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Pantry Moths are Back Again!!

Posted on 15 March, 2016 at 16:57

comments (987)

With the weather warming up, you can expect to start seeing pantry moths again. Often times, the eggs can go into a holding period, so to speak, from last season and not hatch again until the weather starts to warm up. Like many animals and insects, pantry moths can inherently know when spring is coming, and when it's time to start reproducing. If you have spent the winter months moth-free, you may think that you are done with the pests forever, only to be shocked and horrified when you start seeing these pesky moths come spring.

The best way to avoid a full-blown infestation is to get rid of them before they take hold again. As soon as you see a moth, assume that this moth has hatched from inside the home from a leftover egg. You should immediately check your food and make sure that it is stored in airtight glass or suction sealed containers. I also recommend to put pantry items susceptible to pantry moth infestation (rice, flour, grains) in the freezer for awhile. The easiest way to get a jump on a pantry moth infestation is to clean out the cupboard with Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray and put out a Pantry Moth Trap. Aunt Norma's system works by interrupting the life cycle of the moth, preventing a full-blown infestation.

Treat Brown Recluse Spider Bites Naturally at Home

Posted on 1 March, 2015 at 17:48

comments (217)

TREAT BROWN RECLUSE BITES WITH ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

In the last post- I discussed the dangers of the Brown Recluse Spider, and their sudden prevalence in Southern California… in particular Brown Recluse Spiders in Huntington Beach. Aside from using Aunt Norma’s Go away! Spider Powder to get rid of an infestation and protect your house from the dangerous beasties, I wanted to also discuss an effective and safe “home remedy” to handle first aid and emergency treatment if, in fact, you are unlucky enough to get bitten. Aunt Norma’s Go Away! Spider Powder can be sprinkled anywhere you don’t want spiders. It not only repels spiders, but will kill any creepy crawly that comes into contact with it within 48 hours. As discussed in the previous conversation on Brown Recluse Spiders, their bite can be very dangerous and requires immediate medical attention- especially in the very young and very old. The bites are particularly dangerous because it kills the surrounding tissue and can spread indefinitely (as seen in the disgusting photo below...if you want to ruin your dinner, Google "Brown Recluse Spider Bite"...)

I have personally known two people who have been bitten by the foreboding Brown Recluse, and they had very different experiences, based on how they first treated the bite. My one friend, let’s call him “Mike” (mainly b/c his name is Mike, haha) encountered a brown recluse spider while at work in an old house in Southern California. Not realizing he had been bitten, he did nothing and was confused as he began to feel ill and watched his leg swell to twice it’s normal size. Finally- after experiencing some nausea and dizziness, he thought perhaps he was having an allergic reaction to something and went to the ER. Long story shorter, he spent over a week in the hospital and had serious complications that left him with lifelong health issues and a really horrific scar. They basically had to use a drug so strong to treat the effects of the bite that it ruined his thyroid and he will take thyroid medicine for the rest of his life.

Buy Aunt Norma's Brown Recluse Spider Kit with Charcoal First Aid!

The other friend was unpacking moving boxes in Virginia and saw the spider, was bitten, and took a photo of it and Googled it to see if he could figure out what type of spider it was. When he realized that he had, in fact, been bitten by the dangerous Brown Recluse, he wasn’t sure what to do, until his girlfriend told him the first thing they should do was to place a poultice of charcoal on the bite. (thank GOD for a resourceful girlfriend!) She intended for this to be an emergency first aid while they drove to the hospital, but they both quickly realized that the charcoal was immediately helping the bite and was bringing the swelling down. They decided to take a “wait and see” approach, and within a few hours knew that the charcoal was absorbing the toxins and they determined to skip the ER. Today, THIS friend has only a scar the size of a cigarette burn, and swears by the powers of charcoal!

