These little buggers--the Indian meal moth-- are the bane of my existence. I cannot count the times I've had to throw out every single perishable thing in my kitchen--flour (white, as the whole wheat stays in the fridge, ditto the cornmeal and nuts) pasta, dried beans, rice, etc., etc., etc. And then you discover, as we did the last time this happened, that the darned things are in something you'd never think of, like the cat's dried liver treats. We managed to avoid throwing out the whole canister of expensive dried liver (I know these are supposed to be dog treats but it's Lucy the cat who adores them) by first heating them in the microwave and then freezing them. The cat didn't mind the remains of the moth larvae.
Have you ever looked at pantry moth larvae? Ugh. They are so gross, and I'm not usually bug phobic. Apparently the lavae can chew through cardboard and plastic, so even sealed things straight from the store aren't safe from them.
Of course, we put the pheromone traps out, and try to replace them every few weeks, but that doesn't keep us from getting regularly infested. Do the moths come from outside, or from something we've bought? So frustrating.
We also get an influx of tiny black sugar ants all over the kitchen counters every spring when it rains. Those are annoying but usually can be taken care of with the little liquid ant bait traps, and it's kind of interesting to watch, like a science experiment when we were in school. (Who remembers ant farms? So fun! Do they still make them?)
Dear Reds and Reddies, have you had to deal with these pesky pests? Or do you have other things that invade your space?
Ugh to bugs! We keep the bugs out of the flour by keeping a tea diffuser [with bay leaves in it] in the flour canister . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh Joan, that’s interesting. I don’t have moths now but ai think I’ll try that just in case!
DeleteGoing to try your tea diffuser idea, Joan. Thank you!
DeleteFruit flies invade my kitchen, attracted by all the yummy produce. I kill dozens each day!!
ReplyDeleteCan you get traps for those, Grace?
DeleteGrace, Google fruit fly home made traps. It’s just apple cider vinegar and a drop of liquid dishwashing soap, I believe. — Pat S
DeleteMy husband has talked about getting some pitcher plants to try to control these visitors.
DeleteI have used the apple cider vinegar/dishwashing soap solution for fruit flies in the past with great success.
DeletePAT S & LIZ: I have tried the ACV soap solution last year but it did not work.
DeleteUgh. Moths.
ReplyDeleteDebs, I am so sorry. That is dreadful. My one infestation happened when I was preparing for a big holiday meal. It was awful.
Now I have a flour canister that takes all five pounds of flour, (my whole wheat flour is in the freezer) a sugar canister and canisters for rice. Most other items I seal in plastic freezer bags. These pests usually hitch a ride to your kitchen straight from the grocery store. They arrive at the store from the warehouse where only the most diligent managers prevent them from hitching rides out.
It isn't convenient, but I think that separating items in strong tubs at least makes it less devastating if pests do make it into your kitchen. It grieves me to think of you having to throw so much away. I have been more lax about separating things lately. I better go through my cabinets. Ugh. Moths.
I wish I had more space for tubs. The moth infestation info says you should put things in glass jars as soon as you bring it home from the store. What an undertaking.
DeleteSo far no big infestations here. Knock on wood. My husband has been doing our pest control himself and I don’t exactly trust that he knows what he is doing. I will be in the lookout for these moths now. He uses the same product (Ortho Home Defense ) and protocol as a neighbor who is a more established Floridian.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda: Again, welcome to Florida. Please consider contacting your Cooperative Extension Service, which is part of county governments. In Florida, the agency is especially useful as agriculture is such a big part of the economy. You will find a lot of information on which insects are useful and which should be avoided.
DeleteIn the past we have been infested by those tiny sugar ants, and (once) by a pesky brother-in-law. Spraying got ride of the ants.
ReplyDeleteThe brother-in-law is another story...haha!
DeleteCure for pesky brother-in-law - add the wine or beer to a glass and keep shifting the glass close and closer to the door (you may have to refill glass) until BIL leaves. This works for bees, so maybe it will work for BILs.
