How to remove food moths from the kitchen. Food moths in foods: how to get rid of them? Do food moths eat clothes?

Moths are pests, but they do not pose a mortal danger to humans. That is, it is impossible to die from it, but significant material damage- the problem is real. There is no need to explain what it looks like; unfortunately, everyone has encountered it at least once in their life. As a rule, it starts in dry bulk products, especially long-stored cereals. At the same time, neither cellophane nor paper packaging is an obstacle for insects. How to get rid of moths in cereals - we offer only practical, proven methods.

Cereal moth causes discomfort

For the fight to be effective: food for thought

Reference. The cereal moth is a gray-brown butterfly up to 10 mm long. There may be blotches or stripes of dark color on the wings. Moves quickly and chaotically. Shows particular activity in dark time days, moves around the apartment freely - not timid. However, if a person shows the intention to eliminate the insect, it quickly flies away to a hard-to-reach place.

So, there are moths in the cereal - how to get rid of it? If in an apartment perfect order, then this “uninvited guest” was brought from the store with cereal. It appears in retail outlets and warehouses due to violation of storage conditions.
Experts called insectologists say that moths do not eat anything. Such a point of view might seem doubtful at the sight of a moth-infested bag of flour, but in fact it is true. Bags of dry food simply provide a favorable environment for egg laying. As soon as the reproductive function is completed, the adult crawls out of the bag and flies freely around the apartment. During this period, butterflies only need water; if it gets into jam or other uncharacteristic products, it most likely indicates a transformation of the species.
But the larvae of house moths eat everything that comes along the way - cereals, tea, legumes, nuts, etc.

The importance of prevention is difficult to overestimate

It is difficult to get rid of grain moth larvae, but not healthy individuals

As you know, a disease is easier to prevent than to treat. So, to prevent moths from getting into the cereal, you should adhere to some very simple and logical rules:

carefully check the contents of packages of dry products before purchasing;
keep the kitchen in perfect cleanliness– general cleaning should be carried out at least once a month;
pour the brought bulk products for storage into tightly sealed jars;
hoods and ventilation holes must be covered with mesh– this will prevent the penetration of insects (not only moths) from neighbors;
jars where cereals are stored must be washed periodically in soap or soda solution;
periodically lay out bags of mint, wormwood, and lavender.

There are already moths in the cereal: what to do?

Reference. From a scientific point of view, the grain moth is a collective image. Experts identify grain moths, barn moths, dried fruit moths, and mill moths. Only by taking this into account can you quickly find the source of reproduction.

Fighting moths - a set of measures

Remedy No. 1 Garlic

If you ask any grandmother how to get rid of grain moths, then one of the most sure means she will call garlic. Yes, indeed, this insect cannot tolerate the smell of garlic, so it’s worth opening the teeth slightly and putting it on drawers and shelves. In theory, the moth should be frightened by the specific aroma and leave their favorite places. True, it should be noted that modern moths have the ability to adapt to such conditions, so ignoring this smell does not go away.

Remedy No. 2 Vinegar

Alcohol solution acetic acid, How effective remedy The fight against moths has been used for hundreds of years. The vinegar smell really repels insects. Treatment with this product follows the following formula: kitchen cleaning soap solution+ treatment of corners, crevices and surfaces where moths usually hide + blockage of the kitchen area for several hours + ventilation.

Remedy No. 3 Bay leaf/cloves/basil

As an answer to the question: moths in cereals - how to get rid of them, it is suggested to lay them out in different places kitchen set, bags with:

bay leaf;
rosemary;
wild rosemary;
tansy;
fir

As an option, you can lubricate the “risk zones” with aromatic oils created on the basis of the above-mentioned plants. This will also repel grain moths.

Moths do not like it when cabinets are treated with products that smell like lavender, geranium, rosemary, etc.

