For what it's worth, pantry moths can get through the seal on a closed Ikea Slom jar, apparently rather easily.

...try opening and eating half a granola bar, then opening the wrapper all the way to find the other half has become a moth larvae nest. AHHHHHHH! So, they can also got into *sealed* packages. I just went through my whole pantry and tossed out everything I hadn't used in the past 6 months or so (not spices, just flours & mixes). Most of my local markets (Sprouts, Mother's, Henry's) sell several flours in bulk, so now I just buy what I need for the baking project. I also keep some white flour in the fridge just in case.

They look like harmless moths, but don't be fooled! We had a horrible problem with them a couple of years ago. They were able to get into some pretty amazing places! We lost the majority of the dry food storage in our pantry. It took a while to get rid of them, but we were diligent about killing them anytime we saw one. One trick we used was setting out small dishes with a little olive oil in them. They were attracted to the oil, but would get stuck when they landed on it.

Moths are such a pain to get rid off!
Anytime you purchase any grain or flour, keep it in the freezer overnight. Then put everything in canisters or glass jars.
mAlice- I have a hard time believing pantry moths can get through glass jars unless the item was already contaminated.

I ended up throwing out pounds and pounds of infected food a couple of months ago. They liked the nuts the most, so check those too.

Plastic bags won't do the trick. And I've found the "freeze your incoming food" idea to be an inaccurate old wives' tale -- and I'm an old wife.

Glass. Jars.

I spent most of my life in So. California where this sort of infestation is very common.

Glass. Jars.

Did I mention -- Glass jars with screw on lids are the only sure thing.

They get inside of nuts and lay eggs. Just a heads up so you don't eat half a handful of nuts only to find out there are eggs inside of them.

I also have been keeping everything I can in sealed glass jars to at least contain the infestation since I find there are already eggs inside new sealed packages of pantry items and not enough room in my freezer.

I used to have so much trouble with pantry moths! I've been 95% effective in keeping them out by storing all my grains, flours and nuts in the fridge. We have also drastically cut back on processed snack foods in our house so there is rarely more than one package of crackers or other grainy products around to attract or hatch new moths. I also store all my pasta in glass jars so I can see and evidence of bugs and get rid of it right away. I just started The Cure from Kitch and after cleaning out my pantry this week was sooo excited not to have found any moth ridden food!

I had pantry moths and also had a hard time getting rid of them until I found the culprit. A bunch of wild sage I picked from a relative's yard on vacation. It was so old it was more like a souvenir than a spice!

I have bay leaves taped to the inside top of my food storage containers as well as to the walls of my pantry. I had a leftover cluster of dried lavender from my yard that I hung up in the pantry because, why not?

I had this same problem - Last winter during the cure I had to throw away hundreds of dollars worth of gluten-free flours because everything was infested. Moths can chew through paper and plastic snack wrappers, but they can't get through hard plastics or glass. I moved everything over to large glass and plastic jars and, and haven't had a problem since. Occasionally you might find some moths in a jar, but that just means they came home from the store already in the flour (yuck!). The jars really help keep the infestation from spreading. A worthwhile investment, IMHO!

I have also found them in sealed glass jars. Including a sealed jar of instant coffee I was keeping in the back of my cupboard for the occasional baking and hadn't opened since well before the infestation. How on Earth they got through into the jar, I will never understand.

They are very attracted to the sticky fly traps that you hang from a ceiling. If you just got a batch of them hatched and they're everywhere, hang a fly trap and most of them will be caught within a few hours.

this has been very upsetting to the whole family! one minute everything is fine, and then all of a sudden there is a major moth infection! they are so discrete, you do not even notice until they are out of control! ive never even heard of this sort of thing! and it is not easy to deal with, it is sooo gross! i pray that this thourough cleaning and disinfecting (using lysol wipes) job we are doing will get rid of them for good! be sure to check all new purchased food boxes and products prior to stocking them and throw out ALL cardboard! they love to hide in there! good luck everyone!! glass containers and bay leaves - we are ordering NOW! LOL (be sure to check spice cabinet too!)

