting - these are not, IMO, good for long term storage. I've even had the lids pop off when I'm taking something off the shelf to open it, they are that loose.
I also bought a 6 qt round with lid and the lid on that fits much more tightly - but it's nowhere near as heavy duty and it's a bit awkward for mass storage (bunches of these on shelves don't fit together as nicely as square ones). I bought the 6 qt round for no knead dough and to ferment my dosa/idli batters.
I really don't think the square Cambros seal tightly enough to prevent infestation by pantry moths - I'm not even sure they'd keep out our other little friends who scurry about in the night. They just don't seal well.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by lgibson3 on October 13, 2011 at 2:17 pm
-
Once you get pantry moths, you never really get rid of them. The traps help keep them down, as does storing everything in glass or Tupperware or lock-lock. They can get past the plastic jars that rice sometimes comes in, but the plastic lids that are available for canning jars have worked fine for me so far. They like chocolate. Not living on the Gulf coast (I know what you mean about Houston) I don't worry too much about cereal, but I store as much of my flour and spices in the freezer as possible. Brown rice lives in the refrigerator.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 13, 2011 at 5:53 pm
-
I have one or two Cambro containers and several similar styled ones made by Rubbermaid that I got at Sams Club, plus lots of Tupperware and similar containers. They all seem to seal well enough to keep them free of bugs.
No flour remains in the bag here (or at least it is not supposed to.)
The comment about not ever quite getting rid of pantry moths is all too accurate.
We do see a few pantry moth larvae from time to time, mostly in drawers which always seem to get a little flour in them when cooking. We try to clean them out every few weeks, but there are something like 16 drawers in our kitchen, so cleaning them all at the same time is a major task.
Cat food and birdseed seem to be where we find the most signs of them. Wild rice is also a frequent source, so we seldom buy it.
The only times I've seen bugs in my flour is when they were there when I opened the bag/box. Recently I tossed out a bag of KAF bread flour that had gotten put in the back of an upper pantry cabinet (not where it was supposed to be) and forgotten about for several months and had some signs of bugs in it when I opened it.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by --jej on October 14, 2011 at 2:10 pm
-
Does anyone from the Old BC recall when bay leaves were discussed as part of a solution for moths? I keep them in the kitchen and in my hall pantry, where I don't even keep flours, but do have cereal boxes stored and a lot of other things. All of my flours are kept in those big deli jars (must be upwards of 2 gal. jars. I also keep my fave woolen scarf in a plastic bag with bay leaves when it is summertime and not being used. Also, I put the boxes of macaroni in plastic bags when they get home from the store. I have found those products are as likely as anything to have the leavings of little larvae bodies when I dump the mac into a pot of boiling water. Not real conducive to wanting to eat the stuff!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by PaddyL on October 15, 2011 at 12:03 am
-
I put bay leaves in opened boxes of cereal, in airtight canisters of flour, etc., and I also scatter them right on the shelves of my cupboards and in the pantry. They seem to do the trick, though they do nothing for fruit flies, our current problem. I know, no standing water, no fruit or veg left out, clean sink, counters, floor, etc., etc., and traps with cider vinegar and saran wrap with holes punched in the tops. They'll only really go away when the cold weather arrives.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by --jej on October 15, 2011 at 3:48 am
-
Yes, Paddy, those fruit flies don't seem to notice the bay leaves, do they? But give me fruit flies anytime, vs those ratty little moths and their larvae and whatever other bugs and relations they have. As you say, the fruit flies do disappear in cold weather, and brrr! It's coming soon if today is any indicator! Very windy and much cooler. I'm shivering right now!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by mrscindy on October 15, 2011 at 11:31 am
-
In another thread somebody noted that when we start discussing something here, it shows up in a newspaper or on TV. Well, this........just in from the Houston Chronicle this morning, and I quote,
"Tired of meal moths in the pantry? Keep them away by placing dry bay leaves in jars of flour, quinoa, couscous, lentils or beans."
The article was about different uses for herbs. Now, are we timely or what? As usual, this forum is on the leading edge!
~Cindy
- Login to post comments
- Reply by mvillanueva77 on October 16, 2011 at 3:57 pm
-
I have known this to happen and is more common to happen in flour products. When buying these item I will freeze them for 48 hrs minimum. This kills the larva inside. Good luck.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by JaclynM on October 28, 2011 at 2:14 pm
-
Thank you for all the comments! We ended up throwing out all the dry goods in the cabinet. We also did find the origin of the infestation: a small plastic bag of spices (mix for a dip). They appeared to have chewed their way out of it. Anyway, we threw out everything anyway, and I wiped down the cupboards with hot soapy water, and later with diluted bleach. I haven't totally replenished everything yet, because I figure there's no point in buying stuff until I need it. And I'm hoping that the empty cupboards will prevent any lingering moths from getting food.