Remedy No. 4 Lavender

The queen of the mountains, lavender, has long been considered an excellent “weapon” against insects. Its seed is wrapped in gauze and placed in the right places, or cotton swabs soaked in lavender oil are laid out.

Remedy No. 5 Citrus

This does not mean the fruit itself, but the orange, tangerine or lemon peel. It is also laid out in cabinets. The fragrant crusts emit an odor pleasant to humans and destructive to moths. As soon as its intensity decreases, the peel must be replaced with fresh one.

Remedy No. 6 Geranium

It turns out that our grandmothers had geraniums (kalachik) occupying all the window sills not only for the sake of beauty. Many insects, including moths, cannot stand its smell. In a modern interpretation, it is allowed to use aromatic oil with that smell. It is applied to cotton swabs and placed in different parts kitchens.

Remedy No. 7 Walnut leaves

Another one worth using folk remedy, the effectiveness of which has been repeatedly tested in practice - leaves walnut. This means a regular walnut. Freshly picked leaves are used - their smell drives away moths for a long time.

Remedy No. 8 Calcination

It is better to store cereals in the oven after piercing - moths do not like such an environment

Remedy No. 9 Aerosols

The modern market is rich in various aerosol anti-moth products. This radical way, requiring some effort and time. Dishes are taken out of the kitchen, contaminated food is thrown into the trash, and everything else (cabinets, countertops, tiles, etc.) is sprayed with a special agent. Tablecloths, curtains and other fabric accessories are washed at 90 degrees. All storage containers are washed in a soda solution.

Remedy No. 10 Traps

The use of special traps also effective method fight against moths. True, they are not able to completely rid the kitchen of this insect, but they will reduce the population. The consumer chooses them for ease of use. The secret to how such tools work is simple: paper tape impregnated with an adhesive composition that includes pheromones from adult female moths. The insects flock to this smell, sticking to the tape.

Please note that moths do not really like buckwheat. Even if it is stored in a store bag, this insect rarely touches it. The same applies to polished rice, dried fruits including prunes, and dried peas.

Moths in the kitchen are often not as easy to remove as it might seem at first glance, especially for owners who are inexperienced in dealing with this pest. The reason for this is that the main habitat is dry food, and they can only be removed by getting rid of all affected stocks, and then, without fail, exterminating adult butterflies.

Thus, in order to remove moths from the kitchen, it is necessary to approach this task comprehensively. It is not possible to destroy kitchen moths with quick one-time measures, but with the right approach, they can be removed quickly and effectively.

On a note

Often people, having seen the characteristic grayish-yellow butterflies in the kitchen, begin to puzzle over where this moth comes from. The reason for its appearance does not depend in any way on the owner of the apartment - it simply enters the house with purchased contaminated food products. As a rule, these are cereals, flour, sugar, dried fruits, nuts, and sometimes even pasta. Moths almost never appear in the kitchen, having flown in from the street - only larvae in food spread. As a rule - expired and untreated for pests.

Fighting moths is not only and not so much the direct destruction of insects, but competent prevention and compliance with food storage rules. But first things first.

Food condition monitoring

As a rule, moth larvae enter the house in food, and here they pupate, turn into butterflies and make themselves known. That is why, in order to be effective in the kitchen, you must:

It is especially important to check all bins and pantries: usually it is in a long-forgotten package, for example, with buckwheat or dried bird cherry, that the main incubator for kitchen moths is present.

In the photo there is a moth pupa in semolina in the kitchen:

This is interesting

Generally speaking, kitchen moth is the collective name for several species of butterflies of the moth family. The most common types found in the house are barn moths and flour moths, but sometimes other species can be found. Distinctive feature barn moth - light transverse stripe on dark brown wings. Its caterpillars differ little from the caterpillars of the codling moth.

Kitchen furniture processing

This set of measures is aimed at destroying larvae crawling out to pupate. As a rule, in all moths the caterpillars leave food products and crawl throughout the room in search of convenient places to create a cocoon. At these moments they come across in the kitchen on its walls, ceiling, at the junctions of furniture with walls.

