How to treat kitchen cabinets from moths. Food moth in products: how to get rid of it? Do food moths eat clothes? Folk remedies for moths

This is a small light gray butterfly, up to a centimeter long. She moves very quickly and chaotically, and it is extremely difficult to catch her with her hands. Most likely, in your kitchen you will not find it immediately.

Firstly, because it flies at night, in the dark, and secondly, because it hides perfectly. Food moth larvae damage food stocks, while the butterflies themselves do not feed, but only leave clutches.

The larvae are very voracious. They gnaw on food and leave traces of their vital activity.

How to get rid of food moth? Food moth can spoil almost any dry product: cereals, dried fruits, dried vegetables, dry animal feed, confectionery, nuts or even tea. In contaminated products, you will find clumps of cobwebs and small white worms. Of course, you cannot eat such foods.

Where does it come from? Usually, the pest enters the house along with purchased products that were improperly stored before being sold. Less often, a mole can fly in from a neighboring apartment in the warm season.

How to be saved

What to do if your place of residence and got to the kitchen:

How to get rid of food moths in cereals?

If you see small worms with black heads or adult butterflies in cereals, flour or dog food, then throw these foods away without hesitation. If you see only a small amount of "cobweb" in a bulk product, then such a product can be saved.

If the moth has slightly poisoned flour, cereals or beans, then pour the product onto a plate, baking sheet and heat in the microwave for 15 minutes. You can also use the oven minimum temperature(50 - 70 degrees). Freezing is considered the same reliable method. To do this, place a hermetically sealed bag of products in the freezer for a couple of days. In the future, you can process all dry products that you buy for future use in this way. This is good idea for prevention.

How to get rid of food moths at home? Internal surfaces cabinets should be washed with vinegar and water, and then dried. Carry out the same simple processing with all the banks and other bulk containers that you have in your house.

Needless to say, in the future, you need to store dry products in glass, plastic and tin cans with tight-fitting lids, not in open store-bought packages.

For the future, set up a trap like the Raptor or the lesser known but very effective Aeroxon. Place it between the jars with those products that especially attract the pest. Such a trap works by attracting butterflies. They fly into the trap and stick to the sticky tape.

So later you can control the presence of moths in your home: if you see a new pest on the trap,.

Another way: do not lure, but rather scare away. In this case, the main thing is a pungent smell that the insect cannot stand.

How to get rid of food moth folk remedies? There are a number of time-tested tips to help keep moths off your supplies and out of your home:

• garlic. Lay the peeled cloves between the jars with the products you want to protect. When the teeth are dry and stop smelling, replace them with fresh ones.

• geranium. Put it on the kitchen window, where adults are supposed to fly into. The specific smell of this plant will not allow them to linger in your home.

• Bay leaf and other spices. You can try oregano, pepper or cloves. Place them in potentially dangerous places.

Use spice sachets to pack your spices: fabric pouches that will keep your shelves from clogging up and keep the pungent smell of spices from deepening in the kitchen.

• strongly smelling herbs: lavender, thyme, sweet clover and others. This is not only a help in the fight against moths, but also a cute decorative element: tie dry fragrant herbs into small bunches and hang them inside and outside the cabinets.

• citrus fruits, or rather their dry crusts. This is a well-known pest repeller, and also a neutralizer. Crusts can not only be laid out on shelves, but placed directly in a jar of dried fruits, cereals, flour. In any case, they will not be redundant there.

If the moth doesn't disappear

What if the mole appears again and again? Many housewives, tired of endless attempts to bring out an uninvited neighbor, resort to insecticides and other poisons.

I don't think it's worth doing this. But if you started using an insecticide, do not abuse it, spend more often wet cleaning and sometimes change the drug.

Let's say you do everything possible for prevention: warm up or freeze the products that you bring into the house, use a trap, often ventilate the shelves and wipe them with vinegar, but the moth still appears often and stubbornly?

Then we can assume that there is some way that the pest constantly gets into your kitchen. Try to find and neutralize this "channel".

You may be helped by mosquito nets, which must be installed not only on the windows, but also on ventilation and any other exits leading to neighboring apartments. Glue, coat all the smallest cracks through which the pest can enter the kitchen. Together with others simple ways fight it will certainly help you get rid of the kitchen moth for a really long time.

The fight against such a pest as a moth is a difficult task. best method- make it a habit not to neglect simple preventive measures. Geraniums on the window, a bouquet of lavender, a reliable grate on the ventilation, orange peels and garlic cloves in jars ...