I cleaned out all the other cabinets. In the one that was right next to the infestation, where I just have pots and pans, we found a bunch of dead larvae, so that cabinet got the same treatment, and I washed all the pans.
So right now I have a bunch of dry goods in the freezer. I plan to keep my flour and a few other things in there permanently, although others will go into containers as soon as they arrive. I ordered some airtight glass jars that had good reviews at the Container Store - several reviews specifically mentioned its ability to keep bugs out (or in, as the case may be). Those have already arrived, although I'm still waiting for the Lock-n-Lock containers I ordered 2 weeks ago. I also plan to keep all nuts and seeds in the fridge.
I emptied the cabinets the day after I posted the original message, and we have not seen any more larvae since. Hopefully we have a handle on it, but at least I know I will have a better chance at fighting them now that I will be keeping everything in containers.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 28, 2011 at 2:35 pm
-
It takes 6-8 weeks for a full life cycle, and sometimes the eggs can take weeks to hatch, so you need to remain vigilant. (And as someone wrote, you never seem to get completely rid of them.)
We had a minor problem recently, too, I traced the main colony of larvae back to, of all things, the inside of my Kitchenaid pasta roller attachment.
So, I took the thing COMPLETELY apart, cleaned it thoroughly, disinfected it, and put it back together again. It took me about 45 minutes and several false starts to figure out how to get all the pieces back in the right place at the same time. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would take the alarm clock apart and, usually, get it reassembled again, though one time I did get it to run backwards!
I will keep the pasta attachments in a plastic bag from now on, that at least slows them down, and will probably put them in the freezer every now and then, too.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on October 28, 2011 at 5:12 pm
-
Would I feed in pasta and get back flour, salt, oil, water and a whole egg? :-)
- Login to post comments
- Reply by JaclynM on January 08, 2012 at 2:40 pm
-
Just wanted to make a follow-up post. I have been diligent in keeping all dry goods in airtight containers, keeping all flour in the fridge permanently, and putting most other dry goods in the freezer for a few days after I bring them home.
We have had no more larvae since then, which is a big relief! For a while I was jumping every time I saw a crumb or grain of rice on the counter. ;)
I made a YouTube video showing the products I used to keep everything airtight, and how I have them organized and labeled. I thought others might find it useful, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21v4uRlof1s
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on January 10, 2012 at 4:12 pm
-
Okay, JaclynM, I'm fessing up:
This thread had me so freaked out, I sent myself on a detailed search on all things pantry moth and well, quite possibly drove myself to the brink of insanity. I'm still there!
I personally never had a pantry moth issue, ever. I didn't have exposure to it, either, yet I come from a long line of caterers and food pros. I was trained at an early age to search packages at the store for holes and inspect them well. Packages with webbing or holes were rejected. Maybe we just use things up fast or I've been lucky.
They say we create what we focus on. I was very paranoid after this thread. One day, lo and behold, a visitor flying in the kitchen. Thanks to all the pics on the Internet and Mike Nolan's link, the picture in my head was vivid enough that I could identify the trespasser. I was surged with terror, killed the b-word-stard mid-flight and immediately tore the kitchen apart on a mission to search and destroy...
Everything, and I do mean everything got crammed into the freezer. Every flour and grain; dried fruit, chili pepper, nut and chocolate-anything filled the freezer real estate after checking it. I scrubbed like a fiend. I found nothing. Until I made my way up onto a chair to a shelf never used and found a lone package of sun dried tomatoes I never used. Then I died...
It was full of white, wriggly, writhing creatures. *Shiver*
The bag was unopened and sealed, but believe me, I did not sit there and inspect for chew holes!! Shoved it in a sealed garbage bag and in the outdoor trash, came back and scrubbed.
This happened months ago and I'm still not over it. Opening the freezer is an ordeal. Raining packages and rearranging is an arduous issue.
I haven't had any signs of any more, but what is it that other posters have said? You NEVER get rid of them??? Can one fly in from outside? Or if you see one it means you have a problem?