Insecticidal aerosols used in the fight against ants and cockroaches, as well as insecticidal pencils (for example, the well-known Mashenka chalk), are good for treatment. At the same time, strong-smelling repellents will have virtually no effect here, but will simply scare the butterflies away from the locations of the odorous substances.

There are also special ones - for example, Armol, Raptor against moths - but their effectiveness against moths in the kitchen is much lower than against clothes moths.

“Where could moths come from in the kitchen if we never had them? There are butterflies under the ceiling and caterpillars crawling along the walls. There are cocoons in a bag of buckwheat. I threw them out of the house, but it didn’t help. Now I’ll buy anti-moth products.”

Irina, Odessa

It is important to understand that even after poisoning the moth larvae once with a reliable aerosol, sometimes you can achieve only a temporary effect: the emergence of caterpillars from food does not proceed in a coordinated manner, and within two or three days after treating the kitchen, new caterpillars may appear in it.

There are drugs manufactured using the microencapsulation principle; they provide a prolonged effect. The most famous of these drugs is Get, which also kills cockroaches, ants, and even bugs that are resistant to various insecticides. Of course, this product should only be used against larvae in kitchen furniture, since the drug should not come into contact with food.

It is also worth considering that fighting kitchen moths only with the help of special preparations is not effective. Still, the bulk of pests are located precisely in food products, and it is precisely this part that must first of all be targeted.

Destruction of butterflies

Now let’s imagine another, also common situation: you have moths in the kitchen, but all the products were checked and sorted, the larvae were destroyed and thrown away with the contaminated products. However, the moths survived and continue to fly around the kitchen, and in large numbers.

In this case, it is imperative to bring the matter to the end and begin to exterminate the butterflies. After all, they are the ones who are able to lay invisible eggs on food products, giving the opportunity for a new generation of pests to appear.

Removing moths is quite simple. Usually you don't even have to use chemicals. A fly swatter and a simple slipper are quite enough to swat even several dozen adult individuals.

“I don’t know where the moths came from in the kitchen, but there was a lot of this infection. It was okay while the butterflies were flying, but when the worms started crawling in, I couldn’t stand it at all. But the main thing is, no matter how much you push them, they keep appearing and appearing. It turned out that they were climbing out of last year’s nuts on the balcony. They threw out the nuts, a kilogram of the infected cell, which crushed all the butterflies - and there was peace and grace. I really didn’t expect that I would cope with the adversity so quickly.”

Antonina, Eremeyskoye

In warehouses or kitchens of catering establishments, insecticidal aerosols are used to destroy moths - professional Tetrix, Diazinon or general-use products Kombat, Raptor, Raid. Grain moths in the kitchen are usually destroyed on a specially designated day off, and after processing the room, it is thoroughly cleaned.

Prevention measures

After all contaminated food has been thrown out of the house, and the larvae and butterflies have been exterminated using special means, you should not relax: moths may appear in the kitchen again. To avoid this you must:

check all products brought into the house
maintain cleanliness and remove all food spilled on the floor or behind the table (bedside table)
throw away or use up old food supplies
use special repellents in food storage areas. Special anti-moth sections and some folk remedies are suitable for this and should be placed in bedside tables and cabinets.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen? Without exaggeration, every housewife has asked this question at least once in her life. When you discover these unattractive brown-gray insects, the first thing that comes to mind is: you need to buy some kind of drug, and associatively, the first thing that pops up before your eyes is a can of dichlorvos. Although, many readers may reproach that there is no more popular chemical than naphthalene. Yes, all this is true, but we would like to talk about how to get rid of food moths forever without using the above-mentioned means, because they are toxic to humans to one degree or another, they cannot be used in the kitchen, and they are not always effective.

House moths can be eliminated forever

Where do moths come from in an apartment?

