Food moths are a problem for many housewives, even the best and most tidy of them. Getting rid of them is seemingly difficult, but only until you use one of the solutions below!
Food moths mostly inhabit the dark corners of our kitchens. They are small insects that have a very slender body. Different species of moths have different colors. There are specific scales on the wings of food moths that form different patterns.
The larvae of the food moth are in the form of a caterpillar. They hatch eight days after laying their eggs. These insects range in size from a few millimeters to tens of millimeters. Interestingly, food moth larvae feed primarily on dry products such as groats, nuts, bread and flour. For this reason, they usually choose our kitchens or various types of pantries as a place to breed.
Unfortunately, food moth larvae can easily be brought from the store along with the product in which they live. You should therefore pay special attention to the quality of your purchase, its expiration date and the general condition of the goods on the shelves.
To guard against food moths in your home, you can pour all products that may be a potential source of food for the larvae into airtight containers. This will help you see if there are any larvae in the product you purchased. Alternatively, you can prevent the moths from multiplying and prevent the entire population from growing and feeding on other products in your kitchen
Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep your cabinets or areas where you store “dry” foods especially clean and generally tidy, but not only. Regular tidying can contribute to possibly discovering the presence of moths in your kitchen sooner and taking steps to combat them. The sooner their presence is detected, the sooner you can take the fight to this specific enemy!
To be able to combat food moths, you need to detect their presence. The larvae are gray in color and reach a length of about one centimeter. Food moths are particularly active at night. It is therefore advisable to conduct a thorough search of the kitchen after dark if you suspect that these pests are present
If you detect the presence of moths, you should immediately remove all products that may be their feeding ground. Importantly, they must be thrown away, not hidden, because the larvae will constantly multiply in them.
The next step is to thoroughly vacuum and mop up the entire space and items that may have come in contact with the moths in some way. When doing this, be sure to also pay attention to places, such as the corners of your kitchen, that are moldings or spaces where the larvae may be hiding. As long as they are in your kitchen, your moth problem will not be definitely solved.
Thoroughly cleaning the space, for example with a product made of water and lavender oil, should effectively deter all food moths. To be sure, however, it is worth repeating the entire procedure.
Main photo:Liuba Bilyk/unsplash.com
