Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

The kitchen is an easy place to attract "uninvited guests", including moths. If your kitchen has been invaded by these insects, this article will show you how to get rid of them.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Examination

1. 

   Look for adult moths or larvae. Adult moths are usually gray and a little red or white, about 1.3 cm long. The larvae are usually about 1.3 cm long and look like a worm with 5 pairs of legs.
   • The simplest way to spot kitchen moths is to actually see an adult moth flying around the kitchen. This phenomenon usually occurs more at night than during the day.
   • If you suspect that moths are invading your kitchen, check all dry food in your kitchen. Moths often hide in flour, grain, rice and other nuts. In addition, you should also check pet food, dried fruit, and other dried foods. In general, everything should be tested.
   • Check both the corners and edges of the cupboards and counters.

2. 

   
   
   Search for networks and cocoons. Examine in the corners and along the inside edges of the lint or grain block.
   • The lattice created by moths is not usually present in food. However, when examining the food, if you find that what you suspect is the moth's web, treat them similarly to the moth web.
   • Examine the mouth of the jar and its container. Moths have the ability to spin webs in jars and containers.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 4: Cleaning

1. 

   
   
   Eliminate everything in the kitchen. To clean the kitchen, you need to completely remove everything.

2. 

   Throw out contaminated food. Throw out any food that shows obvious signs of contamination by moths.
   • Opened seed bags or dry food shows no signs of contamination, but if you are concerned, throw them away or keep them in the freezer for about a week. Low temperatures will destroy moth eggs that you cannot detect with the naked eye. However, be careful not to do so if adult larvae or moths are found.

3. 

   
   
   Vacuum the kitchen. Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose and angle nozzle to vacuum up walls, baseboards, and corners around the kitchen or cupboard.
   • Clean under shelf pads. Turn the old pad and vacuum under it. If the pad is not straight, replace it with a new one.
   • Focus on areas with webs, larvae, or adult moths, but need to vacuum the entire kitchen, including iron shelves, mesh shelves, and key holes in the cupboard.

4. 

   Clean the kitchen with soap and hot water. Use a dishwasher or sponge to scrub walls, floors, doors, and shelves on the kitchen counter or cupboard.
   • Be sure to scrub both the hinges and door shutters as these are the most common larval hiding places.
   • In addition, you should scrub under the shelf pad or shelf inside the shelf.

5. 

   Using a cloth or paper towel dipped in bleach to clean your kitchen cabinet before you scrub it with hot soapy water can help increase the effectiveness of this method. Carefully open the door to the room if you are cleaning with bleach.

6. 

   Wash old containers with hot soapy water. If you have a plastic food container in your kitchen, use a dishwasher or hot water and soap to wash it off.
   • This is essential if the container comes into direct contact with the moth. Or even if there are no moths inside, it's better to take out the contents temporarily and wash the can away. This step will also help you examine more closely for signs of moths in food.

7. 

   Dry everything. Before you put everything back on the counter, use a clean dishcloth or paper towel to dry the inside of the cupboard.
   • In addition, you should also thoroughly dry the food container before you put the food in it and put it in the kitchen cabinet or cupboard.
   • Moths thrive in humid conditions, so keeping things dry is an important step in getting rid of these insects.

8. 

   Take out the trash. Vacuum bags and any trash bags containing contaminated food should be removed from the kitchen and out immediately.
   • If possible, keep the bag on the curb or away from your wall.
   advertisement

Part 3 of 4: Organic methods to kill moths

1. 

   Scrub everything with vinegar. A safe way to disinfect indoor spaces and prevent moths from returning is to wipe all kitchen surfaces with white vinegar.
   • If you don't want to clean your entire kitchen or cabinet, at least scrub the area that has been contaminated by moths or larvae.
   • In addition, you should also scrub contaminated food containers with white vinegar.
   • Certain essential oils, including peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and tea tree oil can increase the cleansing effect. Place a few drops of essential oil in a vinegar spray and spray on surfaces before rubbing.

2. 

   Place laurel leaves in the kitchen. Spread laurel leaves all over your kitchen and inside food containers that are susceptible to moths.
   • Place laurel leaves in corner of the kitchen or cupboard. Alternatively, you can stick the leaf on the wall or under the cabinet.
   • Place a bay leaf directly in the bin, rice, and other dry foods. Laurel leaves do not affect the quality of food, but as a precaution, you can stick laurel leaves inside the lid of the barrel and still achieve the desired effect.
   • Note that there is no solid scientific evidence to support this practice. But there is also no solid evidence to deny the effectiveness of this method. This may just be "folk therapy" but is something many people seem to agree with.
   advertisement

Part 4 of 4: Chemical methods to destroy moths

1. 

   Set the moth trap glue. Commercial traps have a pheromone (animal fluids secreted to attract mates) that attracts kitchen invaders. Use double-sided tape to attach the non-stick side of the traps to the inside of the kitchen wall or cabinet.
   • If moth infestation is severe, you will need more than one glue trap.
   • The glue inside the trap contains Pheromones that attract moths and other insects. The attracted male moth flies in, sticks to the glue, and dies. As a result, moth breeding is significantly reduced.
   • Peel the paper on the trap to reveal the sticky side. If you don't want to use double-sided tape, you can create a traps shape into a box or circle by wrapping it around and sticking the ends together. The box can then be hung on the hook.
   • The glue trap will last 4-6 weeks, but you will need to replace it before this time if the glue is full of moth's carcasses.

2. 

   Spray the cracks and crevices with insecticide. Before re-adding food to the kitchen, you should spray insecticide at "crevices and cracks" around the inside of the kitchen space.
   • These insecticides usually have nozzles. Place the nozzle in the slot or crack for about 1 second in each position and repeat as needed.
   • If the insecticide leaves behind white residue, simply wipe it off with a wet dishcloth or sponge.
   advertisement

Advice

• Moths often cling to ceilings and walls. Smashing them to death leaves a mess. Every time moths enter your home, you can spray Windex on them. You can even smash moths as they float in the air.
• Do not buy food packages that are torn or opened. Packages in this condition are often prone to contain kitchen invasive moth eggs.
• Store food in airtight plastic containers. To prevent moths from entering later and prevent them from contaminating your food, keep all grains and other foods in an airtight container. If using a plastic bag, only use a bag that can be sealed and use two bags at a time. Do not close / tie the top of the bag with a clip / elastic band.
• Freeze dried food for about 1 week. In the event of an accidental purchase of the moth eggs, freezing the food for about a week can effectively help kill the eggs. At this stage, the eggs become harmless and barely discernible to the naked eye.

Warning

• Be cautious when using insecticides and poisons in the kitchen. Careless use can cause toxins to seep into food, causing more problems than helping to solve problems and even a serious threat to health.

What you need

• Garbage bag
• Vacuum cleaner
• Dishwasher, towel or sponge
• Soap for washing dishes
• Hot water
• White vinegar
• Oil
• Laurel leaves
• Moth trap glue
• Insecticide spray at cracks and cracks