You can often hear the opinion that moths appear in the kitchens of careless housewives. In most cases this is not the case.

Moths are not cockroaches and are not particularly interested in dirt. Products are important to her

This harmful insect can simply be brought into a kitchen that has been cleaned to a shine in a bag with any bulk products or even sweets. All you have to do is get a few individuals and their reproduction becomes global scale. Larvae appear in everything that is considered a favorable environment for moths, and in order to settle in an attractive product, the insect even gnaws through materials such as cellophane bags. On the other hand, the food moth (photo below), whatever one may say, really loves dusty and dirty places. Therefore, the fight against moths begins with general cleaning.

Important! You should not line cabinets and drawers of kitchen furniture with newspapers or other paper that has contact with glue. They are very attractive to moths.

What is the danger?

Are food moths harmful to humans? Naturally, first of all, moral, since the ubiquitous butterflies of an unattractive appearance are annoying. And also, their ability to instantly multiply not only in flour or cereals, but also in any other products, “hits your pocket.” These can include tea, cereals, dried fruits, cocoa, salads, jams, and chocolate, which are important for any person’s diet. The situation is especially unpleasant because before you bring them into the house, many products become infected with this household pest.

Moths cause irritation and discomfort

And since moths can carry dirt and various bacteria, before eating food it is necessary to wash even clean dishes, because insects crawl and fly anywhere. This takes time and causes a lot of inconvenience. And in such a situation, you definitely can’t invite guests into your house. In a word, moths in the house are unsafe, unaesthetic and uncomfortable.

What grandmother's remedies should you give up?

Our grandmothers had their own recipes for how to remove food moths from the kitchen. The most common of them:

naphthalene;
tobacco;
shag.

Maybe at that time these funds were relevant. Yes, but now it’s hardly worth resorting to them. After all, they are all characterized by specific, very pungent odors that permeate everything and everyone around. It turns out that in the process of killing insects we pollute our homes.

Important! Eggs and larvae of moths under the influence of direct sun rays and on fresh air die. At the first suspicion of moths, all products from the “risk zone” should be placed on the balcony or on the windowsill of an open window.

What should you take into account?

Soap

Bar laundry soap will repel insects

It turns out that the answer to the question of how to remove food moths from an apartment “lies on the surface.” Popular experience says that this pest cannot tolerate the smell of fresh laundry soap. In the kitchen it's known reasons you can’t put it, but you should put the “fragrant” bars in chests of drawers and cabinets.

Citrus peels

Do not neglect long-tested remedies - moths cannot tolerate the smell of garlic and citrus fruits

Another way to get rid of food moths in an apartment is to place them in different places in the kitchen and wardrobes cleaning citrus fruits – tangerine, orange, lemon. Periodically, as soon as the smell becomes less intense, they need to be changed. True, as a result, only adult individuals are scared away, but if they laid eggs and larvae appeared, then simply spreading out orange peels will not drive them out.

Lavender

Perforated bags with lavender are a long-known remedy for food moths in the apartment. In addition to this herb, you can use:

mint;
tansy;
cloves;
thyme;
rosemary;
ginseng root;
seed horse chestnut, etc.

Lavender seed has repeatedly proven its effectiveness in the fight against moths

After some time, these “drugs” need to be replaced with new ones - they wear out over time and lose their effectiveness.

Advice! Instead of a lavender sachet placed in cheesecloth, you can use lavender oil. However, you need to handle it carefully, again remembering that the products can become saturated with such a smell and their use for cooking can become problematic.

Bite/Garlic

Vinegar, rosemary, tansy - irreconcilable enemies of moths

The fight against food moths can also be carried out using such basic means as garlic, which is laid out in cabinets and drawers. But vinegar is added to water when cleaning premises. In this case, you need to understand that there will be a characteristic smell.

Important! We would like to emphasize that all of the listed methods of combating house moths are aimed at scaring away the insect, and not killing it. That is, it is a complex preventive measures, designed to prevent, in principle, the appearance of such a misfortune in the house.

