If you notice numerous tiny moths flying around your kitchen, you may have a pantry moth infestation. Pantry moths eat the dried grain inside your food containers, and they can reproduce rapidly out of control when they're supplied with a steady source of grain to eat. It's a good idea to be vigilant for the signs of a pantry moth infestation in order to stop it before they're able to infest all of your food containers, as you'll need to throw out any food that has moth larvae inside of it. To learn about how you can get rid of the moths in your kitchen, read on.

Lay Pheromone Traps in Your Kitchen

Pheromone traps are an excellent way to reduce the number of moths in your pantry. They're covered in a sticky glue that contains moth pheromones. Male moths are attracted to the pheromones, and they'll land on the trap and become stuck on it. You simply throw the trap away once it's full of moths. Reducing the number of male moths in your pantry slows down the rate at which they reproduce, which helps you eliminate the infestation more quickly.

Throw Out Any Infested Food Containers

After setting up pheromone traps, you'll need to inspect all of the food containers in your kitchen to look for moth larvae. They look like tiny white worms. If a container is infested with moth larvae, you may also notice fine silk strands on the sides of the container. If you find infested food containers, bag them up in a trash bag and throw them out.

Vacuum Your Cabinets to Remove Moth Eggs

Once you've eliminated the majority of the larvae by throwing out the food that they've been eating, you'll need to remove all of the eggs in your kitchen. Use a hand vacuum to vacuum every surface of your kitchen cabinets, especially the corners of the cabinets and any tight crevices that the moths may have been laying eggs in. Moth eggs are very tiny, which makes them difficult to see — you'll need to vacuum the entire inside of your cabinets in order to make sure you've removed them all, even if you don't see any eggs on the surface.

Store Food in Airtight Glass or Solid Plastic

Once you've removed the eggs, store any new food that you purchase in airtight containers that are made from either glass or thick plastic. Moth larvae can chew through cardboard and thin plastic bags in order to get inside the container, so you'll need to use food containers that are made from durable materials. By storing all of your food in strong containers, the larvae won't be able to get inside of them.

Check Food at the Store Before You Buy It

Finally, make sure you're inspecting food packages at the store in order to avoid reintroducing any more moths to your kitchen. If a cardboard box or plastic bag has holes in it, don't buy it — those holes may have been created by moth larvae. By carefully checking the food that you're purchasing, you will be able to minimize the chance of any more moths getting into your pantry.

Pantry moth infestations can last for quite a while. Setting up pheromone traps and removing the infested food and eggs from your cabinetry will slowly reduce the number of moths you see in your kitchen. If you'd like a quicker option for removing a pantry moth infestation, contact a residential pest control service in your area and have them inspect your kitchen — they'll be able to apply pesticides to your kitchen cabinetry that can kill moths quickly, eliminating the infestation more rapidly than using pheromone traps alone.

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