Content
- 1 Description of food moth
- 2 What is the harm from moths
- 3 How parasites appear in the house
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4 Methods for getting rid of food moths
- 4.1 Folk remedies
- 4.2 Chemicals
- 5 Prevention of the kitchen area
- 6 Conclusion
Food moth is quite common and apartment owners have to make a lot of effort to get rid of it. But most of these attempts only temporarily help, the moth reappears soon.
To eliminate parasites forever, we suggest that you study this article, where you will find a lot of interesting and useful information about this type of insect.
You may not see, but in this photo there are many grain moth larvae.
Description of food moth
- Usually it is a small butterfly that reaches 10 mm in size. The back is most often black, less often gray with small blotches.
- Her movements are usually chaotic, flies quickly. That is why more often we just clap our hands, but do not catch the parasite.
- Usually wakes up at night, when no one is in the kitchen. If you turn on the light, the moth begins to retreat to places where it is practically impossible to reach it, and hides from the person.
- The insect lives no more than 3 weeks, usually 5-6 days.
- During its short life, the moth manages to give birth to so many offspring that it will last for several more months in advance.
Note!
It is necessary to understand that it is quite difficult to remove these parasites from the kitchen with your own hands. A thorough cleaning of the premises is required, the process of which we will describe below.
Look at the photo, study the insect in order to understand at first glance that it is a kitchen moth in front of you.
Even if you doubt the correctness of the definition of an insect, it will not hurt to carry out prevention of the premises
What is the harm from moths
In addition to the fact that this parasite often prevents us from drinking tea calmly, flying in front of our eyes, leaves traces behind it, it also spoils the food we eat. Kitchen moth can harm not only jam and honey, but also various grains, flour and tea.
She settles in dry foods and lays eggs in them. They are so small that they simply cannot be seen with the naked eye. Grain is especially terrible, which spoils all long-term products at the root.
Agree, will you eat dishes that are already spoiled in advance?
Hercules is one of the favorite birthplaces of food moths
How parasites appear in the house
Surely you are wondering where the moth comes from in the kitchen cabinet?
In fact, everything is trite and simple:
- An open window or window if you live on the first or second floor, as well as in private houses.
- Ventilation shafts, along which the mole can rise from the first floor to the ninth.
- In purchased cereals, in which larvae were deposited even before packing. They do not suffocate in vacuum packaging, but wait for the best moment for birth. And so, with the purchase of second-rate flour, a moth started up in your kitchen.
Yes, don't be surprised. Most low-quality cereals are produced in warehouses where food storage rules are not followed.
Pay attention to the packaging, there are obvious parasite larvae on it
Methods for getting rid of food moths
Now let's look at how to deal with moths in the kitchen without the help of outside special services. This instruction must be strictly followed, if you do something wrong, then the effect will be very doubtful.
Note!
You should be aware that insects can get used to and adapt to various poisons, traps and remedies, so if one method does not help, use another.
You will definitely stumble upon something that can destroy the population of food moths. Even if you have to try everything we offer.
Folk remedies
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Garlic is good for fighting the parasite. - Arrange one clove at a time in the cupboards where you have cereals and other dry foods.
Pre-cut the garlic so that the aroma emanates from it. The method is very unpleasant, since everything smells like garlic, but it is very effective.
Note!
It may be so that the moth will eat the garlic, this is due to the fact that it has adapted to the pungent smell, although this is a rare case.
- Vinegar with soapy water - a good remedy for kitchen moths. All cabinets are pre-washed with soap, thoroughly dried for 40 minutes, after which all cracks are smeared with vinegar. After that it is necessary to ventilate the room.
- How to remove kitchen moths with mint or lavender? Easy, remove spoiled food from the kitchen and put these plants in their place. The smell of mint acts on insects flawlessly. It is a pity that the parasites can only go away for a while.
Lavender helps to get rid of not only moths, but also other flying parasites
- Bay leaves or geranium flowers are also suitable for fighting moths.. In general, try to pay as much attention to floral scents as possible.
Important!
It is imperative to throw out the spoiled product completely; you should not sort out flour or cereals. Infected grains can cause indigestion, it is undesirable to save on the health of loved ones.
Chemicals
If folk methods have not helped to get rid of parasites, you should resort to "heavy artillery".
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The most common moth repellent in the kitchen is a trap. Unfortunately, it does not fight the larvae, but it effectively kills adults.
This reduces the number of new offspring. bugs in the kitchen. Such traps relieve not only moths, but also flies.
The trap does an excellent job of killing adults
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Insecticides can also be used, however, be careful, the contact of such substances on food can have serious consequences.
Therefore, it is worth resorting to this method only as a last resort. It is better to start with the weakest substances; if the moth reappears, another remedy must be used.
Now you know how to destroy parasites on your own, without overpaying for the services of sanitary organizations involved in breeding insects (see. See also article about how to get rid of bugs in the kitchen cabinet). Remember - do not focus on one method, each new generation already develops resistance to the substances that you used.
Prevention of the kitchen area
To prevent moths from appearing in the kitchen, you must follow simple truths:
- Keep the room clean, regularly take out the trash, sweep away crumbs, dust in hard-to-reach places.
Indeed, in addition to moths, there are many insects that can create discomfort in the house. - Buy only high-quality products, even if their price is higher, but there is also a guarantee of reliability and safety.
- Cover the ventilation shaft with a dense mesh so that even dust does not leak out. You can install protective nets on the windows, or tighten the window with gauze.
- Add lavender and mint scents to your kitchen regularly by spreading sprigs in the corners.
For storing bulk products, use glass jars with a sealed seal
Conclusion
As you can see, the moth is far from the most harmless insect that can live at home (see. See also article How to get rid of midges in the kitchen). And if you have children and you often feed them with cereals, then you should not joke with this question - several larvae can cause poisoning or an upset of a child's stomach.
In order to make it easier for you to get rid of moths, we have attached a video to the article, which describes the most popular methods of dealing with these insects.