Hi,
I was infested with pantry moths from dog treats in pantry. I was completely consumed with these repulsive pests. I finally know what to tell people to get rid of them.
You have to throw away every single item whether package was open or not. I any housewares are in pantry you must inspect every inch and scrub it. The shelving walls and every crevice has to be spray and wiped down with white vinegar. Last you must place lavender packets (trader joes sells them) on shelving and floor. I for the first time have found them dead on the floor and hopefully after 4 days of being completely consumed and feeling like I was going crazy there is a light at the end of the tunnel. good luck!

Sometimes you can see pantry moths in grocery stores. When I do, I do not both with that grocery store again.
I've even had them in my spices. So sad to toss the whole lot, but even worse to eat what my family calls "high protein food".

I had a gross moth infestation about 6 months ago and basically threw out everything and started putting any kind of grain in tight canisters or in my fridge/freezer. My roommate leaves her pasta and pancake mix in the cabinets, and after not having seen ANY moths for several months, we've recently started getting them again. I looked through my roommate's food and didn't really see anything, but now I'm getting scared about something else: my spice collection. When my first bad moth infestation happened, I checked all my spices, put most in the fridge, and everything seemed okay. Are there any spices in particular I might find them in? I don't know how they would even get into the jars, though!

HELP!!

I have found a huge part of the infestation is my electric mixers. There are larvea all through them, into the mechanics of them what do I do??? I don't want to throw them away, but I can't wash the inner mechanics!

I had a horrible problem with pantry moths in the fall last year, cleaned out all my cabinets and threw everything except the can foods out. Then the beginning of March they started coming back.I never found any sign of them in my cabinets but cleaned them out thoroughly and I still have them. I have bought the moth traps and they do catch some of them but they do not get rid of them totally/ They are driveing me crazy.Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of them totally. I have everything in glass jars or in the freezer.
I have even found some flying upstairs in my house. When I see them usually on my kitchen ceiling I kill them so they can't multiply any more but it seems like it doesn't make any difference the more I kill the more that come. I need help quick.

I am so confused as now I have read several articles on these pesky disgusting bugs. I just started cleaning my cabinet where I see them most often my food pantry. I threw out my cereals, which are not in that caninet but had them in closed bags......now one site said that they get into glass jars and even tupperware. Yet, they say to put food into airtight containers. Isn't tupperware airtight and what then classifies as airtight and what is the best thing to put food into. I am on a 300 a month food budget and cannot afford to throw out food. I will try the thorough cleaning and bay leaves, and I am anal about always cleaning my kitchen anyway. I need to rid myself of these things so I do not have to worry about what I am eating and then gagging after seeing them dead in the food I am eating.

I had these and had a hard time getting rid of them until I cleaned out the cupboards with Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray... I even found them cocooning on my bag of bay leaves (which is supposed to repel them???). The spray really really worked!! I mean I still have some of the moths flying around the house- but I haven't had a single one go back in the pantry after I used the spray. I just put out a couple of the moth traps to kill the rest, and happily I am now PANTRY MOTH FREE!!!!! I haven't seen one in days. So here is the formula:
Clean everything and go through foodstuff
Wash down all surfaces with Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray
Set out a pantry moth trap near affected area.

GOOD LUCK these things suck.

OK I saw a couple in the bathroom and on my ceiling so I guess they can live outside the kitchen... I sprayed the pantry moth spray every place I saw them and put out a pantry moth trap in the den. I haven't had them in the kitchen since I used the Aunt Norma's spray but I guess they can hide other places too. I think they sell it at Wholefoods now not sure or you can use soap and water or if you aren't afraid of the harder stuff the drugstore Aunt & Roach killer might get them too.

I have a pet parrot, all her food is kept in the freezer. I have been dealing with this damn bugs for years. They get worse with the heat of summer. I have killed millions of them with the moth traps but don't know how to get rid of them forever. I have tried to heat up her seed before feeding her thinking I could kill the eggs since freezer them didn't seem to work. I have washed things down. They are now everywhere and I am appalled and beyond knowing what to do.