DeleteMargo, love it! — Pat S
DeleteSo sorry, Deborah, to read that about your pantry moth invasion...These kitchen pests give me the "yay yays"!!! I flip out when I see even one silverfish so I'm always on the lookout for any kind of home invaders. On a larger size scale I woke up one morning about 6 years ago to discover that mice had made their way into our kitchen pantry. The signs of droppings as well as a gigantic hole in a bag of cookies and a half-eaten banana sent me into orbit as well as made me sick to my stomach at the idea that these creatures had somehow made their way into our nearly-new condominium. We live near the village as well as are surrounded by construction of new homes in a wooded area so I should not have been surprised. Nevertheless after spontaneously declaring that I was promptly moving I settled down and we called a professional pest company to help us with this "icky" issue. I also think we bought every single plastic bin of various sizes from Home Depot that week! Now our pantry is filled from ceiling to floor with plastic bins and glass and ceramic canisters and containers. Everything that could possibly be chewed on or into is encased in something. The bins take up more room and can be inconvenient to pull off a shelf to get at a bag of snacks, for example, but so be it. I still have "nightmares" of that morning of discovery. Now every three months as a precaution a professional comes to do an inspection in the attic, basement and garage spaces and has hidden (because I do not want to know where they are...shudder!) bait stations planted in different areas. As a matter of fact our guy Todd is scheduled for a mice inspection this upcoming Monday. It's worth the money to make sure everything is copacetic especially as the cooler weather will be on our doorstep soon. Good luck with getting your current invaders out of your pantry. Another chore that I am sure you would much rather not to have to deal with once again.
ReplyDeleteI have had several go-rounds with mice as well, in the house we sold last summer after about 30 years in residence. It didn't start until maybe 20 years in, but we never found the tiny entry point, so almost every fall after that we would get an invasion. I learned to keep every single thing in my pantry in hard plastic or metal containers, so often they wouldn't actually make it into anything, or perhaps just one thing left carelessly in its original packaging. But they leave droppings, so we'd know they were back and bring out the traps for a while. Even now in my condo, where we've never seen a hint of an invasion as we approach the one year anniversary, my pantry has everything in containers.
DeleteWe've never had a problem with silverfish--knock wood. Or mice. What we do have is rats. They were here long before us and will most surely outlast us. Our huge native pecan tree provides a year-round source of food, and in the winter they come into the attic. Ugh ugh ugh. We do bait and traps and there is Lucy the mighty hunting cat but the rats still defeat us.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the invasive pests. I wonder if the weather is the cause? I have been hearing from friends about invasive pests due to weather and other factors. On another note, are there cozy mysteries where a character has to deal with invasive pests in the kitchen?
ReplyDeleteThat would make a good plot point, wouldn't it? Maybe they could find a clue when they're cleaning everything out!
DeleteI HATE those larva. Just this morning at my son's I found a mess of them under a towel I had spread on the counter next to the sink. I had to run screaming. Luckily, my hero Hugh dispensed of them. It's the one thing that totally creeps me out. These weren't anywhere near food, either. No idea where they came from.
ReplyDeleteAt home I now keep the brown rice in the fridge for the summer. They seem particularly fond of it.
Great tip about the brown rice. Thank you, Edith.
DeleteYour picture of lifting up the towel reminded me of our usual influx of earwigs. They are everywhere, so it is just automatic to flick any cloth/towel outside, fluff the cushions on Geriatric Row, and shake out the dahlias for the bouquet. Unfortunately, they will come in the house when I bring in the pots for the winter, so it will be a long time yet before that season is over. One of the highlights of summer!
DeleteWe go through our brown rice so fast that we've never seemed to have a problem with it, but now I'm going to cram it in the fridge. Thanks, Edith! And I would have run screaming, too.
DeleteUgh what a bummer Debs. We had that problem and I had to throw out everything and then actually wash down surfaces with bleach as they also got into little nicks and crannies (not food).
ReplyDeleteYes, but what a job!
DeleteThose moths are a scourge, Debs! Especially to someone like you--and me--with well-stocked pantries.
ReplyDeleteBecause Steve's main business occupation these days is photographing bird feeders and birdbaths, we keep 50 to 100 pounds of various birdseed combinations in the garage. And he is not always good at containing the stuff. The Indian meal moths get into it, which isn't a problem for the birds, it's just extra protein. However, when we open the door between the mudroom and the garage, they fly inside, especially if the lights are on. The pantry is next to the mudroom. Naturally.