Temperature

People know another secret of how to fight food moths in the kitchen - periodically expose foods that could hypothetically harbor moths in cold or hot weather. It is known that both eggs/larvae and adults die at a temperature of -10 C, as well as at high temperatures from +30 C. Here we also consider it necessary to mention clothes, since moths also spread to closets with things. So: eggs laid by females are very weakly attached to the fabric, so moths do not spoil clothes that are constantly worn. But things worn from time to time must be periodically shaken off and aired, in this case the moths will not have the slightest chance to spread.

What modern means are safe?

A food moth trap is undoubtedly the safest method for humans to get rid of harmful insects. Its “design” is very simple and straightforward: a strip of cardboard is covered with a layer of sticky glue containing the pheromones of female moths, released by butterflies at the stage of readiness for mating. There are also baits on the market in which the pheromone component is not present in the glue, but is supplied in a separate bag and is glued to the sticky part after direct use.

Attention! We would like to warn against excessive use of this product - 1-2 traps in the kitchen are enough. Otherwise, the entire air will be saturated with pheromones and the devices will simply lose their effectiveness - the moth will not fly to them.

A moth trap attracts male moths, thereby stopping the reproductive cycle of insects, which ultimately minimizes the risk of new infestations.

Conclusion: you need to deal with moths, if they have already appeared, in a comprehensive manner. This means: carrying out general cleaning, laying out the same bags of lavender and placing preventive trap strips, also present on the market.

Finding food moths in your kitchen is not a pleasant event, because with it comes troubles. Food moths are not the best “neighbor” because all our groceries are under attack. Everything that may have been stored in reserve can be spoiled, and it’s simply unpleasant to realize that someone is living in your food. How to avoid food gluttons and what we will look at in this article.

Cereals– the most favorite place for grain moths. The following will be hit first: rice, oatmeal, oatmeal, pasta, etc.;
Nuts— moths equally love hazelnuts, peanuts, and walnuts, both peeled and in shell;
Dried fruits– you can often see raisins, dried apricots, and prunes covered with a kind of cobweb;
Carton boxes– food moths can also be found in closed packets of tea, all kinds of cereals, oatmeal, etc.;
There have been such cases that the insect has been living in the kitchen for a long time - and you can find it behind the refrigerator, kitchen furniture, V household appliances which has not been used for a long time;
There are products, which moths do not feed on, but can live in - these are salt, soda, sugar;
Vegetable oils, vinegar, honey, jam, jam are not susceptible to infection, the food pest simply dies in them;

Folk remedies against moths

Whatever method of control you choose, you should first carry out a series of measures aimed at identifying the source of infection and eliminating it. Food gluttony has excited housewives at all times. Previously, when there was a shortage of food and we stocked up a lot and for a long time, we also thought about how to preserve all supplies. Various natural repellents have been used. A good prevention against moths is regular ventilation; they don’t like drafts and fresh air. Go through your supplies more often if you have any, ventilate cabinets and shelves, wipe the shelves and inner walls of cabinets with vinegar or soap solution.

Home remedies for food moths

Garlic - place it on shelves or directly in containers with groceries; a few peeled cloves of garlic will not spoil the taste of the products, but you will protect yourself.
Leaves bay leaf, bags of pepper and cloves will do the job well.
Mint and lavender in the form of herbs will also help; if you have the aromatic oils of these plants, drop them onto gauze or a cotton pad and place them in the kitchen.
Citrus peels are considered good protection against pests; place them on shelves or cabinets.
Geranium on the windowsill will repel unwanted insects.
There is also the scent of wild rosemary, tansy, fir, basil or rosemary from the plants themselves or their oils applied to cotton pads.
The smell of wormwood - small bouquets placed in food storage areas will scare away an uninvited guest.
Leaves walnut— freshly picked leaves have a specific smell and laid out in food storage areas will serve you well.
Camphor and oil based on it were considered an old and proven remedy, but now they are practically not used.
The smell of tobacco - tobacco leaves or shag discouraged both food and clothing guests.

