Any clean hostess takes care of the cleanliness of the room and the safety of products. But even with a caring attitude towards your home, you can encounter the problem of reproduction of insects. Food moth attacks dry foods and, despite its short lifespan, manages to inflict irreparable harm on the supply of caring people. Therefore, as soon as at least one instance of a moth is found in the house, measures must be taken to destroy it.
The appearance of the moth
Food moth looks very similar to a night moth. The color corresponds to cereals and other products where it often lives. The insect is inconspicuous, most often gray or brown with small inclusions. Interestingly, on the wings there is pollen with a pearly sheen. Moreover, with an external examination, it is difficult to notice it. But it remains on the fingers if the mole is slammed.
Food moth is able to fly, but the trajectory of its movement is so chaotic that it is quite difficult to catch it. You can make several unsuccessful attempts at catching it and fail.
The most active insect at night. At this time of day, she is usually not bothered, and she can lead an active life. However, during the day, the moth can also be seen, but it is very careful and immediately after the appearance of a person skillfully disguises itself. In this, an inconspicuous color helps her a lot.
Despite the fact that the life cycle of a food moth is only about three weeks, it can significantly spoil the life of people in the house. During its existence, the insect brings so many offspring that it is enough to destroy an entire warehouse of products.
What's the Difference
Often housewives confuse two types of insects - food and clothes. What food moth looks like is worth knowing to correctly choose measures to combat it. Also, the distinctive features of parasites will help identify the main source of their settlement.
Wardrobe moth is not interested in food, prefers only natural fabrics and wool. It has a paler shade, closer to milk. In addition, the clothing insect is much smaller in size.
Where dwells
If food moth is started in the apartment, then all grain products are subject to inspection. The main source of its nutrition and habitat is as follows:
- rice
- buckwheat;
- beans;
- pasta;
- sugar;
- peas;
- nuts
- semolina;
- oat groats;
- cookies;
- dried fruits;
- dry food for animals;
- coffee;
- cocoa.
It is in the packages of the above products that food moth lives. It penetrates into finished products from dry substances stored in cabinets. But the main danger is not adults. Food moth larvae are most harmful. During the period of active growth, they leave feces on the products, produce cobwebs and discard flakes after rebirth. They are also able to eat their dead relatives, leaving their shells.
It is worth considering that only larvae eat cereals and other dry products. If it has become an adult, then the moth needs access to water. She now uses products only for laying new eggs.
What else unpleasant moth? The products of her life clog bags of cereals, they look pretty nasty. In addition, they are somewhat poisonous.
Where did they come from
If food moth is found in the apartment, then you should not think that the owners are unclean and do not comply with hygiene rules. Uninvited guests can be a “legacy” from the previous owners of the apartment or start up if the stocks are too large.
However, most often grocery moth gets into the house from the store. It is important to understand that unscrupulous manufacturers could neglect the rules of storage and packaging of products. In the store, sellers also make mistakes and, when carelessly stored, contribute to product contamination.
Therefore, it is important to always inspect a packet of cookies, cereals or sugar for the presence of larvae or an adult.
Moth can enter the apartment through ventilation ducts, through an open window or door. A neighbor can bring it along with a packet of cookies. Particularly favorable conditions for the movement of insects are warm, dry and calm weather.
Based on a new place, the insect searches for its favorite foods and multiplies rapidly in them. It should be noted that cellophane bags are not an obstacle for them. If necessary, they gnaw through them easily. Therefore, it is recommended to use cans or plastic cans for storing dry cereals. You can use glass.
Do not rely on cardboard packaging. For moths this is not an obstacle. If a thin cobweb appeared on the surface of the box, then the uninvited guests have already firmly established themselves in the new place. Alas, such a product is subject to liquidation.
Destroy immediately
How to get rid of food moth? It is useful to know all the housewives. Before applying radical means, you can try out the temperature method. In this case, exposure to both cold and hot temperatures is suitable:
- If there are frosts below 10 degrees on the street, packages with cereals are hung out outside the window for 2-3 days. In summer, you can use a freezer for these purposes. This method is suitable for large cereals such as beans, which can then be washed.
- Infected products can be baked in a pan or kept in the oven for 1.5 hours. The temperature can be 60 degrees. Often dried fruits are saved in this way.
Such methods will save some of the products that can be processed and only with infection not more than 20%. If the coverage area is much larger, and the mole is found in semolina, rice, flour, sugar and other similar products, then it is better to throw them away. But before purchasing a new batch of stocks, it is necessary to clean the kitchen cabinets from eggs, larvae and adults in order to avoid re-infection.
We process lockers
How to deal with food moth? This interests many clean housewives. The insect is afraid of sunlight and soap. Therefore, after some products have been thermally processed and others thrown away, a general cleaning should be carried out in the kitchen. For this, water and ordinary soap are used. It is best to use household.