I was fed up with my moth problem; I can't use chemicals (nor would I want to) because of my pets, and simply cleaning wasn't doing the trick at all, so I hunted and hunted for a solution.. What I found is a parasitic wasp called Trichogramma that is almost impossible to detect in your home (full-grown, they are about the size of a small grain of sand) which implants it's larvae in the eggs of pantry moths (along with appx 200 other species of insect). They are quite inexpensive (I paid $12.50 USD for 15 thousand larval wasps) and have been used in agricultural applications for many years with great success. Within a week, my moth population is way down. I was catching well over a hundred each day (I have birds as well as cats; it is almost impossible for me to keep my home as clean as is needed to rid an infestation) and now I tend to see only one or two flying about a night. Adding these wasps to your other cleaning habits (I would suggest releasing them every other week for 2-3, even 6 months, just to be sure you haven't missed a breeding cycle) works wonders, and when the food supply runs out (new moth eggs) they die. They do not infest if moths are not present. Please give them a try before introducing chemicals into your home. You won't be sorry.

Pantry moths thrive here in Portland, with some years thriving more than others. This seems to be a banner year for the moths. I am in a war here. I had them about 8 years ago and was able to get rid of them. Here's how. Throw out all food ...or despite a couple of comments here, scientifically, you can freeze food and the moths and larvae will die. Freeze all food in bags, boxes, pouches, spices, sugar, bulk foods for 10 days, take out for 5 days, then freeze again for another 10 days. Get rid of all fruits and veggies on the counters. You need a sterile kitchen. While the food is freezing you must pretend you have ADD or are on the Meths and OBSESSIVELY DETAIL clean everything in your pantry and kitchen. Wash all walls, ceiling, woodwork, nooks, appliances, crannies and crevasses with hot soapy water followed by a mild bleach water rinse. All utensils, all pots and pans. You need to get rid of any moth larvae, crumbs, dust, anything. Wash all jars, bottles, cans with hot soapy water and bleach rinse. Then while everything is still freezing buy moth traps. These are either a cylinder w/ glue strips (my preferred ones - available on the internet) or little cardboard paper triangles with glue strips. Both have a powerful moth pheromone that attracts moths into a fluttery glue trap death. They work and they are non-toxic. Keep them out of the pantry to keep moths from laying larvae back in your panty. I place mine next to the closed cupboards (which also serves as my pantry) and above the stove on a shelf. Warning, you may need to do the cleaning/freezing thing a couple of times. Or just have a nervous breakdown and call a pest control company.

hi monkeybuttorama. i have moths but have been finding that the worms appear out of no where on my ceiling. Have done everything to get rid of them! Is it possible to get an infestation of the wasps? This sounds interesting, how does it work.

Use Aunt Norma's PAntry moth spray with a pantry moth trap and you'll be moth-free. I always give this advice- the combo is the only thing I've found to work and best part if the pantry moth spray is non-toxic so is safe to use around the kitchen... good luck!

We had pantry moths for about four months before we even knew what they were. My wife went online and was pretty much in attack mode trying to figure out how to get rid of them. She pretty much tried everything and nothing much worked, it was becoming more than just a problem. I went online, found your post and got the "Aunt Norma's Pantry Moth Spray." It worked. I can't thank you enough for the tip. We have our kitchen back.

I read all the posts and thank you all for writing. I got a lot of good suggestions. I'm not sure if I brought home boxed food from Catskills & I infected my kitchen or I carried larvae home on my clothing but I saw one burrowed into a banana on my counter. That was the beginning of the end. It was getting really weird. I'm living in an apartment in NYC for 34 years & never have I had a moth problem. A few weeks ago, being so disgusted, I took down all the food & threw out a ton; flour, tea. I have fly paper hanging in all the rooms. I saw one in my bedroom one night & the fly paper got him. This weekend I am going to start from top to bottom & move & wipe down drawers & cabinets, shelves, walls, molding, floor. It has been a little better but the fresh fly paper in the kitchen is still catching a few every day.
Thank you again for all your creative suggestions.