Did you notice moths in the house? Do not think for a minute, but get to work before the butterflies and larvae ruin your clothes and food stocks. How to get rid of moths in the apartment? Read right now!

In cereals, flour and products, larvae often grow into moths. Getting rid of them is not difficult, the main thing is to take it in time preventive measures.

• Step 1. Carefully review the contents of the cabinets. If you notice food spoiled by moths, immediately throw them into the trash can.
• Step 2. Dry what could survive in the microwave or oven (temperature - 70-80 degrees, time - up to 20 minutes, open the oven door a little), transfer to clean containers and close with a tight lid.
• Step 3. Wash all cabinets, shelves and dishes soapy water, and then - with acetic solution. If there are cracks and crevices, it is better to use a brush. After the soap treatment, leave the cabinets open for a few hours.
• Step 4. Ventilate the room.

Attention! For three days, make sure that the larvae do not reappear.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen? Take advantage of our selection of these effective remedies.

Moth herbarium

Wormwood, geranium, lavender, leaves are often used to combat food moths. walnut(fresh), sweet clover or tobacco. Geraniums can simply be placed in a flowerpot, and herbs can be laid out on shelves. Keep in mind, geraniums have a very strong scent that can cause various allergic reactions.

Citrus

Moths simply cannot stand the citrus aroma. Spread lemon, orange, grapefruit or tangerine peels all over the kitchen. You can also apply on a cotton sponge a little essential oil and put it on the shelf.

Bay leaf

How to remove moths with bay leaves? Lay them around the entire perimeter of the cabinet, which contains food, cereals or flour.

Essential oils

To get moths out of the kitchen, soak a piece of cotton wool with any of the essential oils:

• Geranium;
• Tansy;
• Fir;
• Basil;
• Carnation;
• wild rosemary;
• Rosemary;
• Camphor (can be replaced with natural camphor).

Garlic

Young garlic is an excellent remedy for food moths. Clean one head, divide into teeth and throw into jars of grits. Don't worry about the scent, it will fade very quickly.

Perfume and cologne

Moths are repelled by any pungent odors, so after cleaning you can sprinkle perfume and cologne in the cabinets.

Video tips:

How to get moths out of wardrobes?

To remove moth larvae in wardrobes with outerwear, take note of this simple algorithm:

1. Go through all the clothes and find the nest - it looks like a ball of cobwebs in which the larvae live.
2. Moth hates Fresh air- feel free to send things to the street or balcony so that they are well ventilated.
3. Affected clothing can be put in a bag and sent to the freezer for about 20 minutes. Repeat the procedure at least 4 times. In the cold, moth larvae die very quickly.
4. Do a general cleaning in all cabinets. Vacuum all corners, wipe the shelves with soapy water and diluted table vinegar.
5. Let the wardrobe dry and air out for about 3 hours.
6. Bring clothes from the street, after shaking so that the moth falls out of a fur coat, jacket or coat.

Another effective folk recipe:

Prevention of the appearance of moths

Now you know exactly how to remove moths in an apartment, but wouldn't it be better to prevent this problem? It's very easy to do this:

• Freshly bought cereals need to be calcined in the oven, and then poured into a special container made of glass, metal or plastic. It is better to forget about zip-lock or regular bags forever;
• Remember, in a transparent container it is much easier to keep track of whether there is a moth in cereals or not;
• Keep the kitchen in order - regularly clean, ventilate, throw away leftover food and do not leave garbage;
• Review stocks, especially if you have them for a very long time;
• Dismantle all the rubble, stale things and dowry in the form of feather beds, rolled carpets, pillows, scarves and other things. If this is not done, the moth will return to the kitchen again;
• Do not store dirty and worn clothes;
• Ventilate the apartment almost daily;
• Treat wool and fur products with anti-moth sprays;
• Pack your items in newspaper bags.

Shop remedies for moths

To get rid of moths at home, purchase special traps in the store (Aeroxon or Raptor). As a rule, they are placed in all kitchen cabinets or on wardrobe shelves. Now you have to wait about 60 days. That is how long it takes for a small larva to turn into a large moth and, attracted by the smell, fly right into the trap.

Food moth in an apartment is a source of many troubles. Moreover, moths in cereals start up even in kitchens where perfect order and cleanliness. For effective fight with pests, you will need minimal knowledge about their life and, suddenly, completely different types of insects have chosen your kitchen?