If I am religious about keeping flours, mixes, crackers and other stuff sealed, Steve is, shall we say, agnostic. Some might say lapsed altogether. We keep the pheromone glue trap people in business. There are traps in the garage, and always one in the pantry.
GRACE, fruit flies are a PAIN. I got rid of them this summer by rigging up a trap: In a tall, slim glass, pour a tablespoon or two of red wine, then about an inch or more of cider vinegar. Insert a small funnel into the mouth of the glass, pointing down. The flies are attracted to the smell--cider vinegar is what they use in the commercial traps--they fly in, and once inside can't find their way out again and eventually fall into the liquid. It's easy to refresh this kind of trap, too. Just dump out the liquid graveyard and start over. The longer and more narrow the funnel is, the better, as long as the flare of the top is larger than the circumference of the glass. You don't want the level of the liquid to touch the funnel; the flies need space to fly around under it.
Oooh, Karen, I love your trap idea. If we get fruit flies I'm going to try that.
DeleteI hadn't thought about the birdfood! We keep birdfood and peanuts by the back door. I haven't seen any moths in the sunporch but guess I'd better check that stuff, too. Thanks for the tips!
Oh Debs, how awful and distressing for you! (Not to mention expensive!) We’ve only had moths in the kitchen once. I am going to try Joan’s bay leaves in a tea diffuser just in case. We gets those little ants every spring. Ick! We have had mice. Triple ick -everything gets cleaned out, cleaned, cleaned again, recovered, traps put out. Constant alertness… Glad Lucy didn’t miss all of her treats.
ReplyDeleteLucy is the funniest cat. We reward her with a liver treat when she comes in house, so we can always get her in at night.
DeleteI had one cat that used to come when I whistled, and one that loved dry food and would come racing when ai rattled the box. If I were out of dry food I’d rattle the cheerios box and he’s still come racing. Cats are the best!
DeleteOh, Lord! We've only had them twice, and I keep wondering why!
ReplyDeleteWe had pantry moths when I stored bird seed in the kitchen pantry. After emptying and scrubbing the closet, I painted the walls and ceiling just to make sure they were gone. Sugar ants come inside after a heavy spring rain. I use windex on the window sills and countertops which seems to help. The last time I used an ant trap the dog ate it. The dog was fine: the poison in the trap is not toxic and the plastic trap wasn't a danger to the dog's intestinal track.
ReplyDeleteYears ago my golden retriever with an eating disorder (she ate everything) also ate some ant bait. A call to the vet reassured me.
DeleteThat's good to know, Gillian, but I am now having nightmares about having to scrub out the insides of all my cabinets...
DeleteThat's a good question Anon. I think they aren't just in the food items but in other parts of the cupboard or pantry and reproduce and re-infest the food items later on.
ReplyDeleteFruit flies. Think of buying a peach and they start marshalling. Bring the peach in the house, and they come in droves. The same with bananas, but not quite as bad. Also tomatoes left on the counter to warm up. The result means stand back if you open the fridge door right now, as an avalanche of produce could attack!
ReplyDeleteWhen we were kids, my sister would boil up dry spaghetti and eat it out of the pot like that – gross. One day she was gloating as she made herself a bowl. Apparently, the moth larva were very plentiful in the box, and unbeknownst to her she cooked them along with the spaghetti and was busy snuffing them down as she tried to tempt me to taste the gross spaghetti. I told her it had worms in it – cooked. She didn’t finish that stuff, but she continued to make that gross lunch.
Oh, just ugh. I don't know why we find the idea of eating the insects (in whatever incarnation) so disgusting--it is extra protein, after all--but it is still totally gross.
DeleteRight? I had just finished reading some sci-fi books where insects were a major food source for the characters, but then found some bug carcasses in the farro? Yuck!
DeleteAnyone want a fruit fly story? I may have told you before, but I was in Regina, Saskatchewan taking a degree, and it was Christmas time, so I was going home to Nova Scotia. The last course was genetics, where we were doing experiments with fruit flies – checking out their eyes for what colour they were after breeding – similar to a Mendel’s pea breeding experiment without the peas. The flies were grown and incubated in a small pint glass bottle on a yeast medium with a cotton ball stopper to allow air in and out. Of course, the yeast fermented which was the food for the flies. The experiment was not complete, and since we were just waiting for the flies to reach maturity so we could check their cute little eyes, it had to be perpetuated over vacation. In Saskatchewan it is very cold. In airplane holds it is also very cold, so – I put the bottles inside my parka zipped it up and boarded the plane.