Also, what is the point of freezing for a couple of weeks? To kill the worms? Or prevent them? Do I care that they're dead or that it's in there in the first place? Are the larvae always visible or do they grow from a speck? Do I sift my flours from the freezer before I use them? Sorry for all the questions and double sorry if I'm over-reacting, but I'm still pretty creeped out.
Thanks for the video, I did watch.
GinaG.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on January 10, 2012 at 4:33 pm
-
Most of the time if you see flying ones, you've got a colony of them somewhere. They can come in from outside, though.
The adult moths are sneaky. They don't necessarily lay their eggs in flour or other foods, just somewhat near it. (The larvae can crawl several feet in an hour and eat through plastic and paper bags and cardboard boxes.)
Freezing flour for a couple of days does kill the larvae and any adult insects, I'm not sure if it kills any unhatched eggs. (Most insect eggs can survive outside over the winter, that's probably true of indianmeal moth eggs as well.)
The individual eggs are quite small (smaller than the head of a pin) but are usually laid in a sticky mass.
The three sources we're probably had the most often are:
1. Birdseed
2. Dry cat food
3. Rice
I once bought a box of semolina that was thoroughly infested when I opened it a couple of days later. No way it could have gotten that bad sitting on the shelf for a few days. It went in the trash, which then went outside.
The average life cycle of the indianmeal moth is 8-12 weeks, warehouse beetles have a much longer life cycle.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on January 10, 2012 at 5:06 pm
-
That explains a lot. Thorough cleaning disrupts the buggers!
But JEEZ!...Are you telling me that we have no way of knowing that we have eggs in our food???
I'm still confused about the freezing. It kills but does that stop a future infestation? This is why I have no freezer space. I'm of the belief that I'm preventing this.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by frick on January 10, 2012 at 8:19 pm
-
GinaG, I disagree that once you have them, you never get rid of them. My most recent outbreak was two years ago, in some walnuts, with larvae crawling out the top of the cabinet and across the ceiling. A thorough cleaning killed them all and they did NOT get into any of my other food since it was all in glass jars or cambro. All I have in the frig or freezer are whole wheat & rye flours, yeast, gluten, buttermilk powder and larger quantities of nuts. If you keep everything in sealed containers, critters that might come in cannot get into anything else. I haven't had a bug since that time. See my comments about scooching Comet into the cracks & crevices of the cabinets. No bug will cross that, or they will die. DIE I SAY!
Many people who freeze flours and some grains do so for about 48-72 hours and this is supposed to kill the eggs. I think you can trust that. And sorry for the bad news but, yes, the eggs can be in our food, as well as things like insect legs, etc. There is a tolerance for particles of contaminating materials set by the government, so many allowed parts per set quantity. Do not ever think all our food is completely contaminate free. It is, however, cleaner than the food of any other country in the world.
ZenSojourner, I'm really surprised your Cambro containers do not have tight fitting lids. I must have 10 quart size, 9-12 2-quart size, a dozen 4 qt/ltr. and two 2-gallons plus a 22-qt for bread flour. All the lids are very tight, some needing someone who doesn't suffer greatly from arthritis to get them open. Luckily, I don't. Also, luckily I can buy them locally very reasonably because I keep four kinds of rice, cornmeal & polenta & semolina, oats, whole grain & cereal mixes, panko & coconut, & nuts as well as several flours, my own bread mixes and two kinds of infernal pancake mixes left from the pancake breakfast. My DH is dieting preparing for surgery and won't eat any carbs! Arrrrrggggg!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on January 10, 2012 at 8:37 pm
-
Thank you, frick! I'm glad to hear that you CAN obliterate those monsters for good. It sounds like cleaning is key, which may be why I never had an issue. Bleach-anything kills everything! Comet does contain bleach.
I will get glass containers, but I feel ridiculous doing so because I have sooo much Tupperware yet Jaclyn said bugs get into it. I haven't seen that, but maybe I've just been lucky.
I'm praying for you; I hope DH does well with surgery and carbs won't be an issue much longer.~Smartypants
- Login to post comments
- Reply by frick on January 10, 2012 at 9:30 pm
-
I doubt that bugs will get into Tupperware. I think it's more likely that the crevice of the lid doesn't get completely clean. Plastic, especially Tupperware, is hard to clean of grease unless you run it through the dishwasher. I also scrub crevices sometimes with soft scrub and a toothbrush. Don't get the idea that I am Missus Clean Fanatic but if you find me cleaning something, it is a kitchen crevice or shelf. Just don't look at my bookshelves or my desk. I still have a Christmas placemat out, for gosh shakes!