Now, you all know that I love a good ole’ natural home remedy…especially one that uses simple, inexpensive ingredients and has no side effects… so of course I’ve been using charcoal for years to treat everything from food poisoning to pimples. I’m happy to say that I’ve never had to treat a Brown Recluse spider bite, but I wanted to pass this remedy on for those of you who are dealing with this pest. First, let me tell you a little bit about charcoal and why/ how it works on toxins.

Charcoal has a safety record that goes back 3500 years (compare that to the 10-30 year clinical trials of today’s most popular “designer” drugs…). The simplest concept of charcoal that comes to mind is the remains of wood burned after a campfire has gone out. This is basically dehydrated wood, but charcoal can come from a variety of sources such as animal bones, or coal, but for medicinal purposes it comes from plant-based sources such as hardwood, bamboo, coconut, or peat. But what is left after the fire goes out is pure carbon. What makes the structure of charcoal unique is it's physical structure of folds and cracks the hide a tremendous surface area, which can electrostatically bind a large amount of chemicals and toxins.

By subjecting this raw charcoal to the "activation" of oxidizing agents such as air, steam, or oxygen, at high temperatures, the internal structure of the charcoal particle is further eroded creating an even greater surface area. One teaspoon of activated charcoal powder has about the same surface area as a football field. This enormous surface area, along with charcoal bonding properties, allows it to "absorb" large amounts of gases, poisons, toxins, and pollutants. Furthermore, charcoal has no knowm poisonous side effects! This is why charcoal is an EXCELLENT topical to adsorb the venom in the brown recluse spider bite (if applied as first aid).

Within 24 hours of a Brown Recluse bite, a purplish-red blister develops at the site, and extensive tissue death occurs underneath the area. This produces a very deep and angry ulceration that may extend as far as down to the bone. The condition often lasts for weeks or months, and typically leaves a deep puckered scar. That is, if amputation or surgerydoes not become necessary. There is no antidote and no truly effective anti-venom. The anti-venom must be administered within 24hours, and in most cases it is only after 24 hours that the person realizes they are a victim of a recluse spider. So, in hopes of physically removing all of the poison, the treatment often resorted to is that of wide surgical excision - cutting away of any flesh containing venom. But there is safe and very effective natural remedy that has been used for centuries to treat poisonous bites including those of the recluse spider.

It has been discovered that a very effective and easy treatment for brown recluse spider bite is an activated charcoal poultice or compress. At the first suspicion of a Brown Recluse Spider bite, start applying charcoal. As with the remedy, the sooner the better. Simply sprinkle some charcoal on the wound or, if larger, on a bandage, and place on the wound and wrap or bandage tight enough for the charcoal to stay in contact with the bite area. You can also mix the charcoal powder with enough water to make a "slurry" and then place that on the wound and cover. Do not mix with anything oil-based as it can decrease the efficacy of the charcoal. For the first eight hours, change the compress about every thirty minutes. On the second day, the time interval for changing the poultices or compresses can be lengthened to two hours, and then to four. You should keep this up for at least a week, maybe longer, until you no longer see evidence of inflammation from the bite area.

You can treat this on your own, or purchase an Aunt Norma's Spider Kit (complete with charcoal poultice first aid packet) here:

How to Treat a Brown Recluse Spider Bite Naturally at home

Posted on 1 March, 2015 at 17:25

comments (4062)

TREAT BROWN RECLUSE BITES WITH ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Buy Aunt Norma's Brown Recluse Spider Kit with Charcoal First Aid!

You can treat this on your own, or purchase an Aunt Norma's Spider Kit (complete with charcoal poultice first aid packet) here:

How to treat Brown Recluse Spider Bites Naturally

Posted on 1 March, 2015 at 17:22

comments (53)

TREAT BROWN RECLUSE BITES WITH ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

Treat Brown Recluse Spider Bites Naturally

Buy Aunt Norma's Brown Recluse Spider Kit with Charcoal First Aid!

