Moths in the kitchen are not only flying midges, but also pupae, larvae, eggs. Let's find out what food moth is, why to get turned on and how to get rid of it. Every housewife can notice flying moths in the kitchen, it is not clear from where they appeared. It is a food moth, a dangerous food pest. It multiplies quickly, spoils free-flowing cereals, eats dried fruits, bread, nuts … After infection, the products are unusable, and spoilage occurs completely and quickly. We'll talk about how to get rid of the pest further.
What does a food moth look like?
The insect is dark brown or gray in color. The larvae look like small caterpillars of a light beige color. The length can be up to 1.5 cm. The mole is active in the dark. Favorite products - tea, pasta, cereals, dried fruits. The lifespan of an adult butterfly is several days. Before its transformation, it is a wingless larva with a life expectancy of up to 60 days, before that it passes the stage of an egg. Therefore, the absence of flying insects does not mean that bulk supplies are intact. Check the contents of the containers periodically.
How does food moth appear?
Any clean housewife can have a mole. She can fly from a ventilation grill, from neighbors, an open door and window. You can bring it in pre-packaged bags (not in sealed packages) with purchased products, especially flour, rice, buckwheat. Signs of its appearance: butterflies on the walls and under the ceiling, cocoons in cereal and flour, pinkish caterpillars crawling through the cabinets.
An adult midge that gets into a jar of loose cereals immediately begins to multiply. Nothing can stop her: no plastic packaging, no lack of air, no humidity. It infects all the cereals that are nearby in the locker. The pest has no seasonality.
Food moth harm
An adult moth lays up to 400 eggs during its short life. Each larva changes its skin. Therefore, the cereals where the moth settled are teeming with the skin of the larvae and feces. When contaminated food is ingested, intoxication of the body occurs. The spoiled grains of cereals are glued together in small lumps. The pellets sink to the bottom of the container.
Means for fighting food moths
Killing butterflies is not enough for effective control. Since the main pests are larvae. They continue to actively develop and contaminate food. There is no one remedy for pest control. In order for the result to be successful, you need to apply several methods.
- Throw out contaminated food. Review grain and cereal supplies, including animal feed, bird feed, and fishing feed. Find the source of the defeat. If you are in doubt about the purity of the food, then it is better to get rid of them. Otherwise, the fight against insects will drag on for many months. Check unpacked groceries, because pests eat up polyethylene, cardboard, foil.
- Wash dishes and cabinets. Food moth does not like laundry soap and sunlight. Wash cabinets and crevices, containers and the edges of can lids with soapy water.
- Wipe down the cabinet with vinegar and leave the doors open to dry. The smell of the vinegar solution repels food moths.
- Heat the container where the affected food was in the microwave for 5 minutes or freeze it for 3-4 days.
- Use pheromone traps. They attract males, and without males, reproduction is impossible. The smell is strong and lasts for several days. But be careful - moths from neighbors can fly in through the open window.
Food moth: how to get rid of folk methods
After decontamination of containers and cabinets, take additional precautions. Moths don't like harsh aromas, so place some food on the shelves. They will scare off pests.
- Citrus: lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit peel.
- Lavender: Cotton swabs with lavender oil, or a fresh flower bouquet wrapped in gauze.
- Bay leaf.
- Wormwood bushes.
- Carnation buds.
- Geranium, rosemary, basil, wild rosemary, tansy, fir.
- Fresh walnut leaves.
- Natural camphor or camphor essential oil.
- Tobacco.
- Garlic. Place the garlic cloves in the cereal containers. Garlic does not affect the taste and smell of cereals.
There are also industrial aerosols, chemicals, dichlafos, sprays, liquids. But it is not advisable to use them in the kitchen where food is stored, otherwise their effect can poison human health.
How can moths be prevented?
To prevent insects from appearing in the kitchen, you need to perform some actions.
- Store food in a glass or metal container with tight-fitting lids.
- Ventilate the room more often.
- Keep food in the refrigerator, the moth doesn't like low temperatures.
- Review stocks periodically. Dry them in the oven for 15 minutes at 60 ° C, if necessary.
Video on how to get rid of food moths in an apartment.