Oddly enough, the older Tupperware lids shrink at a different rate than the containers themselves and most of mine are now too small. I have also become alerted to the fact that the older ones are probably no longer considered food safe so I no longer use them for food. If you google Tupperware to check, there is a list, but it doesn't go back very far. Of course, yours may not be 40+ uears old. . . Since Schreiners (with their 50 cent pickle jars) is just blocks away, and Smart & Final (Cambro) on my regular weekly errand route, I have allocated my Tupperware to other uses. Do you want me to see if Schreiner's has any pickle jars available?
Determination will keep you 99-100% bug free, at least in CA and you don't need to keep everything in the freezer. And, yes, you are right. Things most likely to get buggy are spice packets, weird things that get lost in the kitchen and don't get used.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on January 10, 2012 at 9:58 pm
-
Frick,
I do have some Tupperware from that far back because Mom was a Tupperware fanatic and even sold it the last few years of her life! I have brand-new never used Tupperware from 1989 still in plastic. I did buy a liquid shaker bottle and the tiny ? 2 oz containers a year ago, but have been scared to use them since I heard Tupperware isn't safe.
If it's just the really old stuff, I'm okay with that. I just find it a pain to container everything (SIGH) but if that's what I need to do to get my freezer back and keep insurance, I'll do it. We have Smart & Final stores nearby, I'll check it out. Also, the 99 cent or less stores have a ton of locking and air-tight containers.
I'm a scrubber, so the insides of lids get just as clean as everything else.
The pickle jars sound fabulous! How big are they?
- Login to post comments
- Reply by ZenSojourner on January 11, 2012 at 9:18 am
-
Well Cambro makes several types of containers.
I have one of these for rising dough and fermenting dosa batter:
The lid on this fits very tightly.
Then I have a crapload of these:
These are the ones that the lids do NOT fit as tightly as I would prefer. I've occasionally had a lid come off while I was lifting it off the shelf, and on at least one occasion actually dropped it and spilled lentils everywhere. (because the lid came loose while I was moving it, it startled me, I fumbled and it fell)
Had I seen one in person I would not have bought these. They stack nicely, but they're not even close to air tight.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by christa666 on February 19, 2012 at 10:59 am
-
I ordered the traps from King Arthur they work great! I have had this problem for over a year I believe that someone brought flowers over that came from overseas and as soon as they were thrown out the problem started it was nightmare. I cleaned and bleached the pantry for 6 months and they keep coming back. I also threw out EVERYTHING IN THE PANTRY this is a given I even through out cans because the dried up eggs were all over those as well, It was very gross. But I have been using the King Arthur moth traps as soon as I received them and used them the problem went away. They were in other areas of the home as well.I suggest doing this and keep using them I am OCD aver this now and believe that a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Christa
P.S. The traps are very reasonable priced I feel.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on February 19, 2012 at 12:27 pm
-
Dear Christa:
What a relief to have that awful ordeal behind you, congratulations. We can't say about everything in life, 'This will never happen again!' but you can now that you have those traps.
I recently learned from the man who invented those traps how and why they work. I'm getting them for "prevention" too!
GinaG.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by GinaG on February 21, 2012 at 4:43 pm
-
Hi, Jan!
Yes, of course I'll elaborate. I met Mark Herndon through a neighbor and hired him to treat and see after my father's trees.
He is a pest control expert. He has worked with universities, farmer's and big companies both consulting and actually applying his formulas and techniques for pest control with use of his organic, non-toxic formulas and products for decades. He's originally from Texas and comes from a family of farmer stock, so he had quite the head start in his thriving agricultural career.
It's terribly scandalous, the invention portion of the story, so I'll wait to hear back as to whether you want to hear the dirt on that corner of the topic.
If you've followed this thread in its entirety, you know my skin is still crawling over my brief experience with these disgusting life-forms. Mark's service extends beyond the trees into any bug ordeal, real or imagined, inside and outside the home. He comes every three to four months to look around and treat the trees. A couple of weeks ago I shamelessly picked his brain on the pantry moth controversy. This is my understanding of how things work with the traps, according to Mark.
Once you have properly disposed of whatever has been "infested," which means tossing it in the outside garbage, the single most important and effective means to obliterate the buggers is to use the pheromone moth traps.