Treat Brown Recluse bite with Activated Charcoal

Aunt Norma's Brown Recluse Spider Kit First Aid

You can treat this on your own, or purchase an Aunt Norma's Spider Kit (complete with charcoal poultice first aid packet) here:

Get Rid of Moths with Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray!

Posted on 27 February, 2015 at 18:16

comments (350)

SO YOU HAVE PANTRY MOTHS

If you are reading this, it is likely because your kitchen and peace of mind have been invaded with a tiny flying nemesis known as the Pantry Moth. By the time you have noticed them, chances are they have already set up shop in your pantry and in your food. If you see one, there are plenty more that you haven’t seen. The good news is that they aren’t poisonous or disease-ridden. Gross as it is, if you have accidentally eaten one, it won’t hurt you. The bad news, however, is that they are notoriously difficult to get rid of.

SOME PANTRY MOTH FACTS

Often called the “flour moth”, the Indian- meal Moth is light brown in color and usually about 8-10 mm in length. They lay eggs and spin silky webs and cocoons where the worms or caterpillars, called waxworms, spend some time until they hatch. The moth larvae are off-white with brown heads. The entire life cycle of this species may take 30 to 300 days. Female moths lay between 60 and 400 eggs on a food surface, which are ordinarily smaller than 0.5 mm and not sticky. The eggs hatch in 2 to 14 days. The larval stage lasts from 2 to 41 weeks, depending on the temperature. They are more active in the summer.

HOW THEY GOT IN

The pantry moth is actually very common. It is likely that the eggs were already in something you bought and have stored long enough for the eggs to mature. There is almost no way to completely avoid buying grains and food products that contain them, but obviously if you see the moths flying around your favorite grocery store, you might want to shop someplace else for awhile. Items you buy in the “bulk” section are a somewhat higher risk, and organic foods are somewhat more likely to contain them as they are not usually bleached and sprayed with chemicals. Pet food and bird seed are often likely culprits as well.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The Indian-meal moth larvae can infest a wide range of dry foodstuffs such as flour, cereal, bread, pasta, rice, spices or dried fruits and nut. Honestly, though, these things can literally worm their way into just about anything. I have found them in such strange places as in a Pepto Bismol bottle and at the bottom of drink mix containers. They also can seemingly get through glass and plastic containers, although often this is because the food inside already contained eggs which later hatched. They really can crawl into even the tightest surfaces, though, and any container with a screw top can allow them to crawl up the ridges and into the food inside. They can also eat through plastic bags and cardboard boxes. So once you have seen them, no food in your pantry can be assumed safe. They only need a miniscule spec or crumb of food to survive on.

The worms also find other non-food sources for which to spin their cocoon to pupate (ew!), like in corners, crevices in the wood, or the underside of canned goods and the inside of container lids. Look for not only the adult moth, but also any silky webbing, food particles clumped together, or little “dust balls” waiting to hatch. Once they start reproducing, they can travel to other areas of the home and start the process all over again.

STEPS TO GET RID OF THEM

Now that you are thoroughly disgusted and understand the enemy, it’s time to get started. There is a lot of work to do, and sadly, there’s no shortcut. This is war. You need to begin by removing every item from your pantry. You will be tempted to avoid this step, but it is crucial. Next, throw out pretty much everything. If you can’t bring yourself to toss hundreds of dollars of food into the trash, there are some alternatives, but be warned, it might not get rid of the problem and you could end up having to toss everything a few weeks later anyways.

First, you can transfer any items that don’t seem affected into the freezer. None of the stages of the organism (eggs, larvae, adults) is very temperature-tolerant and all can be killed by a week of freezing or by brief heating in a microwave or conventional oven when such treatment is practical. Just make sure that your freezer is set to its coldest temperature or the little buggers will merely hibernate.

Next, if you want to keep some items like canned goods and spices, you must inspect each one and then wash them in hot soapy water. Check everything, like inside the spice bottle lids and behind the canned good labels. Do this for every single thing that will be returning to your cupboard. Nothing is safe. Check baskets, shelf liners, cookbooks and recipe boxes. Trust me, you only want to do this once, so do it right.