ReplyDeleteThe flight from Regina to Toronto was very long, but I had a very distinguished and polite seat partner. This was 1972 when people talked with each other. I had not taken off my parka. As the flight went on – well, I started to stink. Of a brewery. No doubt about it. It took me a while before I noticed that his politeness was becoming strained, and finally I clued in to the fact that he thought I was a horrible drunk instead of an incubator – albeit a strange incubator – for fruit flies. We laughed, and I have laughed every time I think of this since. I didn’t get a very good mark as I think I should have taken a good microscope as well, and not just guess the colour of their eyes. Hard to fit a good microscope in the suitcase.
Too funny, Margo! And I remember those experiments well, but never tried to take the flies home with me:-)
DeleteRemembering science class when we tossed the dead fruit flies in the trash, to find out later they were only anesthetized.
DeleteI've had a few moths, but never an infestation. Sugar ants are regular visitors in the spring or if the sugar water from the hummingbird feeder drips on the floor as I am carrying it back out. I try to deal with them right away, as I remember very well the flavor of ants in raisin bran. It makes me sick to think about it.
ReplyDeleteOh, ugh, Gillian! That's awful! I've never had ants actually get IN the food!! Yikes!
DeleteDebs, I've had these moths and their yucky-looking larvae at least three times over the last forty years, but it has been at least a decade since the last time, knock on wood. I'm better these days about dumping expired grains right away and keeping stuff in cannisters and ziplock freezer bags instead of their original paper bags. Still, I wouldn't say I've discovered a true solution. It won't surprise me if one of these days I open a container of polenta or brown rice and find it crawling with larvae--or catch the little moths flying around in the pantry.
ReplyDeleteAccording to what I read, Kim, the larvae have no trouble chewing through ziplock bags. I wish we still had room for a second refrigerator (I love my kitchen but we gave up the walk-in pantry with extra fridge for more space.) I keep quite a bit of stuff in the fridge already but would store more in fridge or freezer if I could.
DeleteI’m afraid to say this for fear of jinxing it… But I haven’t had a pantry mouth problem in quite a few years. And then there was the larva that used to come in with flower or crackers. Ick ick ick.
ReplyDeleteAm I remembering correctly that Jews throw away anything with wheat or grain in anticipation of Passover? An annual purge is not a bad idea for any religion.
So true, Hallie.
DeleteThat was me, Hallie
ReplyDeleteIt's Florida. Perishables are either in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator. We have the same insecticides that commercial pest control people use for the cockroaches. Living here, I have seen some really beautiful insects, some beetles, and of course butterflies. Also some omg insects inside the house such as wolf spiders, who are the harmless 'cousins' of tarantulas. They were in the attic, it took a few years for our patrol cats to take care of them. Right now I am relying on checking with google to see if the insect is threatening or not i.e are Pharaoh ants edible? If they are harmless to humans cats and furniture, I tend to go with live and let live. Except for the Pharaoh ants, those I help along the path of reincarnation.
ReplyDeleteCombat roach bait is a staple around here, too, Coralee. We do get them in the drawers and cabinets, ugh, but we've never had a real infestation. But once, in the apartment I lived in after college, I opened a big bag of catfood to pour some into a smaller canister and what came out was a river of cockroaches. (These were the big black ones, for those of you who don't live in the south.) I screamed and threw the whole twenty pound bag of catfood in the air, so I had a kitchen covered in roaches and cat kibble.
DeleteOh Debs that must have been a nightmare!
DeleteI still remember it very clearly!
DeleteThat must have traumatized you, Debs!!
DeleteThat is horror-movie level terrible. AHHHHHHHHHHH
DeleteAnts, during heavy rains, drive me nuts. I wipe down he counters, try to follow the trails and put out the traps where I think they are entering from and try to put away all the food in that area. And hope it stops raining soon. Ants during the dry season.... Ugh! Why? Repeat winter plans and try to find the reason for the unseasonal invasion.