Interesting fact: In heated rooms, grain moths can produce two to three generations per year. In addition to stocks of seed, food and feed grains, it can also damage dry fruits, mushrooms and vegetables, as well as seeds of various agricultural and ornamental plants.

Modern and effective means

The fight against food moths has a number of limitations compared to its. And the reason for this is because of the products that can carry insecticides, so we are limited to traps for adults and natural repellents for larvae.

Pheromone traps

Intended primarily for males, sticky traps attract males and thus prevent the moth from reproducing. They can be located in the lockers themselves, good way destruction and prevention. Traps from the following manufacturers have proven themselves well: ARGUS, Raptor, Aeroxon.

ARGUS— the active substance attractant is added to the adhesive base, so the trap works over the entire surface. Can be placed directly in cabinets both vertically and horizontally. The trap is designed for 3 months of use, 2 pieces in a package are enough for 10 - 15 m2 of area.

Raptor protection against food moths— consists of 2 adhesive plates, designed for up to 90 days. Many people use it constantly as a preventive measure; the base is very sticky; install it carefully.

Aeroxon- the most expensive trap among those presented, the German manufacturer indicates a service life of up to 1.5 months. But with a 100% guarantee, it promises a reduction in the insect population.

Moth sprays

Although it is not recommended to use them (chemicals can get into products), they are used quite often. Among the manufacturers we can distinguish such brands as: Raptor, Raid, Armol, Mosquitall, Clean house etc. When using, use protective equipment: a respirator and rubber gloves.

A husband and wife walk into a fur shop. The wife looks at the fur coats with delight.
A nimble saleswoman flies up:
- Are you looking for anything?
Husband, respectfully:
- Food for moths!

Prevention from food poisoning

Check the purchased groceries in the store, the integrity of the packaging, and the shelf life. Cereals brought from the store, etc. leave in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days.
Store everything in airtight plastic, glass or metal containers. But remember, moths can chew through polyethylene, cardboard, and thin plastic.
Clean the shelves where bulk products are stored more often, so that a small amount of food is enough for growth and reproduction.
Clean containers each time before refilling.
Do not stock up in case of a “nuclear war”; food piles contribute to the appearance and reproduction of moths.

All these simple tips will help you prevent food moths from appearing in your kitchen. It is always cheaper to prevent the occurrence than to fight it later.

Conclusions from Tikhon: Food moth, like its unpleasant neighborhood. Prevention and prevention again, it’s a pity if you have to throw it away a large number of supplies, and sometimes that’s the only thing that helps.

If you have experience fighting food moths, share it in the comments below, perhaps it will help someone make the right decision.

Happiness to you and your home.

Food moths are a serious pest in the kitchen. It spoils products and renders them unusable. Getting rid of moths is very difficult, but it is possible with the help of household or folk remedies.

Some people are very familiar with such an insect as food moth. Such a moth may be different sizes and visually it resembles a small butterfly.

IMPORTANT: Although most moths look the same, they have their own characteristics, depending on the species.

Whatever type of moth you have in your house, it requires mandatory removal. Simple aerosols will not help here. First of all, food may suffer from this (if you make large supplies). Any poisons are also prohibited (their remains can then be mixed with food).

Food moth butterfly starts in the kitchen

To know food moth larvae and caterpillars very easy - they all look the same. Their length, as a rule, does not exceed one to one and a half centimeters. Caterpillar color is white, milky, yellow, beige (light). Pink caterpillars are less common.

The caterpillar looks absolutely smooth, without villi and antennae. The caterpillars actively eat groceries, where, in fact, their nest is located. Active nutrition they need it for growth and development.