Now you need to clean the pantry like you have never cleaned before. Cancel your plans for the rest of the weekend. Remove any loose shelf liner, and wash down ALL surfaces with hot soapy water or Aunt Norma’s Pantry Moth Spray. The benefit of using the spray is that you can do two steps in one and the results will last longer. The spray contains soaping agents as well as essential oils and other moth and insect repellents that will not only kill the eggs and larvae but deter the adult moths from returning to lay more eggs and start the whole process over again.

If using the spray, make sure to liberally coat all areas. Use the far-reaching trigger to get into areas like door hinges (a favorite place for moths to cocoon), ceilings, holes, corners and spaces or gaps where the panels don’t completely meet. It is best to wear gloves and a mask for this. Keep a sponge and a bucket of hot water nearby, and wash down all surfaces. Allow to dry before returning any food to the pantry.

At this stage, hopefully you have killed all the existing eggs and larvae, but you are probably going to still see some adult moths flying around over thenext few days to weeks. They bugged out when the cleaning started or were hiding in another part of the home. They won’t want to return to the pantry. After all, there’s no food for them anymore and they HATE the smell that the spray has left behind, but they are desperately looking for a place to mate and lay eggs.

Collect your family members and anyone living in the house and instruct them to hunt and kill any adult moths they see. If you have issues about bug-killing or karma, you’re going to need to get over it…quickly. You have a small window of opportunity to kill these remaining menaces or you will be back to square one before you know it. If you need some motivation, keep in mind that these creatures are not nice. They are actually carnivorous and will even eat each other. They also will try to attack you when you are swatting them. Don’t be fooled, they are not cute and they are not your friends.

You can also discourage re-infestation by leaving Pantry Moth essential oil diffusers in the corners of your cabinet or by frequently touching up with the spray. The moths hate this stuff. Keep all foods in airtight, preferably glass, containers, and store whatever you can in the freezer. You can set out some Pantry Moth Traps to kill any adults that you either missed or any that have hatched since you cleaned. This is a pheromone trap that lures the males and can be a good alternative to spending all of your free time moth-hunting. Good luck!

How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths

Posted on 27 February, 2015 at 18:10

comments (41)

Question: Hi- can you tell me if the Pantry Moth Spray Kills Pantry moth eggs and larvae as well as the adult moths? And also, how do you use it/ how does it work? thnx

Aunt Norma: Yes, it will kill any larvae and eggs that it comes into contact with. The problem with this, though, is that because even one female moth can lay up to 300 microscopic eggs per day, it is practically impossible to get all the eggs. The way to deal with this is through a system that I have developed that gets rid of the pantry moth infestation permanently by interrupting their breeding practices and keeping them away from any source of food. This is best accomplished in the following steps:

HOW TO GET RID OF PANTRY MOTHS:

1). Clean out the cabinets and any areas where food, bird seed, or pet food is stored.

2). Spray Aunt Norma's Pantry moth spray to cover all areas. Leave the cabinet doors open overnight or long enough to dry.

3). Place any food that will be returning to the cupboard into glass airtight containers, and/ or place anything that you can in the freezer. You want to keep any moths that will hatch in a week or so (from eggs that were not killed by the spray) from getting back into any food. The scent of the spray deters any hatched adult moths from returning to the areas where the scent still lingers. This is why is works in two ways: to kill the eggs/ larvae and adult moths, and to also repel moths from returning to the food and starting the whole cycle all over again.

4). I always recommend that my customers also use a pantry moth trap. I sell them online (you can purchase the spray and the trap in a "Pantry Moth Kit") or you can simply pick up a trap at any major home and hardware store (like Home Depot). The trap lures and kills adult males so that the breeding cycle will be interrupted.

