When you are cooking, and you reach for an ingredient in your pantry, you need it ready to use. When you are in the middle of cooking, and the flour or cornmeal is unusable because it is compromised, the meal is in jeopardy. It is frustrating and stressful to discover pantry moths have infested the flour, dried beans, dried herbs, and whole wheat in your pantry. You may have been shocked to see pantry moths crawling over the nuts, seeds, and even chocolate candy stored in your kitchen. The last place you expect to see pantry moths is dog food, but they invade dog food too!
If you are opening containers and finding moths crawling in the food, you need the best pest control in Anaheim, A-1 Bonded Termite. We have been serving the people of Anaheim for over 40 years, and you have rewarded us with a constant stream of recommendations and referrals. We have decades of experience eliminating pantry moths from homes; we can end the infestation at your house.
Why Are There Pantry Moths In My Pantry?
There are two ways a pantry moth infestation can start. First, light attracts pantry moths. Keeping a light burning in the kitchen area at night will draw moths. If they can find holes in the window and door screens, they will enter the home and fly to the light. Since your pantry and kitchen have food and moisture, the pantry moths will seek shelter in those areas where they can lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larva will migrate to food products.
Contaminated packages brought into the home is another way a moth infestation in the house begins. Due to strict regulations, food processing facilities use rigid detection techniques. Despite their best efforts, pantry moth eggs embedded in food products occasionally pass inspection undetected. When the polluted product comes into your Anaheim home from the grocery store, the larvae migrate and infest grains, seeds, dried fruits, chocolate, powdered milk, crackers, and nuts stored in your pantry. Dry pet food and bird seed bags provide the perfect incubator for pantry moths since they remain undisturbed for extended periods.
Can Pantry Moths Eat Through Plastic?
Pantry moths eggs in food products hatch after about ten days, and the larva emerges from the eggs. The moth stays in the larval stage for two to three months, during which time it constantly feeds on the food product and defecates on the product. Moth larvae are vicious eaters and can chew through thin plastic bags, polythene film, and thin cardboard.
Where Do Pantry Moths Lay Their Eggs?
Three days after a female pantry moth matures, it will begin depositing eggs, and over the next few days, it will produce around 300 eggs. The moth may lay the eggs in a singular fashion or in a group and are laid on the food material nearby. If only one female pantry moth can lay up to 300 eggs over its short five to seven-day lifespan, imagine hundreds of female moths in your pantry! A moth problem in the house will quickly develop once they gain entrance into your home.
What Should I Do To Make Pantry Moths Go Away Permanently?
Here are some tips for pantry moth prevention in your Anaheim home:
- Seal food products in glass or heavy plastic containers
- Vacuum the ceiling, floor, and all corners of the pantry using a wand attachment to suction the corners, cracks, and all crevices
- Wipe pantry shelves and kitchen cabinets with a soap and water solution
- Keep old and new food products separated
- Use or discard dry food products within three to four months of purchase
- Refuse to purchase food products in damaged or broken packaging
- Inspect purchased food items before transferring them to the appropriate storage containers
- Store dry animal foods in sealable containers
- Keep the pantry area dry
- Close window shades at night to stop attracting moths to the light
- Repair holes in window and door screens
- Seal gaps and cracks around windows and doors and in the foundation
- Use exterior bug lights
To end a current invasion of pantry moths, you need our moth exterminators from A-1 Bonded Termite. Because the pest in your pantry might be an Indian meal moth or a type of flour beetle, you need pest control experts who can correctly identify the problem. Our extensive experience with pantry moths enables us to determine the pest and develop a custom treatment plan to eradicate the problem. Contact us today, and don't get surprised in the future with pantry moths ruining your cooking experience.