How To Get Rid Of Pantry Moths Forever

A small moth fluttering around a ceiling light or flying around your kitchen might seem innocent, but you might have a bigger problem on your hands. Take some time to investigate. Are there any suspicious webs lying around or dead insects in your kitchen? Worse yet, have you seen a moth in the pantry?

If you have experienced any of these situations, you might be sharing your home with an uninvited guest.

It’s more likely that you have accidentally let in your new guest without realising it. Although moths can enter through your door or window, most infestations emerge from store-bought goods, food grown from the outdoors, or brought in from a contaminated household.

Wash your greens before putting them away. Check any grains or packaging for damage, holes, or movement. You might also want to check your rice container periodically, too. It’s one of their favourite hiding spots.

Pantry moths breed during the warmer months when humidity is high, with rapid growth occurring between spring and summer.

They are known to be a good source. These little critters aren’t harmful themselves, but the waste they produce has the potential to contaminate your food supply which can make you sick if you have ingested any.

It’s not an easy task, but learning how to get rid of pantry moths forever is essential. We have listed a few ways below which might help you on your quest.

Pantry Moth Traps

Go to the supermarket or hardware store and purchase a set of pantry moth traps. They consist of a small triangular piece of cardboard with a chemical pheromone that emulates the scent of a female pantry moth. It targets the males, which means the females won’t find a mate. Put a few of them in high-risk spaces.

Bay Leaves and Essential Oils

Scatter fresh or dry bay leaves in your pantry or food containers. These pests hate the scent, keeping them away from your food. It’s a great organic deterrent without the use of chemicals. You can also place a few drops of bay leaf essential oil or have it sprayed around your pantry.

Check everything

Don’t forget to check around the house–They may hide on your ceiling, window ledges, cupboards, under cupboard doors, or anywhere dark and damp.

Air-tight containers or a trip to the freezer

Store your dry goods in air-tight containers. Keeping a few items in the freezer for a few days can also help.

1. Transfer new dry goods into airtight plastic or glass containers

Packaging and paper can break down over time, especially packets of flour. Place them into airtight containers to reduce the risk. Getting rid of pantry moths is hard, but a suitable method is to prevent them from coming in or coming back. We prefer transparent containers because you can see inside and check for any movement like those from OXO storage.

Check out this list of 23 clever organisation and storage tips to get you started.

2. Regularly clean your containers

It’s not a great idea to refill an almost empty container. Wash and dry before refilling to keep a good level of storage hygiene.

3. Empty your pantry

It’s a little time-consuming, but we recommend going through and thoroughly checking the expiry date on the goods in your pantry. Some things are hidden deep within our pantry and can go unseen for months, if not years.

4. Portion control

If you aren’t part of a huge household, chances are you won’t go through all your dried goods in time. The more dried goods we store can increase the chances of taking in an undetected guest.

5. Empty your trashcans

Always make sure to empty your trashcans regularly.

6. Seal foods that attract pantry moths

Pay particular attention to cereal and grain-based foods. Rice, flour, pasta, grains, dried fruits, seeds, and nuts are a standard part of the pantry moth diet. Packaging from the store is hard to re-seal completely.