Food moth - photo, description

An inconspicuous gray or brown butterfly, about a centimeter long, randomly flying around the room, landing on the surface of the ceiling, walls and products, annoyingly circling right before your eyes - this is a food moth. Her life is short only half a month, but the larvae quietly exist for two months, and it is they who pollute the products. An adult moth drinks water (therefore, it can be seen in a container of water or near the sink) and does not eat anything. But the harm from them is colossal, one moth lays up to four hundred eggs, from which the very larvae then appear, crawling in the croup.

Food moth - types:

• walnut,
• barn,
• mill fire,
• cereal and many others.

But if the moth lives in the kitchen, then it eats only food and is absolutely indifferent to clothes.

Moth in cereals and other products - harm from insects

Food moths can be seen in flour bags, cereal bags, tea, some spices, nuts, and even dog or cat food. Usually she appears in the apartment with products in which larvae have bred. It is not uncommon to buy such products in a store. This is due to poor-quality processing of goods, unfavorable storage conditions and other negative factors. The kitchen is warm and moths multiply at the speed of light, infecting other foods. In some cases, food moths enter the apartment through ventilation from neighbors, but such cases are very rare.

The larvae, in addition to eating food, easily gnaw on the bags in which they are stored, leave their skin and feces in them, and dead larvae remain there. Do not eat contaminated cereals and any other products.

Moth Remedies

How to get rid of food moths in the apartment completely

Getting rid of pests is a difficult process, but independent struggle can give positive results. Means used against food moths are divided into folk methods and chemicals. But before you get rid of food moths in the apartment, you need to identify the source of infection.

Before processing, you first need to find out which of the products caused the appearance of insects. Make an audit, pull out all the contents from cupboards and lockers. At the slightest trace of infection, throw away the products without regret. Pour what the pests have not reached into jars or tightly closed containers, into last resort, determine the temporary content in the refrigerator.

Wash the cupboard and shelves where the moth was found in the croup with soap and water, and then rinse. Carefully go over the surfaces with a sponge dipped in vinegar. Let the cabinet dry completely with the doors open.

How to get rid of food moths in an apartment using folk remedies

1. In the fight against moths, the first remedy is lavender. Bunches of grass need to be laid out in cabinets.
2. Cloves and bay leaves - the smell of spices is extremely unpleasant for insects.
3. The moth is afraid of the aroma of garlic and will leave its habitat if, after removing the husk from the vegetable, the cloves are laid out on shelves and in cabinets.
4. Another tool that nature gives us is mint. It also needs to be laid out in cabinets.

How to get rid of food moths in an apartment using chemicals

Moths in cereals can be destroyed with insecticides. The efficiency is high, but they need to be used with
extreme caution due to high toxicity and negative impact on health.

Moth Insecticides:

• "Eslanadez" in liquid form or concentrate
• "Breeze" emulsion
• "Armol"
• "Combat"
• "Antimol" tablets and aerosol
• "Raptor" aerosol
• "Dezmol" tablets
• "Prayer" records
• "Gela", "Arsenal", "Zitol", "Phytocide" records.

There are traps whose smell attracts moths, especially males, which reduces the population.

One day, a kitchen moth started up in your house. It just needs to be fought with, as it spoils food and multiplies very quickly. How to get rid of food moths, you will learn by reading this article.

This insect is a small nondescript butterfly that moves in a chaotic manner. Most active at night. It lives only a few weeks, but during this time it produces many of its own kind.

What exact signs can be called in the appearance of a kitchen moth? First of all, it is:

• butterflies on the ceiling and walls;
• cocoons in flour, cereals and other products;
• caterpillars crawling imperturbably around the closet.

If the moth settles in the croup, it will immediately begin the process of active reproduction and postpone a large number of eggs. They will later hatch into food moth larvae. It is worth remembering that she can start breeding at any time of the year, since in this case she does not have any specific season.

Interestingly, the adult does not eat anything at all, only drinks water. Only its larvae feed on cereals and other products.

Where does the moth come from in the kitchen

This insect usually enters the room in one of the following ways:

• through ventilation and small gaps;
• along with cereals that have not been subjected to the correct sanitary standards;
• through a window that does not have a mosquito net.

Types of food moth

Based on this, it can be understood that the measures to combat each type of moth may differ in one way or another.

Prevention

If you don't want to lose all the products in own house then preventive measures must be taken. For this you need:

• all containers with products are required to be inspected monthly;
• jars with products in winter periodically put on the balcony;
• heavily contaminated food is best destroyed;
• using a soap and soda solution, regularly rinse the cabinets;
• if the flour is only slightly contaminated, then it must be sifted through a sieve.