It is necessary to wipe with soapy water all surfaces of the cabinets. Particular attention is paid to cracks. Larvae and insect cocoons may remain in them. Dishes and containers where cereals were stored are also processed. Next, food vinegar is used. They wipe the surfaces of the cabinets. After processing, it is necessary to ventilate the room and leave the headset doors open for 2-3 hours.
Special traps
A trap for food moths is useful for controlling insects. It is a small pyramid with access from two sides. Inside is a special coating with pheromone. The principle of the trap is that the males are attracted to the smell, they fly on it and stick. Thus, you can get rid of them and their further reproduction. The population is dying out.
However, it should be noted that the trap, although it has a lot of advantages, still has a significant drawback. The smell of pheromone is so strong and attracts moths that it can fly off from the apartments of all neighbors. Therefore, when using it, it is better to keep windows and doors closed.
Stop breeding
To help get rid of food moth in the kitchen, ordinary sticky tapes, which are often used to catch flies, will help. The method significantly reduces the population of adults, gradually reducing it is not there.
You can also use glue traps, which operate on a similar principle. Their advantage is more convenient use and the ability to stick horizontally and vertically. It is recommended that such traps be placed inside cabinets on shelves, on the walls and ceiling.
Chemical industry products
In stores you can find a variety of drugs aimed at combating food and clothes moths. The remedy for food moth can be divided into repellents and insecticides:
- Repellents. Means that only repel insects. Produced on a plant basis.
- Insecticides. Drugs that completely eliminate parasites. They include a poisonous component.
Choose a drug
The most famous, popular and effective means of the chemical industry:
- The Raptor. Aerosol is sprayed on kitchen surfaces. Validity is at least one year. Safe for humans. It is aimed at the destruction of both adults and larvae.
- Armol. Instant aerosol against adult bloodworms. It has a prolonged effect on the larvae. The effect of spraying lasts up to six months.
- "Combat". Able to destroy eggs, larvae and butterflies. Aerosol easily penetrates into cracks and nooks. The range of action is significantly expanded due to the possibility of falling into the narrowest slots. For people and animals is completely safe.
It should be understood that such products are used away from food. This means that before processing the cabinets all bags with cereals are removed. Otherwise, if an aerosol gets into them, then the food becomes poisonous and can cause significant harm to health.
Additional features
You can use different methods to get rid of food moth. In addition to aerosols, other forms of drugs are on sale. Most commonly used:
- cassettes "Zitol", "Phytocide" and "Arsenal";
- plates "Prayer";
- Antimol tablets.
Such products are laid out inside kitchen cabinets and significantly deter insects. Food moth steadily bypasses such premises.
Grandma's methods
If the hostess is not satisfied with the drugs that are offered in the store, you can use folk remedies for food moths. Our grandmothers knew well how to deal with this scourge, because the stocks used to be quite large. The essence of all folk methods comes down to rather sharp smells that the moth does not tolerate:
- Lavender. The aroma of lavender does not tolerate any moth, whether it is food or clothes. Plant extract has been successfully used in industrial products. You can simply lay out fresh flowers in lockers, as our grandmothers did. But there is a simpler way. An extract of flowers is applied to cotton swabs and laid out inside the kitchen set. You can sew small pads by filling them with a dried plant.
- Citrus. They have a rather pungent odor that discourages adults. Peel and peel of lemon or orange should be laid out around the perimeter of the cabinets and regularly update it. You can also use essential oil and a swab dipped in it.
- Garlic. In the container where the cereal is stored, you can put a couple of cloves. This method reliably repels moles, but is not suitable for sugar, coffee and other products that absorb odors. Can be used in cereals.
- Bay leaf. A simple and reliable way. Inside the cabinets are laid out sheets of laurel. You can put them inside a container with grits.
- Aromatic oil. There are so many odors that repel moles. The most reliable ones are Ledum, basil, geranium, tansy, cloves, rosemary.
- In the country house you can use wormwood. The plant is simply laid out inside food boxes.
- Camphor oil will not only allow you to get rid of the moth, but also will not let it get closer to your home.
Preventative measures
In order not to wonder how to get rid of food moths, it is better to completely prevent its appearance. To do this, regularly carry out preventive measures:
- In the kitchen to maintain order. Wipe the inside with vinegar.
- For the moth, the musty and stagnant air is favorable. Therefore, it is necessary to ventilate the home more often.
- It is recommended that you check the packaging at the store. It is better if it is transparent, it is easier to see what's inside. If infected cereal is found at home, it is best to throw it away.
- It is better to store food in tightly closed jars.
- In cabinets use bags with aromatic herbs. For humans, it is completely safe, but for insects it is quite unpleasant.
- All ventilation ducts must be covered with a net or grill with small holes so that insects do not get from neighbors.
- Do not make global stocks of cereals. If infection occurs with their moths, then everything will have to be thrown out.
- So that the moth does not start up in the tank, you can use the military method. It is necessary to thoroughly clean an ordinary nail and put it in a jar before pouring cereal.
Thanks to prevention, you can prevent the appearance of moths and protect products from infection.