Pantry Moths

Pantry moths don't like mint. When I've had an infestation, besides removing all infested items, I buy several handfuls of mint sprigs and place them on the shelves.

Both pantry moths and clothes moths dislike cedar and camphor. When I can afford it, I buy those chunks of camphor and put them on hangers in the closet and also leave one or two in the pantry year-round.

I used to use bay leaves in my jars of flour and various packages. That worked, but I changed them every once in a while. I haven't had the pantry critters since I moved to Albuquerque, so there's another option.

All suggestions very helpful...

Thanks

Interesting. Since leaving Tulsa in the late 70s and spending the rest of my time at elevations above 5,000', I haven't seen a flea on a cat or dog. Stores still sell anti flea products, but my guys are clean.

I used to connect the presence of kitchen moths to hot weather, in both LA and up north, but Albuquerque is hotter in summer than both of those places, though not w/much humidity.

bleach on the pantry months. tossing all old flour, oats, anything of the sort, wiping things down with bleach water, closing everything new in tight tupperware.

I was surprised to find the months in the pantry, as I thought moths only fed off of clothes.

different moths eat different things. Get the moth tents, too. Hardware stores and some grocery stores carry them. I'd find links, but my computer sucks right now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_meal_moth

apparently they'll even find their way into tightly sealed containers (tupperware) .
bayleaves are supposed to keep them "at bay" .
hbg

I agree, they do make it into tightly sealed containers. They often come in the flour or cornmeal or whatever.

I think one came in a big bag of dry dog food.

Bingo! I was going to ask you if you had pet food in the pantry. Put it in an air-tight container. Freezing kills the buggers. If you can, put the pet food in the freezer.

I swear I'm developing a dyslexic condition. Could have sworn that headline said "Panty moths." Shucks. Nuthin' salacious here.

That was funny, Andrew Panty moth would suggest a long dry spell, eh?
--

I put flour, sugar, ice and other grains all in the freezer. Dog food gets into an
airtight container and the new dog package designs all have the ziplock principle
which helps too.

I've had them occasionally. It's usually hard to track down the source unless you open up every container that contains grain of any kind but things like corn muffin mixes (and pet foods apparently) are likely candidates. They'll usually stick to one cupboard if there's a good food source there so if you deal with it as soon as you see the signs (small whitish worms or moths in a cupboard) you can keep it contained to one area.

I generally inspect everything (opened or unopened) in that cupboard to see if I can find the source. Throw that one item out, take everything out of the cupboard and wipe the shelves and walls off with a disinfectant (lysol or dilute bleach). If it's been awhile since the infestation started you may have to toss everything in that cupboard that contains a grain.

If you keep sacks of wild bird seed around, check that too. That's how the one and only infestation got started in my apartment. By the time I noticed them a few days later after buying the bird seed, they were into everything. Be sure to check the seed in any feeders outside too or they'll just find their way back inside again. (Learned that one from experience.)