This way, as you can see, the moth infestation doesn't stand a chance. The other methods don't work because they only deal with the CURRENT moths, and ignore the potential for missed eggs (which can honestly be anywhere in the home... I once found some moth larvae behind the glass of a picture frame in my living room!!). The "second round hatching" is a common reason for what is perceived as a re-infestation, when in fact is is still part of the original infestation that wasn't dealt with properly. Aunt Norma'ssystem deals with the infestation in a more holistic way that ensures that your moths will be gone for good.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any more questions or if I can be of further assistance in any way.

How to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders NATUTRALLY in Huntington Beach

Posted on 23 January, 2015 at 23:41

comments (31)

I have a friend who lives in Huntington Beach, CA with her husband and adorable twin boys, and she recently asked me if I knew of a way to get rid of Spiders. It seems that for whatever reason, Huntington Beach (and several other parts of southern California) have been having a particularly bad problem with Brown Recluse Spiders. She was really afraid as her boys liked to play outside in the back yard. The venom from these spiders is really dangerous- I actually have two close friends who have had experience with their bites in the past: One who ended up in the hospital for weeks on all kinds of drugs to fight the venom and allow him to slowly recover his health (and he STILL takes some residual medication), and another friend who's girlfriend was smart enough to administer a home remedy that sucked out the poison and left with no more than a tiny scar, about the size of a cigarette burn. I will tell you how to Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders, and also in the next blog entry, will tell you how to effectively administer first aid to treat a brown recluse bite naturally.

OK, first I will start by giving you some information on this type of Spider. Honestly, though- I'm just giving you an overview, because researching this creature is giving me the heebie-jeebies. I'm not exactly arachnophobic, but I HATE spiders! I know that they are good for us, and that they help control the insect population, blah blah blah... but I can't stand them. I read a fact once that stated that at any given time, we are never more than three feet away from a spider. This tidbit of trivia keeps me awake at night.

Get Rid of Brown Recluse Spiders Naturally

This spider is sometimes called the "Fiddleback Spider", as they have violin shaped markings on the back. Because this type of marking can also be found on other types of spiders, this cannot alone be diagnostic to determine if you have a brown recluse. The article I was reading advised that you therefor must examine the eyes (while most spiders have 8 eyes, the Brown Recluse have six, arranged in pairs), and look for soft fur on the abdomen.

Listen Carefully: I don't know what kind of person wrote that advice, but I'm telling you that anyone close enough to count a spider's eyes and check for fur on it's belly is probably going to then either eat it or try to commune with it telepathically, because they are clearly insane. Besides, what are you going to do if you determine that the spider is NOT a brown recluse... shake hands with it and invite it to dinner??!! I generally believe that most people, like myself, squash or run away from spiders first, and ask questions later. I will post one and only one picture here to help you identify the Brown Recluse, but the rest you can look up on your own- spending a Friday night trying to find non-copyritten pictures of giant evil spiders online is NOT my preferred way to pass time. I am usually creeped-out beyond recovery by the second page. (Ditto for what the bite looks like... Google at your own risk...some things you cannot unsee).

So, now lets discuss where they hide. As the name implies, these are not the most social of spiders. The want to be left the #@!! alone! They hide all over the place, which is unfortunate. They like dark enclosed spaces, and are known to frequent shoes, dressers, behind pictures, underneath beds, in cardboard boxes, attics, closets... you get the idea. They also like woodpiles and rotting bark a lot, so they can be encountered inside or out. As they are nocturnal, artificial lights frok people attract them because of the way insects congregate around the lights at night. They can sometimes get stuck in sinks or bathtubs, because of the smooth surface. So take a look at the tub or shower floor before stepping in. SUPPOSEDLY, these spiders have no interest in feeding on humans, and only bite if they are attacked or disturbed. I'm not sure I entirely believe this about spiders in general, as I am quite certain that I have been CHASED by a spider before. The Brown Recluse Spider's web is strictly for nesting, and is not intended to trap prey. The female spider lays between 40-5o eggs and can keep 'em coming. The webs are weird looking and not typical, and the eggs are maybe the grossest thing I've ever seen. (Why do I keep Googling this stuff?!) They are giant white balls which apparently contain tiny little baby spiderlings waiting to hatch and live in your home... YUCK!!!

