Safer Pantry Moth Traps- Not Up To Big Problems
By Joan Young on
We were tormented for a few years by Pantry Moths, and although these work, they are inadequate for a real infestation.
Pantry, or Grain Moths, or Indian Meal Moths can be a horrible problem once they get a foothold in your kitchen.After decades of never having any, about five years ago we got hit hard, and suddenly were finding them in every sort of grain product in the house.Many products could be sealed better, but my big issue is that we have an old Hoosier Cabinet with a flour bin that Ive used all my life.And I was not willing to give up using it.But, of course, it is open to the air and easy access for the moths.
So we kept working hard at cleaning the bin out and removing the larvae and webs (this job is a real pain), but also needed to find a product that would kill any moths that were flying around.The Safer Pantry Moth Traps were recommended to me as the only thing that would work well on these pests.
Each box contains two traps.A trap consists of a piece of cardboard which you fold into a triangular tube so that it can sit in any convenient location near where the moths are.The inside of this tube is sticky.Then you open a sealed packet and put the non-toxic lure, which is treated with pheremones (scents that lure the moths) on the sticky surface.The moths are attracted, stick to the surface and die. They are easy to dispose of: just pop the whole thing in the trash. Let me be the first to say that they do work well.
However, because of the way the moths are killed, when the surface is covered the trap is, obviously, full and you cant catch any more moths in it.And heres where I became disappointed.The two traps did not have nearly enough surface area to make a real dent in our problem, and at $7.50 a box I just couldnt afford to continue this treatment.
If you think you see any of these moths around your house, this product would probably eliminate them before you developed a real problem.If you are already in serious trouble, I guess you can decide if you are willing to spend the money on these.
We did finally get the moths under control.How you ask?It aint pretty but it works.... plain old flypaper. (I just try to remember to take it down if we have company coming)
:) I HAD these little pests once, and they were hell to get rid of! It feels creepy knowing they're invading your flour, and cornmeal, and God knows what else! I didn't realize there was a specific product for these moths. I wonder why they made it so small? But, thank goodness for good ol' fly paper!
I had this problem too. They not only were in the food items but also had made cocoons in things that were stored in other cabinets like water bottles and dishes. You are so right they are hard to get rid of. We threw all food items out and hand washed everything before we even started treatments. We finally put moth balls in old socks and stored them deep in the cabinets with no food and they did not come back.
A home we bought had a terrible infestation of these destructive critters. We finally used Safer and added bay leaves too. It took time but we finally got rid of them all.
Nice to know it's a non-toxic solution so that it's safe to use around food, which seems to be where these critters like to hang out. Glad it's under control for you now.
Even though your initial treatment with this product was not enough to rid you of your problem I am glad that you found a way to do it. That must have been awful!
LOL...flypaper works great! I never knew that is what those pesky creatures were called. I think you telling us how a product didn't work well is great advice. I will keep my flypaper handy if I ever get these bad boys. I will also remember your advice to remove the strip before company comes around!
My father-in-law had a real infestation of these moths too. Of course, nothing was sealed good in his cabinet. I had to throw most everything out and then clean out all the webs, etc. After that the traps work well but I can see where they probably would not work well with a really bad infestation.
This is great information to know. I don't have this type of problem. Mine is ants. Thanks for sharing this honest information.
Thankfully I have not had this problem yet. I will definitely remember your suggestions when and if I do ever get these moths.
Sounds much better than the moth balls i currently use, which I have to be very careful with. I'll give these a try. Thanks!