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Get Rid of Moths with Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray!
| Posted on 27 February, 2015 at 18:16 |
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! |
Categories: How To get Rid of Moths
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10 Comments
Reply
thomas
22:56 on 6 March, 2015
Hello, a few months ago I ordered your pantry moth spray and used accordingly ,although impatiently attacking day by day and still seeing the odd one survive!? was doubtful if these creatures are resistant to product and would never die!I saw however after the last one seen on ceiling away from traps died! perhaps 3 weeks of treatment! and since seek but alas No more mfker,s !! thanks for your superior, and now am a beleiver, weapon!
Reply
Dorothy Morris
18:40 on 25 July, 2015
Can you tell me how to ask Aunt Norma a question? I can't see how on her website.
Maybe you know the answer to this question: How can her pantry moth spray be non toxic to people if it's toxic to pantry moths. Does that make sense?
Thanks!
Maybe you know the answer to this question: How can her pantry moth spray be non toxic to people if it's toxic to pantry moths. Does that make sense?
Thanks!
Reply
Carol
14:10 on 24 August, 2015
Ok, so here is my story. Moved into new house the end of May this year. We soon realized pantry moths were present in a big way. We have redone all wood floors and painted the entire house. I have washed down all cabinets with bleach and hot soapy water, and have not put any food whatsoever in the pantry. I one plastic container with a few items in it which is complety moth free. I check every day. When we moved in I saw flying moths and also some worms in tracking of cabinets etc. I have one moth trap in Kitchen and have put one in each room. In the beginning, I would see a moth on any given wall here and there and find some in traps. Never up stairs or basement. It is now coming to the end of August. I have not seen any worms since May and have cleaned and kept pantry empty since. Butwe still get about 4 moths a week in trap. I never see them just flying around anymore. I vacuum kitchen every morning and keep all counters spotless. Is is normal to still be catching moths in traps. I just received your spray and am going use it tonight. My question is am I missing something or is it possible after 8 weeks to still see them in trap. Please please help. 
Reply
shalynn
10:50 on 29 August, 2015
I've read a ton about getting rid of pantry moths. I bought the Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Kit and cleared out the kitchen *completely*. We left on vacation for 6 weeks and threw out *all* our food - had an empty kitchen for 6 weeks - thought we could starve out any that weren't wiped out already. We laid out a trap and had our neighbors check it periodically. They set out a new trap before we got home. Since we've been home (just under 24 hours), the new trap has already caught 2 and I saw a third one flying around. I really want our kitchen cleared of these things before I restock our kitchen. I haven't a clue where they could be laying a nest Any help or advice? Thanks!!
Any help or advice? Thanks!!
Reply
thomas dryne
20:50 on 31 August, 2015
Hi, I previously bought and used your pantrymoth spray with excellent results,now i have moved and am having a different problem with wasps on my balcony,have tried soap.water etc raid and these little demons keep returning to where i try to relax on my concrete balcony in an appartment block,any advise?? thanks
Reply
Aunt Norma
17:08 on 7 October, 2015
thomas says...
Hello, a few months ago I ordered your pantry moth spray and used accordingly ,although impatiently attacking day by day and still seeing the odd one survive!? was doubtful if these creatures are resistant to product and would never die!I saw however after the last one seen on ceiling away from traps died! perhaps 3 weeks of treatment! and since seek but alas No more mfker,s !! thanks for your superior, and now am a beleiver, weapon!
You are so welcome! Don't forget, it can take a little while to completely stop seeing moths, as Aunt Norma's works not only by killing existing moths, but by interrupting their life cycle to keep them from coming back!
Reply
sarah
19:49 on 10 November, 2015
Hello not sure if I have pantry moth larva or carpet beetle it looked like carpet beetle larva due to the hairiness. but I also see these white empty small cocoon looking things where ceiling and wall meet. just wondering if it is carpet beetle larva do you have any suggestions? will the same products work.
Reply
susan
12:44 on 15 March, 2016
I can't find an ingredient list. I tend to want to read an ingredient list before purchase. Where can I find it? Can someone who bought the product of the pantry moth spray tell me the ingredients? Thanks...
Reply
Marlene
18:12 on 15 March, 2016
I breed parrots and have been having a lot of problem with seed moths, which are the same as the pantry moths you all have been talking about.These little pest are in any seed you buy for pet birds. I was very excited to hear about this product. BUT after I started reading your website I see that it says not to use around birds. Can you please tell why it is safe for dog and cats but not for birds. I am so frustrated with these moths as we just moved into a new house and my aviary is already infested.
Reply
Sara
1:13 on 5 October, 2016
Does "Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray" ingredients include any lavender or lavender oil? My daughter is severely allergic to any lavender product.
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