The bite can be very dangerous, and is one of only 2 types of potentially fatal spiders bites in the US. Some people, although likely to end up with an awful scar, will be OK on their own in a few days, whilst for others especially children and the elderly, the bite is life-threatening. The bites kill the surrounding skin, and they are truly hideous to behold. It looks like flesh-eating disease: an open, ulcerous DEEP wound that keeps eating/ killing the flesh around it. Sometimes surgery is required to extract the necrotic (dead) tissue (as happened to my friend, Michael). The brown recluse spiders' venom is so poisonous that it is used to kill other insects. If bitten, you aren't likely to notice right at first, but soon it begins to become evident after a few hours with a host of symptoms. Everyone reacts to a different degree, though most victims show at least some signs of being poisoned. The site of the bite will begin to resonate deep pain and show redness, inflammation and often extreme swelling. The secondary, more serious symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, and disorientation. This spider is no joke.

HOW TO GET RID OF AND PREVENT BROWN RECLUSE SPIDERS NATURALLY:

Now, here is some advice on what you can do to avoid these beasties. Aunt Norma's has developed a spider spray and a spider powder with natural and food-based ingredients. Our Go away! Spider Spray kills and deters spiders, prevents nests and webs, and is safe and non-toxic (don't spray it near your birds as essential oils can damage their delicate respiratory systems). The spray can be used on shoes, drawers, under your bed...anywhere you don't want spiders! It works without harsh chemicals, and has a fresh herbal scent. Aunt Norma uses essential oils that are know to repel spiders, so they will find someplace else to go. Aunt Norma's Go away! Spider Powder, on the other hand, is not so friendly, This powder will kill any crawling spider that comes into contact with it within 24-48 hours, and works as long as the residue remains. It is deadly to spiders, but safe enough to drink it in water (DON'T DRINK IT THOUGH... I'm just making a point. The powder is NOT labeled for human consumption....) You can use this powder along windowsills and doorways- along the spiders' point of entry. Also- it can be used along baseboards, under beds, in shoes and sweater drawers, bookshelves, etc. For spider problems outside- you can sprinkle it there, too. The powder will be effective as long as it is dry- and it will dry out again even if it gets wet. I recommend sprinkling the powder along the baseline of your home outside, and around any basement windows. The best way to deal with spiders in the house is to prevent them from getting IN the house. You can read more about Aunt Norma's Go away! Spider Spray and Go away! Spider Powder on my website, www.auntnormas.com, or post a comment here to ask questions or get some advice.

Look for the next post about how to treat a Brown Recluse Spider bite naturally!

How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths Naturally

Posted on 23 January, 2015 at 13:04

comments (40)

Question: Thank you for getting back to me. Last Friday I took all food out of my pantry and threw about 70% of it away. Anything that still looked okay I put in the freezer. All of my "other stuff" was put outside (we live in the Midwest and it's pretty cold out). The stuff I put outside was unwashable. For example, bills, paper towel, etc... Do you think the stuff outside will be okay if it's been in the cold for a week? I washed my entire pantry down with soap and water. I also sprayed all shelves and walls with vinegar. I didn't have any moths at the time, just the little white worms. I haven't seen any worms for 3 days now. I also plan on spraying everything down with your spray i bought too. I don't plan on putting anything back into the pantry until Sunday. Am I doing everything ok, or do you have any other suggestions? Thanks for your time!

A: Aunt Norma:

Sounds like you are doing great, Tracy. Yes, I think that the items you have stored outside (as long as the temperature reaches freezing at least 3-5 consecutive days) should be OK... there IS a possibility that the eggs will go into a type of "hibernation", which sometimes happens in the colder weather, but hopefully the freezing temperatures will kill any hidden eggs. Which brings me to another point: You have likely gotten rid of all the adult moths INSIDE the house, and many of the worms and eggs, but be prepared for at least one final round of flying adult moths to hatch before this is said and done.