Most often, caterpillars do not want to “attract attention to themselves” and hide in groceries, but before pupating (transforming into a butterfly), they often crawl onto walls and any surfaces.

Food butterfly caterpillar found in food products

It is important to know that food moth multiplies very quickly. If the atmosphere (humidity, temperature) is favorable for the insect, it immediately lays eggs.

Moths are capable of laying eggs every six weeks (from one to one and a half hundred eggs). The butterfly tries to lay eggs where they can feed and survive - for human food. Room temperature 20-25 degrees has a beneficial effect on moth eggs and promotes their rapid development.

It is interesting to know that it is the moth caterpillar that destroys grocery supplies. The butterfly does not feed at all. She is completely absent digestive system. An adult moth lives no more than a month (maximum one and a half months).

Food moths lay eggs in human food

The deposited larvae eat literally everything they can encounter:

Any cereals: millet, semolina, buckwheat, wheat
Cereals: oatmeal, bran, seeds
Bread, cookies, flour, crackers
Whole grain
Cocoa, spices(not spicy)
Sugar
Any nuts: walnuts, peanuts, almonds
Dried fruits: dried apricots, prunes, figs, raisins

Each type of food moth has your food preferences, but to survive they eat absolutely everything (this is often what happens in apartments). If there are a very large number of moths in the house, then the first time removing it completely is very difficult.

The bad thing is that besides larva feeds human products, it weaves the area around itself into a cocoon. Eventually, food is covered with a thin silk web and has the appearance of lumps. If the nest starts in nuts, the moth forms small nests on their surface.

IMPORTANT: Food moths do not enter the house from neighbors, nor from the street. A person himself introduces insect larvae with low-quality cereals and purchases from a store (often a mass producer does not carefully check his workshops and barns for the presence of moths). The harm caused by food moths is enormous. It spoils food and makes it impossible to eat.

Food moths in bread, cereals, dried fruits, cereals

Do food moths eat clothes and what kind?

Food moths are capable of destroy huge human food supplies but it's an insect doesn't touch clothes. Such a butterfly is not dangerous for the wardrobe. However, you should not relax, because food moths can also live with clothes moth. This moth is visually very similar to a food butterfly.

Often, in the struggle to remove food moths, people do not pay attention to clothes moths. Food moths also do not lay larvae in clothing, and the larvae do not harm fur, sheepskin, cotton and other types of fabric.

Food moths do not harm human clothing at all

Moths in the kitchen: how to find a nest

In order to remove the moth, first of all, we should find her nest. Of course, this insect is not as unpleasant as a cockroach, but it can cause a lot of harm.

A moth's nest is the very place where maximum amount butterfly caterpillars. Visually nest, if formed in cereals or flour, resembles lumps and pellets. Chunks of cereals or groceries shrouded in silk cobwebs. Between the lumps there are larvae. Walls and surface dishes in which the cereal is located, covered with white caterpillars.

A moth nest can be placed in a cereal package

Pay attention to where exactly you meet moths most often:

On the shelves where cereals are stored
In the bread bin
In the spice box
In a bag of sugar, in a bag of flour and so on

If you find nest in the grocery store, carefully check each package of cereals and pasta. But best of all - throw out absolutely all supplies to accurately kill the insect. Even one or two larvae can contribute to the reproduction of moths in the future.

Food moths nest in human food

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen in products: remedies

Kill moth should already when you find a nest of larvae or caterpillars. Of course, butterflies should also be killed, because they are capable of laying about a hundred eggs. Only complex insect breeding can completely rid you of the problem.

Moths should be destroyed starting from the nest:

If a nest is found in food, you should throw away all products from a drawer, cabinet, cabinet. Do not try to leave anything behind; an egg or larva can be laid in any product.
If you want to preserve visually undamaged products, you need them or heat in the oven(no more than 60 degrees for about half an hour) or freeze overnight. This way you will preserve the product and completely kill the insect.
Completely empty furniture of food. Treat cabinets with special anti-moth sprays. Leave the furniture in this condition for several days (during this time you can sort out the food). After that wash cabinets thoroughly with soapy water. Return processed foods to their place.
You can get rid of moths using special adhesive tapes. The insect lands on the tape and is no longer able to move, and therefore live. In addition, such tape can be saturated with poison.

