Food moths settle easily in cupboards and quickly contaminate food. These little insects can quickly become invasive in the kitchen. How to get rid of them effectively and prevent their return? Discover simple and natural solutions to sustainably eliminate food moths.
The food moth, also called the flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), is a small butterfly that easily settles in kitchen cupboards. It lays its eggs in dry products such as flour, pasta, rice, cereals or even dried fruits, which it quickly contaminates. Once established, it can become difficult to eliminate, especially since a single clutch can contain up to 300 eggs. Despite a short lifespan, its reproductive capacity makes it a tenacious pest. It is therefore essential to act quickly to eliminate food moths and prevent their proliferation.
Food moths are easily spotted as adults since they take the form of a small butterfly about 2 to 3 cm large and fly away when you open cupboards or food boxes. This is what it looks like at this stage of its life cycle:
Food moths can be more difficult to spot when they appear as larva. It will then be necessary to pay particular attention to possible lumps in flour or even holes in plastic packaging particularly fine. This is also how they end up in closed packages. We can also find small cocoons in a corner of the cupboard or directly on a package. This is what the larvae and cocoons look like:
But where do food moths come from? Most of the time, food moths are already present in the foods you buy at the supermarket. All it takes is for a larva or cocoon to be stuck on the packaging for the colonization of your kitchen to begin. Process without delay any package on which you find larvae, cocoons, moths or simply filaments like cobwebs in your food. Note that moths can particularly be present in bulk food supermarkets, because the food is less protected. It is therefore better to turn to a store that respects storage protocols as best as possible. You can also place your dry goods from the bulk sections in the freezer for 24 hours before storing them to avoid contamination.
Food moths can also directly settling in your home when you store your food incorrectly. It is therefore advisable to favor tightly closed containers and place the food in a cool, dry storage location to avoid any proliferation.
Are food moths dangerous?
First of all, rest assured, food moths do not represent no danger for the human being. They are not not toxic. If you have accidentally ingested it, especially the larvae, don’t panic on board, it will simply be a protein supplement in your daily diet.
Can you eat flour, sugar or rice that has moths?
Since moths are not toxic to humans, you can choose to consume flour, rice, or any other food that has been contaminated by food moths. This is also why, if it doesn’t disgust you too much, you can pass through a sieve all possibly infested dry products instead of throwing them in the trash, especially if there are many of them. You will avoid the mess!
You are now convinced that your kitchen is being invaded by moths and you are wondering what to do? Not a second to lose: prepare the elbow grease and a good dose of patience, and let’s go!
- To begin with, throw away all packaging from the infested area and sieve the products if you do not want to put them in the trash.
- Clean thoroughly your cupboards using white vinegar or real Marseille soap. Don’t forget the tops of cupboards where cocoons may have lodged away from any commotion.
- Bet on the strong smells which will disturb the moths and prevent them from returning, like essential oils (lemongrass, cloves, peppermint, etc.) soaked in a cotton ball or in baking soda, sprigs of lavender or even cinnamon sticks.
- Store all your dry foodstuffs in glass jars and airtight containers which moths cannot reach under any circumstances.
- Make sure that no crumbs are left around your home, especially during this disinfestation period: also store sandwich bread and leftover baguettes in a bread box.
- Also know that food moths cannot tolerate the cold : if you can, place the jars of flour, pasta and other semolina in a a slightly cool part of your house or even in the refrigerator if you have enough space. If you suspect a packet of cereal of being invaded by larvae for example, place it in the freezer for 24 hours to ensure that the larvae do not hatch.
Effective natural food moth repellents
Whether you want to get rid of them permanently or prevent them from returning to your cupboards, you can count on effective products and tips from grandmothers:
- white vinegar
- Marseille soap
- essential oils
- sprigs of lavender
- cinnamon sticks
Essential oils to use against moths
To keep moths away from your cupboards, you can count on essential oils which will be a natural moth repellent. Among the essences that work, we find:
- lemongrass essential oil,
- clove essential oil,
- peppermint essential oil,
- lavender essential oil.
To use it, soak a cotton pad in oil and place it in your cupboards or near sensitive foodstuffs. Be sure to renew the cotton regularly so that the smell persists and remains effective.
What food moth traps to install?
Finally, to prevent food moths from reappearing in your kitchen, and you from reliving this nightmare, you can always opt for natural and effective moth traps for several weeks like pheromone traps which will attract (and kill) male insects, or even trichogram diffusersthese micro-insects harmless to us, which feast on moth eggs and then disappear naturally once the food moths are eradicated.