As you will see in the literature online and in the instructions, the way that this system works is by interrupting their breeding/ feeding/ mating, i.e., "LIFE" cycle. This process takes at least 4 weeks, as it takes about 4 weeks for a moth to hatch, pupate, and turn into adult moths. so even just a few missed eggs (which there are guaranteed to be some, as they are microscopic in size and can literally be anywhere...) can technically start the whole cycle all over again. This is why people have such a hard time getting rid of these pests, and why traditional treatments don't work. The important thing is to maintain an unwelcome environment for the moths during that entire initial month after you have killed the first round of adults. This is accomplished by:

1). Keeping the moths from laying eggs in or near the food (by storage methods and by keeping the scent of Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray fresh near food storage areas, which acts as a strong moth repellent).

2). Preventing the moths from Mating(with use of a pheromone Pantry Moth Trap, which lures and kills the males).

3). Preventing any hatched larva from feeding(again by proper food storage and cleaning so that the worms/ larvae- which is the only stage that feeds- cannot have access to any food source).

And there you have it! If you can successfully accomplish the above steps, (and manage to NOT FREAK OUT when you are still seeing moths the first month), the buggers will be GONE before you know it. I have many, many happy customers that have had success using my method. Please keep me posted, and GOOD LUCK!

Thank you for your interest in Aunt Norma's.

-Aunt Norma

www.AuntNormas.com

How to Get Rid Of Bugs & Insects Naturally

Posted on 17 December, 2014 at 23:54

comments (32)

Aunt Norma’s™

How to get Rid of Bugs and Insects Naturally with

Aunt Norma's All-Natural Kitchen BUG SPRAY

Kills & Repels kitchen pests including ants, flies, cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, centipedes & earwigs

Non-Toxic, Biodegradable, safe around food & pets
Phosphate, Petrochemical, & Sulfate free
Long lasting protection
Food Grade & Natural ingredients
EPA 25-B approved ingredients.

Aunt Norma’s™ Non-Toxic Kitchen Bug Spray provides a safe & effective way to deal with the common kitchen pests that, well, pester us in the kitchen. If the idea of using a chemical strong enough to kill bugs (but supposedly harmless to humans) in the place where most of your family’s meals are prepared doesn’t sit right, you are not alone. Luckily, nature has provided us with alternatives. Aunt Norma’s™ is the only non-toxic formula specifically designed to be used in the kitchen. Aunt Norma’s™ Kitchen Bug Spray uses ingredients derived from plants, vegetables, and natural food sources. It is free from dyes, artificial fragrances, masking agents, contains no phosphates, sulfates or petro-chemicals, and is safe to use around food, children and most pets.* Our unique formula utilizes natural insect repellents like peppermint oil, lemongrass & rosemary, combined with a non-toxic insecticide agent derived from vegetable oils.

Directions: Shake well before each use. Remove food & containers from areas. Liberally spray on non-food surfaces. Allow to dry before replacing items. Touch up by lightly misting in areas prone to pests to keep the scent fresh enough to repel bugs. Best used in conjunction with Aunt Norma’s™ non-toxic Go away! Bug Powder. Caution: Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with skin & eyes; do not drink. Use care with essential oils & pets: do not use around birds, rodents, or exotic pets. Do not spray directly on pets or pet food. In the event of an accidental overdose, contact a healthcare professional immediately.