If you treat furniture with a chemical, try to avoid even the slightest contact with food. Otherwise, you may get severe poisoning.

Sticky tape that can get rid of moths

How to remove food and fruit moths from the kitchen using folk remedies?

If you do not want to use chemicals to kill moths, you should use folk methods. In action are:

Plants with a strong aroma
Dried herbs
Fruits: fresh and dry
Essential oil
Technical means

Each of transferred funds effective in its own way. They are good because they are perfectly able to fit into the atmosphere of an ordinary city apartment. But the disadvantage of each remedy is that it can have an effect of varying strength, sometimes weak.

Household moth repellents:

Mothproof sections. This special means, which are filled with substances that are favored by moths, but also poisonous to them. This section has the appearance of a hook, which is convenient to hang in any furniture. This product is not mass produced and is rarely found on sale.
Lime moth will help unfavorable atmosphere for its reproduction. For example, food moths are afraid of bright light (which is why they breed inside cabinets) or humidity. As a preventive measure, you can periodically open the doors in the cabinets or take the food out to the balcony to “ventilate”. The larvae are not able to live in such conditions and die underdeveloped.
Special ones will also help anti-moth tablets. You can buy them in the department household chemicals. The principle is simple: you put a poisonous pill in a cabinet, which emits an unpleasant odor and a substance that causes the insect to die.

Reliable tool- anti-moth tablets

Folk remedies for food moths - plants:

Lavender – a popular folk remedy that has been tested for centuries. The strong smell of grass and inflorescences “scares off” moths and “drives” them away from the place where you place the bunch.
Tansy, wormwood - It also effectively repels moths with a strong aroma. The advantage of tansy is that other insects hatch along with moths: ants, spiders, beetles
Rosemary, dill – an aromatic herb that can “drive away” moths. The disadvantage of rosemary is that it quickly loses strong smell. The grass should be constantly changed, every few days.
Geranium – moths do not like the smell of geranium, but only fresh leaves or flowers

Lavender is an effective remedy for any moth

Other home remedies that can get rid of moths:

Orange peel - a good remedy that can eliminate food moths. It is worth knowing that fresh peel is effective. Therefore, you need to add aromatic citrus peel as often as possible.
Essential oil – has a strong aroma that moths simply cannot stand. It is best to use patchouli, lemongrass, rosemary or fir oil.
Vinegar - This is an effective and radical way to combat moths. This product can remove moths from the kitchen, since moths are really “afraid” of it.
Laundry soap– this product acts on the principle of household anti-moth tablets and it can “scare off” the insect.
Chestnut– for this purpose, chestnut fruits collected in September and October should be spread over all the furniture in the kitchen.

Orange peel is an effective moth repellent

How to get rid of food moths forever?

The only way to get rid of food moths is thorough check of all products that you bring into the house, as well as prevention against moths. If you purchase cereal in a store or supermarket, take the time to carefully examine the packaging. Even under a layer of polyethylene you can see the corpses of moths or larvae.

TIP: Buy only high-quality groceries famous manufacturers. As a rule, such products differ not only in taste, but also in quality.

Regularly about look at your bins, sort out the cereal, ventilate the cabinets. Healthy wash furniture outside and inside once a month with a solution of laundry soap and vinegar.

Cleaning the kitchen and washing out cabinets - effective prevention from moths

How to store dried fruits and cereals to prevent moths?

The best thing buy groceries in small quantities: a kilogram and eat it immediately. This will prevent the insects from spreading and harming your food.

Store cereals, cereals, grains and flour in plastic containers with hermetic lids or glass jars.