How to get rid of food moths if the usual prevention no longer helps? This is difficult to do, but if you follow all the recommendations correctly, it will be quite possible.

Prevention of the appearance of moths in the kitchen (video)

Traps

Unfortunately, various chemicals are completely incompatible with products. Therefore, their use in this case is prohibited. But moth traps are more justified. For humans, they are absolutely harmless. But their manufacturers do not promise a complete disposal of all problems. The fact is that this remedy does not work on the larvae. The advantage is that the caught butterfly will no longer be able to continue the genus.

Lavender in the house

It is believed that moths can be fought with strong odors, which they cannot stand. Therefore, it is recommended to place lavender in the kitchen. In addition to it, from folk remedies suitable:

• Bay leaf;
• chilli;
• sagebrush;
• mint;
• geranium in a pot.

Fight with citrus peels

Of course, the peels of oranges, lemons or grapefruits will definitely not decorate the interior of the house. But that is not their purpose. Citrus peels require aromatization of the room. They can be put both in the closet and in a jar of cereals, where the moth started up. The main advantage of this method is that citrus fruits will not leave their smell, for example, in cereals.

Wiping surfaces

Kitchen moths can also be dealt with by simply wiping surfaces. Shelves and cabinets are washed with completely different compounds, which can both scare away and completely kill harmful insect. If speak about means prepared independently, we can name the following:

• composition of water and lemon juice;
• composition of water and lavender oil.

Destruction of insects in the closet

If you want to completely clean your house from moths, then remember that the eggs of these insects can be stored even in the slightest crack. Therefore, in the closet, you need to deal with them exclusively with the help of chemical substances. In its turn, these drugs can be divided into:

• repellents;
• insecticides.

Especially popular are insecticidal aerosols. The most effective are:

• Raptor "Protection from moths". Its effectiveness is on average about a year, it perfectly helps to destroy both larvae and adult moths in the closet.
• Aerosol "Armol". The term of its operation for six months, effectively and quickly kills moth butterflies.
• Antimol "Raid". Kills larvae and adult insects, can be used throughout the year.
• Aerosol "Combat Super Spray". It is completely safe for animals, eliminates larvae and butterflies in a short time.

The most important thing is not to spray these aerosols in the cabinets where food is kept.

Sections from the moth

The moth section is one of the most productive ways its destruction. They may not smell at all, or they may come with some kind of smell. For example, lavender.

Despite the fact that the section is more intended for eliminating moths in ordinary wardrobes, it is still often used in the kitchen. It contains substances that deprive an adult moth of the opportunity to reproduce.

The main and most effective sections are:

• Globol;
• Raptor;
• Mosquitall.

The term of each section is from 4 months to six months.

How to get rid of moths (video)

Butterfly Fight

There are situations when the larvae were completely destroyed and thrown away with spoiled food, and some individuals of moth butterflies survived and fly as if nothing had happened. If you do not bring the matter to the end, then there will be at least one adult capable of reproduction. And in this case, you have to start all over again.

It is worth noting that it is much easier to bring them out than the larvae. There is no need to resort to any special means or preparations. It will be quite possible to get by with an ordinary fly swatter or a folded newspaper.

Harm caused by food moth

For some reason, many people believe that food moths are practically harmless to the human body. Unfortunately, this is not so. These insects can cause:

• severe allergy;
• problems with the immune system;
• intoxication of the human body.

Getting rid of food moths (video)

Conclusion

If you have a food moth, then this is a real test. You need to deal with it correctly:

• comply with all preventive measures;
• try to kill her in every possible way.

If you do this, then such trouble will bypass you, and the moth will not start again.

Sometimes in the apartment it is not clear where small moths of an indistinct color appear from. This is a reason to be wary and immediately arrange an audit in the kitchen cabinets and pantry. Most likely, you have a kitchen moth (that's what it looks like), and the stocks have been significantly damaged.

"Food moth" is a collective popular name for several species of insects of the butterfly family, in the larval stage feeding on cereals, fruits, nuts and flour.

Getting moths out of the kitchen is not easy. This will take a lot of time and effort. Due to the fact that it starts in food, certain methods are unacceptable.

Even perfect household it is not immune from the fact that the moth does not appear in the kitchen.

Where does food moth come from? She flies badly. She probably wound up in an apartment from eggs and larvae brought from the store along with purchases. Give up the habit of buying food in opaque packages.

