I put this in Cafe Society since it’s food-related. Hope that’s correct. Anyway…
We just discovered an infestation of pantry moth larvae. We found the specific food they were hatching in (packet of seasoning for dip) but we threw out all other dried goods anyway. I think now I will use the cupboards primarily for canned goods, trying to keep anything else in the fridge or freezer. (I was already keeping my whole wheat flour in the freezer, so I guess I will do that with the rest of the flour too.) Also, perhaps being influenced by the “Extreme Couponing” show, I had some foods that I stockpiled while on sale. No more. From now on, I will pay full price if necessary, and just keep enough food on hand that I can use up soon.
However, I only have so much room in the fridge & freezer, so I’m looking into alternative solutions for other things I may have to keep in cupboards. I have read that containers with airtight seals are a necessity (like jars with a silicone ring) because these moths can get into any container that isn’t completely airtight. So, does anyone have any recommendations on a good brand of airtight container to hold, for example, cereal, pasta, or dried beans (or maybe even things like cocoa powder or baking soda)?
I was looking into Oxo Pop containers, which had mostly good reviews at the Container Store website, until I saw one review which said bugs had still gotten in - but maybe that person’s food had bugs in it already? Who knows, but it made me too nervous to buy it.
Are glass containers preferable to hard plastic? Can anyone recommend a specific brand, or any features to look for? I have heard some good things about the “Click Clack” brand, but can anyone here comment?
Also, is there anyone here who had a pantry moth infestation that was able to clear it up once and for all? The things I’ve read on the internet about how hard they are to get rid of have made me despair that maybe they will always be a problem. I am insanely afraid of all kinds of insects, and I am uncomfortable being in my own kitchen right now because I am so afraid of finding another moth larva.
I’ve heard the recommendation to freeze grains/flour for a while first, then store in a sealed container at room temp - this should kill off anything that might develop into adult insects. Unfortunately I’m not sure how long it needs to be frozen (a day? a week?) but Googling should give you some ideas.
The big Oxo containers are impressive but pricey. I’d think any of the containers with rubber/silicone rings would work fine, though I wonder about the longevity of the plastic snap-down hinges on some.
Ooh, ooh, yes I’ve cleaned up an infestation. I tossed out everything dry, except for a couple of spice/mix packets and the spices I had in jars. Threw out all the drawer liners and wiped out the drawers and cabinets with something disinfecting/strong. Perhaps Formula 409? Used a stiff brush to get into corners and crevices.
There are certain staples I don’t store in the cupboards at all now, grits among them, and I never shopped again at the store where I think I got the infested items.
I’ve had one larva since in a box of pasta, and it looked long dead: I think it came that way.
Don’t overlook weird things like dried mushrooms.
I haven’t gone the route of sticking everything in sealed jars, even though it’s the recommended way. However, the things I do that way are just in Rubbermaid or Tupperware, nothing exotic.
QVC sells a brand called Lock & Lock that has a silicone seal around the inside of the lid. They have every shape and size you can think of and they aren’t all that expensive, especially the sets. I have a bunch of square and round containers as well as counter bins for flour and sugar, and after one of the most humidly disgusting summer/early falls I can think of my sugar isn’t even clumpy.
About moths: I used to get the little #%&$ every year but since I started putting all my dry goods into the containers I haven’t had any trouble in my pantry cupboards, but this year I got them in the cupboard where I keep snacks just in the bags. It looks like the seal is good enough to keep the bugs out.
I’ve gotten rid of them. The only way that has really worked has been throwing out everything they could possibly be in. And sometimes that doesn’t even work - the worst infestation I had was from birdseed I had in the attached garage. I hadn’t realized they were coming from there, and threw out everything in the pantry a few times, and the KEPT COMING BACK. I was confounded, until I found the infested birdseed. Now even birdseed is kept in sealed containers.
But that is my advice - to really get rid of them, just throw everything they could possibly be in out. Otherwise you’ll be chasing them for months.
I ended up keeping things in mason jars. They’re cheap, and the buggies can’t get through.
These things saved us from a flour beetle invasion, and more than once I have brought home something and failed to put it in a modular mate and found it infested with moths. If I put things in the modular mates though, no bugs!!!
I love these things. Don’t get the squares though - it’s too difficult to get them sealed and the covers warp in the dishwasher. No trouble with the ovals, though, in the 7 years I have had them.
ETA: Athena is right that glass jars are also very very good for keeping out bugs.
Nine pages of positive reviews, not one negative comment (other than someone who had a problem putting them in a dishwasher) and even some positive comments on their ability to keep out bugs. I added one of each size to my shopping cart just to see how they would add up, and that comes out to about 50 bucks, which isn’t too bad. I could start with one of each, then see how they work and which sizes I may need more of.
But, I haven’t bought anything yet. I’m still open to more suggestions.
I’m hoping that with the combination of keeping most dry goods in the fridge or freezer, not stockpiling food anymore, and using airtight containers for those things that can’t fit in the freezer, I will have some hope of being rid of these things. If nothing else, by not stockpiling then I won’t have as much waste if I have to throw everything out again.
I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of water and bleach in all the food-containing cabinets, and also wiped with hot soapy water. Today we are going to put out some pheromone traps to catch any stragglers.
I know it’s been a while, but I just wanted to follow-up. I took ugly ripe tomato’s suggestion of Lock & Lock, and I now think they are the greatest product ever. I wasn’t sure what sizes would be best, so I got a few “variety packs” or whatever you’d call them. I now use them for everything - I even found uses for some of the more unusual sizes that I wasn’t sure about. I keep dry goods in the bigger ones, and also use them to store leftovers in the fridge/freezer. The small ones are good for packing lunches, or dividing up small portions of leftovers for freezing.
I also got some of those glass jars I previously mentioned, from the Container store. Those work very well too, although for these I need to empty the product out of its packaging into the jar, whereas for Lock & Lock I can just fit the whole package in. But I can see myself using both for different purposes.
Knock wood, I haven’t had a return of the pantry moths. I threw out everything in my pantry, and when I restocked, everything went in an airtight container. Flour now stays permanently in the freezer, and other dry goods stay there for a few days after I bring them home. So far, so good.
And if I might be allowed a little shameless plug, I made a YouTube video showing what products I use for which purposes, and which sizes are best, in the hopes that it may help others: - YouTube
We’ve gone to the thick, durable tupperware for a lot of our dry goods, although infestations haven’t been a problem in the new house.
In our old house in Euless, we had a problem with Confused Flour Beetles getting into our pasta and such - eating through any paper or foil-lined bags - after we unintentionally invited them into our home when we bought a bag of Purina Rabbit Chow that was infested.
We don’t buy our chow from that feed store any more.
I also use Lock and Lock, but, really, any reasonably thick plastic or glass or metal container is going to keep bugs out. It doesn’t need to be airtight, even. Moths are quite a lot bigger than air. It just needs to be well-fitting and thick enough to not get chewed through.
If you get moths inside any such container, it’s either because they snuck in while you left it open or because the stuff inside already had eggs when you put it in the container. It’s not like they’re quantum tunneling through the container seal.
