Don't wait till you have a pest problem to clean, re-organize and de-clutter your kitchen shelves. It's a lot easier to clean with less clutter. But if you ever open a kitchen cupboard door and a little brown moth flutters out, as happened to me this winter, here's what to do.
The first moth, I caught and ignored. But when I saw more...a quick internet search told me my kitchen had an Indian Moth infestation.The larvae infest grain products. Then they chew their way out of packaging and fly out to lay more eggs...they even followed the light to the family room at night, where I was watching TV.
I'd avoided my favorite brand of candy bar for years after a boy told me a probably untrue story about someone biting into a maggot-infested one. The idea that Indian moths may have been in or on our food made me feel sick.
I got to work and threw out anything that wasn't in an unopened tin or hadn't been stored in the refrigerator or freezer. This meant discarding a lot of food.
I resolved never to buy more than one--okay, no more than two, types of cereal at a time. But cereal was not the culprit.
It was an unopened bag of basmati rice, in which I could see silk strands. Ugh! These insects chew their way in and out of packages and get through the tiniest little cracks and openings. They're not easy to see, and you might not even notice them until you spot the moths.
If you see them in your kitchen:
- Discard cereals, rice, other grains, pastas, crackers, dry pet foods that have not been stored in sealed containers, immediately.
- Wash out every cupboard.
- Sanitize every dish, pot and tin in a dishwasher if possible.
- Replaced all shelf liners.
- Store any new grain items you buy in closed containers.
- If you find an insect pest like the Indian moth larvae in an unopened package and have proof of purchase, take it back to the retailer and show them so they can check their in-store stock.
I'd read in the paper about a rice shortage and so I wasn't surprised when I saw that the grocery store shelf wasn't well-stocked with rice. But when I picked up one of the smaller remaining bags of brown rice, a small brown moth fluttered up onto the underside of the shelf.
The store had an Indian moth problem. I didn't buy the rice. Later, at a big-box pet store, I saw Indian moths fluttering in the dry dog food aisle. I didn't buy there, either.
Though I have been super-careful for months, last week I was really discouraged to see a small moth, wings folded so it looked like a little stick, clinging to the kitchen ceiling. I know I will eventually get rid of these insects entirely, but it isn't easy.
Some Prevention Tips:
- Don't stock up on grain or cereal products than you can't use immediately, or have room to store in the fridge or freezer.
- Inspect clear bags of grain products before you put them in your grocery cart.
- Store bulk grain products, including bird seed and dry dog food, in tightly closed glass jars or tins with very tight lids.
- Open shelving in kitchens should be used to store dishes, serving platters, pots and pans and utensils. Food items kept on open shelvess should be stored in closed jars or metal containers.
Emergency Food Supply Storage:
The Red Cross and other agencies offering advice for emergency preparedness says families should keep a supply of food and bottled water for emergency situations. Remember that insects like the common and prevalent Indian moth can chew through cardboard and plastic bags.
- Buy food in cans like soups, beans, juices. Keep a non-electric can opener on hand for emergency situations.
- Periodically inspect and rotate supplies to first use up those with expiring best-before dates and replenish when necessary.
- Keep bagged or boxed dry milk powder and rice in the fridge or freezer if possible. Or store in cannisters with tight lids in a cool dry place.
- If you find an insect pest like the Indian moth larvae in a package from the store, take it back to the retailer and show them so they can check their in-store stock.
- Dispose of contaminated foodstuffs immediately.
- Vaccum shelves (I used a Shop Vac with a disposable bag.)
- Get a ladder and vaccum on top of cupboards as well as in them.
- Clean well with soapy water.
- If the top of the cupboards are sticky, use a product designed to easily remove kitchen grease. Wear gloves.
- Wipe down shelves regularly.
- Keep the doors to food cupboards closed.
- Close food containers tightly. Train your children to do so as well.
I didn't use pesticides and eventually got rid of the moths. Catching and killing any moth I saw, fastidious vaccuming and cleaning of the kitchen, and proper food storage worked for me.
- Pesticides are said to be ineffective on the moths and possibly dangerous to your health.
- You can buy moth-catching strips infused with hormones, but these apparently only attract the male moths not the egg-laying females.