Perhaps she flew in from the neighbors through the ventilation.

One adult female in your kitchen can cause harm by laying eggs in such numbers that it will be almost impossible to stop the breeding process. Eggs are not afraid of the absence of light, clean air, container tightness.

Fighting food moths by exterminating butterflies is useless. They don't eat anything at all. The main damage is caused by larvae. They must be taken out.

Harm inflicted

What type (barn, cereal, flour, nut, fruit moth) settled in your kitchen, it does not matter, the harm is the same. In any case, you need to get rid of it as soon as you notice the first butterflies.

Almost everything is eaten by food moths - the larvae are planted in cereals, sugar, flour, bread, dried fruits, nuts, dried mushrooms, tea, pasta, seeds, pet food.

In addition to food, the larva spins cocoons of silky threads resembling cobwebs. They look like woolen lumps and spools. She sheds several times, changing her skin. Don't forget faeces and dead larvae.

All this makes food unsuitable for eating unless you want to earn severe intoxication, a severe allergic reaction, immune problems, or cause other harm to the body.

Adult butterflies, constantly flickering before their eyes, have the unpleasant property of falling into cups with drinks and pots when cooking.

The longer you wait, the harder it is to get them out later.

Where to start the fight

The food moth seen in the apartment is a reason to immediately review all the containers where the foods that it eats are stored. Having seen small dark worms in them (this is what a larva looks like), ruthlessly throw everything away. Take out the trash can as soon as possible.

If you store food in store-bought packages and find larvae in at least one of them, you will have to throw away everything that is in this locker. Polyethylene is not a barrier for them.

What seemed untouched, bake in the oven at a temperature of 50-60ºС (15-20 minutes is enough) or place in the refrigerator for half an hour. Pour into airtight containers.

Then you can start fighting the remaining butterflies. Sticky fly tape, a fly swatter, or a classic newspaper gives a good result.

Fighting methods

How to get rid of food moth:

To get it out, start with general cleaning. Cupboards and containers where food moth was found, vacuum, then wash hot water, finely planing there laundry soap. Wipe joints, hinges, corners with a cloth soaked in 9% vinegar and do not close until it has completely evaporated. You can drip a couple of drops of mint, eucalyptus, lavender essential oil. Still food moth does not like tea tree and bergamot.

Obtain a moth-specific insecticide and treat your kitchen according to the manufacturer's instructions. When spraying aerosol, wear gloves and a respirator, do not let the product come into contact with food, remove children and pets from the kitchen. After the specified period, ventilate the room well. The funds are valid for about a year or until the first wash of the kitchen set.

Plant-based repellents are a means to repel food moths, not expel them.

Set up several traps with a glue surface. Pheromones mixed into the sticky composition attract butterflies. Scatter mixture in cupboards boric acid with flour or semolina (1:3), if it is flour, cereal or grain moth.

The chemical industry produces products in the form of balls or crystals. They work well in a sealed space, but the fumigant gas released is harmful to people and pets. Carry out processing for containers where food was stored not in the apartment. Take them out of the kitchen, for example, to the garage. Put everything in a box, seal it with tape in several layers and wait as long as indicated in the instructions. You can also process the cabinets by gluing all the joints and doors with tape.

Folk remedies

Any folk remedy for food moths is more of a prevention. They don't kill butterflies, they scare them away. What is the food moth afraid of:

• Bay leaf.
• Peeled garlic.
• Lavender, mint, rosemary, tansy and wormwood. Arrange fresh or dried inflorescences, leaves in cabinets, or drip a couple of drops of essential oil.
• Dried peel of any citrus fruit.
• Bar of laundry soap.
• Carnation.
• Records chewing gum with mint flavor. The smell scares her off, but the food moth will eat the gum itself.

Food moth adapts well. If you fight it only with folk remedies, after 2-3 generations butterflies will develop stable immunity.

Prevention

Do not ask the question how to get rid of food moths. It will not have to be fought if preventive measures are taken in a timely manner.

Carefully inspect the products you buy. Be wary of promotions and special offers. Perhaps in this way the store is trying to sell damaged goods. Do not take cereals in a torn or opened package. Do not buy products in bulk - buy as much as you need for 1-2 weeks.

Store anything that grain moths can eat in glass, tin, or ceramic containers with tight-fitting lids. Immediately pour cereals, nuts, flour, sugar, dried fruits, tea into these containers.

They can be pre-heated in the oven or frozen in the refrigerator. On the palatability procedure has no effect.

Your brownie.