Aunt Norma’s

PO Box 352017

Los Angeles, CA 90035

Website:www.auntnormas.com email: [email protected]

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How to Get Rid of & Kill Pantry or Indian meal moths

Posted on 17 December, 2014 at 23:27

comments (30)

HOW TO GET RID OF PANTRY MOTHS

(These are the instructions from Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray... if you don't want to purchcase the spray- you can try filling a spray bottle with white vinegar and dish detergent in place of the Pantry Moth Spray)

Now that you are thoroughly disgusted and understand the enemy, it’s time to get started. There is a lot of work to do, and sadly, there is no shortcut. This is war. You need to begin by removing every item from your pantry. You will be tempted to avoid this step, but it is crucial. Next, throw out pretty much everything. If you can’t bring yourself to toss hundreds of dollars of food into the trash, there are some alternatives, but be warned, it might not get rid of the problem and you could end up having to toss everything a few weeks later anyways. FIRST, you can transfer any items that don’t seem affected into the freezer. None of the stages of the organism (eggs, larvae, adults) is very temperature-tolerant and all can be killed by a week of freezing or by brief heating in a microwave or conventional oven when such treatment is practical. Just make sure that your freezer is set to its coldest setting or the little buggers will merely hibernate.

ELIMINATE THE SOURCE

NEXT, if you want to keep some items like canned goods and spices, you must inspect each one and then wash them in hot, soapy water or Aunt Norma’s Pantry Moth Spray. Check everything, like inside the spice bottle lids and behind the canned good labels. Do this for every single thing that will be returning to your cupboard. If you miss some eggs or larvae, they will turn into moths and start reproducing again. This is the most common reason for “re-infestation”. Nothing is safe. Check baskets, shelf liners, cookbooks, and recipe boxes. Trust me, you only want to do this once, so do it right.

NOW you need to clean the pantry like you’ve never cleaned before. Cancel your plans for the rest of the weekend. Remove any loose shelf liner, and wash down all surfaces with hot soapy water. Next, Spray Aunt Norma’s liberally on all surfaces (and under shelves, in corners, etc.) Use the far-reaching sprayer to get into areas like door hinges (a favorite place for moths to cocoon), ceilings, holes, corners and spaces or gaps where the panels don’t completely meet. It is best to wear gloves and a mask for this step. The spray contains non-toxic ingredients as well as essential oils and other insect repellents that not only kill the eggs and larvae but deter the adult moths from returning to lay more eggs and start the process over again. You can wipe the areas lightly with a damp sponge to spread out the formula, or to absorb some if you went nuts with the spray and your pantry is dripping. Allow to dry before returning any food to the pantry.

At this stage, hopefully you have killed all the existing eggs and larvae, but you are probably going to still see some adult moths flying around over the next few days to weeks. Some might’ve escaped when the cleaning started or were hiding in another part of the home. They won’t want to return to the pantry, though. After all, there’s no food for them anymore and they HATE the smell that the spray leaves behind, but they are desperately looking for a place to mate and lay eggs. It is at this point recommended to set out a Pantry Moth Trap to kill any escapees that you either missed or that have hatched after you cleaned. This is a pheromone trap that lures the males and can be a good alternative to spending all of your free time moth-hunting. In any case, don’t panic if you continue to see moths. With one female laying up to 300 eggs a day, it is unlikely that you killed ALL of the eggs hidden in your home. The process works by interrupting their life cycle, but this can take some time for them to all die-off. As long as you keep them from getting back into the food (with the freezer method and with the spray scent in the pantry), they are doomed.

SEARCH AND DESTROY

Collect your family members and anyone living in the house and instruct them to hunt and kill any adult moths they see. If you have issues about bug-killing or are worried about karma, get over it…quickly. You have a small window of opportunity to kill these remaining menaces or you will be back to square one before you know it. If you need some motivation, keep in mind that these creatures are not nice. They are actually carnivorous and are programmed for survival. They might even try to attack you when you swat at them. Don’t be fooled, they are not cute and they are not your friends. You can also discourage re-infestation by using Aunt Norma’s Pantry Moth Spray to frequently touch up the pantry. You can spray directly around sealed food containers as the spray is non-toxic. The moths hate this stuff. Keep all foods in airtight, preferably glass, containers, and store whatever you can in the freezer. Good Luck!

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