ReplyDeleteOh, how annoying, Deana. We've only ever had problems in the spring.
DeleteWe keep all the perishables in glass jars and only had moths once. But tiny ants are regular invaders. I can never see where they are getting in but lay ant traps in the garden below. Luckily California is not big on pests ( I hope I’m not jinxing anything!)
ReplyDeleteRhys, you are very organized in your kitchen!
DeleteWe put diatomaceous earth, a white powder, around the foundation. It kills ants but not much of anything else. Safe for kids and cats and dogs.
DeleteWe used to get pantry moths but after I cleaned and tossed everything, wiped down the shelves with bleach, and started storing flour in my fridge, I haven't seen any for the past seven years or so. Knock on wood!
ReplyDeleteI also get the tiny ants in the spring. I sigh, move the sugar bowl to the table, and squish them. One of my daughter's friends, a biology-science person, told me the old standard, white vinegar, counteracts the scent trails they leave behind to tell other ants where to go. So I spray and wipe regularly. It does seem to help!
My nemesis? The mice. It's a never ending, bloody battle, and I don't think I'm winning.
Your cat, like ours, is falling done on the job, Julia!
DeleteOh, yes. I remember them from Florida. They were included as a freebie in one of the bags of parrot food my husband bought. Took forever to get rid of them. Wheat weevils were the bane of my existence, though. No matter how carefully I looked at pasta and rice before I bought it, they still managed to show up. Those guys eat through cardboard and wrap, too. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteFor my Maine friends.... better bugs than bears. Although we do have bears in FL as well.
DeleteEeek, I've never heard of wheat weevils! Now crossing myself superstitiously....
DeleteWe had annual pantry moth invasions when our pantry’s back wall was an exterior wall. Every time it got really hot outdoors, the larvae would hatch and everything was tossed. Since we remodeled our house a year ago and the pantry was moved to interior walls, we haven’t had any appearances. (Cross fingers, say a prayer because I probably just jinxed it.) We had mice about ten years ago, but no one (human or canine housemates) would believe me. I could hear scratching in the cupboard that was right NEXT to the dogs’ water bowl and no one but me could hear it. (I don’t know how they got in the house, but they had a route from under the cupboard, then under the built-in dishwasher, through the below-the-sink area and into the pantry. The pantry was narrow and deep so if they ate the forgotten things toward the back, we didn’t see the droppings or chewed up bags. Finally I bought those plug-in rodent things that emit a noise at a pitch only they can hear. One night we’re watching TV and a mouse ran crazily behind the television. Even my husband saw that… I can’t remember if we had to put down traps or if the sound just drove them out. (I’ll spare you the stories about the rats that came in to the garage, found the 25 lb. bags of dog food and invited their friends. Ugh!) Lastly, if you have fruit flies, I wrote a note above to Grace for getting rid of them. — Pat S
ReplyDeletePat S. Your mouse behind the TV reminds me of ants when I was barely 5 or 6…so this is a memory of a story I was told, have a vague memory of a tented house. Our house had a cathedral knotty pine paneled ceiling and walls. One evening as my parents looked on as a black line climbed up the wall across the ceiling and down the other wall. The ant parade. The next day we moved to my grandparents’ home in town — no time to bring toys! And overheard adult conversations had words like tent, ANTS!, gas, fumigate, ANTS Eating the wood! . It seemed like forever that we had to be away. I know we never tented again, but once a month Mother would take me out for a day for a year and the house would smell awful when we got home. Elisabeth
DeletePat, I wonder if those sound devices work for rats?
DeleteWe have 3 sound devices in the cottage, where we never take them out. There are signs of a few caressing the silverware drawer - there are also those little heat candles in there, and apparently they like to eat them, but don't see them anywhere else. We store the sunflower seeds in there, and don't see evidence of the mice raiding that. The cats rarely go in there all winter, so all in all, we are impressed with the sound things.
