How do I remove the moths in my kitchen cabinets?  Cedar isn't
working, and moth balls make my food smell like chemicals.

Hello Clairel,

Thank you for your question.

The most common moths that infest kitchen cabinets are Indian meal
moths. These moths are notorious for infesting packages of food in the
warehouse or grocery store and hitching a ride in your shopping bags. 
Consumers must inspect all containers of dry food for loose flaps or
tiny holes before buying them.

This article from the Washington State University describes the
different types of moths that infest our kitchens, including
characteristics and photos of each one —- handy to know as you prepare
to get rid of these uninvited guests.
http://web.archive.org/web/20001218050000/http://coopext.cahe.wsu.edu/infopub/eb1396/eb1396.html

You are not alone in your quest to get rid of pantry moths. On the
Garden Web home disaster forum, I found a number of good ideas to get
rid of those moths in answer to the question “How can I get rid of
moths without smelly mothballs?”

“I bought some bay leaves, put them in cheesecloth, crushed them up a
little, twist ties, and placed several in pantry and cupboards. It's
remarkable the difference it's made. I still need to do the whole
clean-out project, but there will always be bay leaf sachets in my
cupboards from now on.”

“I washed down my cupboards with pinesol using only 50% water and when
I was done I closed every window in the house and took off for about 2
hours and there were no moths visible after that.”

“For the kitchen, I used the bleach spray inside my kitchen cabinets
and now they are gone. I tossed everything that wasn't canned, and I
washed down the cans. “

“I heard also that you put (unwrapped) sticks of spearmint (not
peppermint) gum on the shelves, among your food stuffs. I did that on
the other shelves and I have only occasional moths now.”

“I don't know if this is readily available in America, but most
insects can't abide tea tree oil. It is a very useful household
product and can be used to ward of cockroaches and I think moths. I
soak cotton balls in tea tree oil and put them in the cupboard. The
moths hate the smell. I also add a splash to the mop bucket when I
wash the floors and use it diluted to wipe down benches. A word of
warning - it may be natural, but tea tree oil is very poisonous. It
must be kept out of reach of children, particularly as it often does
not have child-proof caps. It is available in health food stores or
supermarkets.”

“Put some peppermint extract in a Pyrex custard cup, and place in the
cupboard. They'll drop in mid-air. Then do your clean-up,etc.”

Source: Garden Web Forum
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/disaster/msg102108156871.html
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/disaster/msg0716454118720.html
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/disaster/msg040843349706.html

On the Home and Garden TV Chat board, pantry moths are discussed: 

 “Part of the problem is the bugs that are already in a product when
you bring it home. I always freeze flour, pasta, etc. for 2 or 3 days
before I put it in my storage containers and in the pantry. This seems
to help a lot.”

 “There are special traps for those critters. Your local hardware
store probably carries them or I have also seen them in catalogs like
Miles Kimball and Gardens Alive. They are called Pantry Pest Traps.”

Source: Home and Garden TV Website
http://www.hgtv.com/HGTV/post/1,1190,4_814370,00.html

The Pantry Pest Traps are folded cupboard traps, open at the ends,
attract Indian meal moths with powerful sex pheromones, and catch them
on sticky inner surfaces. Once trapped, they cannot mate and
reproduce.
They are available for purchase online at the Gardens Alive Website.
http://www.gardensalive.com/item_display.asp?ProductNumber=8878&HOME=1

An Insect Killer “HomeDefense Indoor & Outdoor Insect Killer” claims
to control Indian Meal and Mediterranean Flour Moths although I am not
sure if it will make your food smell like chemicals.
In one of their frequently asked questions about using their product
in kitchen cabinets, they answer “Yes, it can be used inside kitchen
cabinets. Remove everything from the cabinets before spraying. Once
the product has dried, you can put the items back. There is no need to
wash the treated surfaces.”
http://www.ortho.com/content/products/faq/insectkiller.cfm#5

If the problem becomes severe and widespread, you might want to
contact a reputable pest control operator (exterminator).

I am including links to a number of good articles about moth control:

Moth Invasion
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02apr29a.cfm

Recommended Control Measures for Pantry Pests:
http://www.pantrypest.com/pantrycontrol.htm

Tips For Avoiding Store Food Pests
http://www.vvdailypress.com/home/weevil/

Get Rid Of Small Pantry Pests
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/thriftyliving/tl-pests.html


Search criteria:
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=es&querytime=Fx2WjB&q=how+to+remove+the+moths+in+my+kitchen+cabinets


I hope that you will find something here to help with your problem.

Best regards,
Bobbie7-ga

While I have not tried these remedies yet, the piece that seems to be
missing is how to get rid of the eggs and larvae that are surely there
as well.

Hi clairel,

I had pantry moths once, and they are very difficult to get rid of.
Neither cedar nor mothballs will do the trick, and there are no
recommended chemical controls. Here is the procedure that I followed.

Remove everything from the pantry. Be absolutely ruthless, and throw
out all of the food. The moths are already inside the package – sealed
or open. In some of the unopened packages that have been sitting in
the back of the pantry for a while, you might even see stringy weblike
stuff. It doesn’t matter if the package looks undamaged. They can
still be in there.

Vacuum every surface of the pantry. The eggs can be in the tiniest
cracks. If your shelves are removable, take them out to clean more
thoroughly. Then wash everything down with hot, soapy water—as hot as
you can stand. Throw a little bleach or a strong disinfectant into the
water. You must remove all of the eggs, or they will just come back.
Any cans, bottles or jars that you are not discarding should be washed
down as well.

Be sure to dispose of all food, packages, crumbs, vacuum cleaner bag,
rags, etc., in a plastic garbage bag and take it immediately outside.

I know that you probably don’t want to hear this, but you may have to
repeat this procedure more than once, if you see more moths after
you’ve cleaned everything. I think I had to do this two or three
times.

I think that one of most important long-term solutions that I came up
with was to put everything in the way of dry goods immediately into
airtight plastic containers. I bought them in all sizes and shapes,
and everything in my pantry—sugar, flour, cereal, rice,
pasta—EVERYTHING, comes out of its original packaging and goes into
the plastic container as soon as I bring it home from the grocery
store. I had this infestation about five years ago, and they have not
reappeared.

Incidentally, if you have had these beasts for a while, it wouldn’t
hurt to check through any bookshelves that you have, as they like to
hide out in books. Check also behind any pictures you have hanging on
the wall.

I remember at the time reading that these pests have become more
prevalent as the use of DDT has declined, so it looks as if they are
here to stay. I hope that this may help insure that they are not
staying in YOUR pantry, clairel. Best of luck.

Regards,

Beth

Excellent research Bobbie.  Certainly more than three stars even
accounting for the $20.

   John From Melbourne