The male moth goes nuts to get to that trap, so sure he's ready to score. Meantime, Ms.Lady-moth has no eggs to lay if all the boyfriend material is getting sucked into the cardboard meat-market in the corner of your cabinet. He never calls her, never writes, just flies right past her straight to his death.
Of course, you want to clear the place of any eggs or recently hatched buggers, but even if any escape you, girl-moth and boy moth will be ever separated because the boy moths are insanely drawn to and cannot be stopped from running into the fake lady-moth harem with kamikazi abandon. The lady moths become infertile spinsters.
Mark educated me by separating fact from myth.
If you see a pantry moth flying around, they did not come in from outside, you brought them in from the store on or within your package. Pantry moths do not leave their food source. They want grains. He clarified that they don't want your dried fruit, nuts or chocolate. If you find (like I did) a factory sealed/unopened package of sun-dried tomatoes crawling with activity, it was the SEEDS within the tomatoes they were feeding on....Bleck!...They were already IN THERE...Chocolate? No: Ms. Lady-moth is indiscriminately laying eggs in crevices far and wide, none of those creatures want your chocolate, but if you see webbing, eggs were laid there.
They CANNOT penetrate containers like Tupperware or a sealed plastic anything with a lid: If you find them in there, they were there already; the container was ajar or eggs were laid in the crevice of the container-lid stored in your cupboard before you closed it with that be-egged lid.
There is only one itsy-bitsy bug that can squirm through the tops of spice jars and it is so rare, Mark has only seen two cases in decades. So if your spice jars are infested with something, it is not pantry moths.
What about FREEZING? Yes. Freezing is a form of execution, but never keep your flour in the freezer long-term or go beyond a couple of months, because any kind of moisture is really bad for flour. Store your flours in a cool, dry cabinet. A container is ideal.
What about NUTS? No, they're not interested in the nuts, they were packaged inside to start with: The eggs were laid in the crevices of the packaging, in my case, twisty-tied cellophane or stapled shut with a label, left sitting somewhere in storage before it's brought home, long enough for lady-moth to do her business. The offspring are fervently trying to get OUT to get to food: Grains.
He said to keep one trap in the cabinet or pantry and one in the refrigerator for replacement. If you get the trap because there is a problem, it is important to check frequently within the container and if it's filled up, replace it with the new trap. He said that using the traps for prevention is highly recommended, but pay attention and replace them with some regularity.
OOOOoookaaaay!...Now that my skin is crawling again and I feel so violated by the imagery I've conjured I'm ready for a second shower, do you have any questions? I may have missed telling you something, but it will come back to me should you ask because I picked Mark's brain thoroughly, I promise you.
~Gina
- Login to post comments
- Reply by --jej on February 22, 2012 at 1:09 pm
-
WOW! Gina, you have sold me on getting a trap!! I haven't seen a moth flying in my pantry for a few years now, but I think after reading this wonderful info, I feel impelled to 'be prepared!' I do occasionally find them in a box of mac-and-cheese or other pasta, and very rarely in a flour jar in a cupboard. And, of course, out the whole thing goes!!
Question: Will these traps also work in a closet or drawer with woolens? (I suspect not, but will still ask, since I do put come bay leaves in with my favorite woolen scarf, sweaters, etc.)
Thank you again, very, very much!!
- Login to post comments
- Reply by Mike Nolan on February 22, 2012 at 1:19 pm
-
The pheromone traps are specifically for indianmeal moths.
- Login to post comments
- Reply by frick on February 24, 2012 at 7:39 pm
-
I did open a package of chocolate once, totally eaten and riddled with some type of moth larvae, a writhing mass of hideousness. Can't say what kind of moth it was. I didn't let them stick around long enough to be on first name basis. :)
- Login to post comments
- Reply by --jej on February 25, 2012 at 10:10 am
-
Oh, frick!! This sounds so gross!
(So... what did I just do, after reading this??? Went into the utility room -- just a few steps away -- to check out some chocolate stored there, and came away with a square of semi-sweet. Have just devoured half of it, and the other half is waiting impatiently beside me right now. It, too, wants to escape any question of some creepy crawlies getting into it!!)
- Login to post comments
- Reply by mrscindy on February 25, 2012 at 1:46 pm
-
I can hear that little square of chocolate screaming, "please, quick, eat me! Those nasty bugs are coming! Eat me, please!"
Hurry, jej, eat that chocolate. You are doing that poor chocolate a favor. And in return it promises to never grace your hips.
~Cindy
- Login to post comments
- Login to post comments