DeleteWe tried them in the garage but I don’t think they were bothered by them. Maybe they were too big or there were too many of them? (I don’t remember why we had the plug-in devices many years ago, but I think it was as a preventative measure. Anyway, my son got to keep the class guinea pig when the school district decreed no more class pets. We’d had her home for about a day when we noticed her acting weirdly. Luckily we caught on quickly and removed/unplugged any and all of the annoyances.) — Pat S
DeleteAnd Debs, the two things that took care of the rats - because we had them in such abundance - was rat poison in the attic where they were living and, once they were dead and the stench was gone, we had a pest control company who used bait stations. (Our back fence neighbor had palm trees and a swimming pool, two things rats apparently love.) I would much rather have had an owl box but we went with the exterminator. — Pat S
DeleteWe hate using rat poison because they tend to die in our walls, even though it's supposed to drive them out. Old house...
DeleteAll of our flours, rice, pasta, etc. are stored in Oxo canisters with the pop-top. Yes, I know they are plastic. But they work. They are the only plastic storage I have (and it's not like they are single use). At this point, I ought to own stock in Oxo.
ReplyDeleteWe get ants in the spring, which we took care of with ant bait traps. The peskiest things, to date, are the stink bugs. So many more of them that we had at the old house and I'm not sure why. I can't keep the glass sliding door to the sun room open without finding 6-8 of them on the screen door an hour later.
I'll never forget Mom opening up a packet of Knorr dry soup years ago. It was nothing but weevils!
ReplyDeleteEeeekkk!!!
DeleteFought pantry moths for a couple of seasons and then I discovered traps. It’s a piece of this cardboard covered on one side with sticky stuff. You fold it as shown and put one anywhere you store flour, cereal, crackers, etc. I put new one in the cupboards in the early pre-bug spring. The moths are very attracted to these. After clearing out the first infection, I get 2-3 a summer now, and inevitably they get stuck and that’s it. Non-toxic and biodegradable solution!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have the sticky traps and have used them for years, but they haven't done the trick this time.
DeleteYikes! Wonder why?
DeleteI’ve been chasing a fruit fly all day too. Just figured out it’s a floater!
Ugh! I had those once and I still haven't recovered emotionally. No bugs here, thankfully, with five cats they don't stand a chance.
ReplyDeleteWell, we have three, and they are definitely not taking down the pantry moths...:-)
DeleteTimely post as I just found that I have cockroaches again. Orkin is coming tomorrow. A few years ago, I had them, and Ehrlich took care of them but they were billing me too much. Once I paid by check, and they also charged my credit card.
ReplyDeleteI had mice, too, but am using D-con traps. I blame my neighbors in the double house as they had the door open a lot when moving things in and out. Since they had Orkin a month or so ago, they may have driven the cockroaches over to me, also.
Previous neighbors in that house had a huge koi pond and stored their fish food under the porch. That brought rats, which luckily didn't get in the house but were not great to see in the garden. Soon after they got rid of the fish!
We have a koi pond, too, but do not store the fish food outside!
DeleteDebs, we just had an attack of gnats, and what worked finally was a blue light device you plug in. It even caught a couple of flies. There are several different brands, but just google, "Blue light trap for gnats." I don't know if they have one for moths.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy! I will look it up!
DeleteI keep everything in glass French canning jars. I have used this storage method for over 40 years, and it works flawlessly. I always have kitties, so I never have a problem with rodents. When I lived in NYC we had a horrid problem with cockroaches. We would have the pest company in on a Friday afternoon, when we would escape to Stamford for the weekend. The roaches always came back by Tuesday.
ReplyDelete"The roaches always came back by Tuesday." Best first line I have EVER heard. oxoo
DeleteI agree, Hank! Now we just have to think up a story to go with it!
DeleteGretchen, you've sent me down a French canning jar rabbit hole. I may have to resort to glass jars, but my storage is really awkward for that...
DeleteThey come in many sizes, so you should be able to find the ones you need. I bought mine in kitchen stores, but you can now get them online. Le Parfait is great to deal with, and they have replacement rubber jar rings. A lot of mine are on the counter now. I moved from 3000 sq ft to 675 sq ft. It has been quite an adjustment!
DeleteSO LATE> Hate these things. Hate hate hate. ALL moths. I am sorry, I cannot deal with moths. I see one of those little moths, I WHAP it, with no remorse.
ReplyDeleteOh, I smush them with great enthusiasm, too!
DeleteVery late to this but I HATE the flour moths! We keep our flour in the fridge and our dog food in a tightly sealed metal trash can.
ReplyDelete