Prevent Pantry Moths- Pests

Pantry Pest infestations are most likely to occur in packages (grains, seeds, nuts, cereals, flour, dried pet foods, pet treats, etc that have been opened and unsealed for long periods.

Prevent future infestations of pantry moths by investing in some air-tight jars fitting jars. Place exposed items and bulk items like grains, seeds, cereals and nuts in these jars. For those that purchase organic grains; this is particularly important. The organic grains do not have insecticides on them to had killed the store product pests. Zip Loc bags are not effective the long term.

Certain pantry pests need only small amounts of food to live and breed. Periodic cleaning of the shelves helps to prevent infestation of stored food products by pantry pests.

Do not mix old and new lots of foodstuffs. If the old material is infested, the pest will quickly invade the new.

Broken packages should not be purchased, or should be exchanged for unbroken packages when discovered. There is a greater chance of a broken package that is infested, than for a perfectly sealed one.

If you are unsure about an item being infested, place it in a Ziploc plastic bag. If you find the pantry pest accumulating in the bag, you know the foodstuff is contaminated and needs to be discarded. To insure any item is pest free, store it in these clear bags for at least a month. Sometimes it takes even longer for adults to emerge.

Some of the pests may find their way into other food packages, but even those in a single package may become so numerous that large numbers may find their way into every suitable material in the home, and will eventually crawl over floors, climb walls, and gather about windows.

Clean old containers before filling them with fresh food. They may be contaminated and cause a new infestation. Make sure that cabinets and storage units are tight and can be cleaned easily.

Keep storage units dry. This is important because moisture favors the development of pantry pests; dryness discourages the pantry pest development.

Some pantry insects breed in the nests of rodents and insects and may migrate from these into homes. Eliminate any nests found in or near the home. Pantry pests can also breed in rodent baits. Frequently check and discard infested rodent baits.