We had these last year (in our home). We had them for at least a year until we couldn't stand it any more. All we did was empty the food pantry. Clean the food pantry with ordinary soap an/or windex type products. As we restocked the cabinet, we carefully examined each item paying particular attention to nuts, flower and cereals. We found a couple offenders and discarded them. IMPORTANT> as we restocked cereals etc, we placed each into ziplock bags. Items that sit longer like flower, we double bagged. Since then, every product we unseal, we repack in ziplock bags or tupperwear or both.
The moths are gone.

I wonder if this is a problem that is common in certain regions? I usually try to buy locally milled grains and local store brand staples. When I lived in the temperate Upper Midwest (hot, cold, damp), I never had a problem with bugs in my grains. Then I spent a few years in the South 9hot, damp) and tossed oats, flour, crackers, cornmeal, pasta, rice and beans on a regular basis. Now I'm in the Dakota territory (warm, cool, dry); no bugs yet.

For what it's worth, my gracious Southern neighbor lady suggested putting a stick of Doublemint gum in the containers. I tried that--yes, it worked wonderfully, but there is a lingering aroma of mint on everything which can be either interesting (in chocolate cake) or just plain weird (on fried chicken).

I'll try the bay leaves.

Agree with TomJV.

I had a grain moth infestation that began (I estimate) four or five months ago. It was probably from a few eggs brought home accidentally from loose flour bought at a local food store. (Not doing that again.) But it was defeated fairly easily, through being systematic.

Your most potent weapon is large ziplock bags. Go out and buy 50-100 of them.

You must set up a system of quarantine on almost all of your foodstuffs. Things that are in cans are safe. Be paranoid about pretty much everything else. Do not assume that the moths don't like X, and don't assume that they can't get into any given container. Ziplock bags are the exception. They will not be able to break into them, and (just as importantly) they will not be able to break OUT of them.

Pull all foods out of your cupboard. Everything. Place everything into a pile in the middle of the kitchen. Vacuum and wash the cupboards, but don't expect to get everything in them; you probably won't. There are most likely some eggs and grubs in cracks and crannies in the cupboard. Don't stress too much about that. You're not trying to defeat them using open warfare; this is a siege that will take place across several breeding cycles.

Systematically inspect every item of food, and either chuck it in the trash if it looks infected/compromised (preferably inside a sealed bag), or place it inside a ziplock bag and return it to the cupboard. You don't have to throw all your food away just out of paranoia; you can keep it and see if anything seems to be happening inside it after several weeks. Again, do not make assumptions; bag up EVERYTHING that is not a tin can.

Over the course of the next few weeks, it's likely that you'll see moths flying around the kitchen. This is to be expected. Already-fed grubs from before the quarantine period will eventually develop into moths. You may also discover grubs or nymphs crawling around. Kill any of these whenever you see them. But it isn't vital that you kill anything on the loose. The key thing is to shut off the possibility that NEW eggs are laid close to an accessible source of food for the moths.

In short: if they can't feed, they can't breed.

Continue to use your food; every time you go to use any given item, perform a quick inspection to see if anything is alive in there. If it is, reseal and chuck out the infected food, inside the ziplock bag. If not, use the food, but make darned sure you seal it up well again afterwards. In addition, blow any grains or crumbs off the seal after closing the bag.

Over the course of the next six to eight weeks, unless you've missed something, the frequency of moths seen in your house will fall away and eventually be at zero. When you've seen nothing at all for a couple of months, you have most likely won the siege.

We've been dealing with the moths for 3 months. Most days, we find one or two in the traps but some days they are more frequent :( I was so surprised to read on line that even after being in the freezer for several days, larvae can come back to life once they warm up again.. I emptied a pantry where we do not keep much food, just one box of cereal and an unopened box of Bisquick. Neither had any signs of moths but were thrown away to be safe. I wiped the entire pantry down with vinegar and sprayed with peppermint oil. THEN, I painted the entire inside. Still I find them now and then. They are a tenacious breed..