Pantry Moths

If you choose to use a pesticide, read the label before you buy. Try a lower toxicity product first.

How To Get Rid Of Pantry Moths

Read on for everything you need to know about dealing with these uninvited guests.

Lauren Wicks is a freelance editor and writer who covers all-things lifestyle. Her experience working for respected brands such as VERANDA, EatingWell, and Cooking Light has helped Lauren build her expertise in a range of subjects from food and wine to luxury travel and interior design. She has more than five years of experience working in media.

If you’ve discovered unwanted insects like pantry moths in your home, we know it can be an uneasy feeling. No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal. We’ve gathered all the information you need to know about pantry moths including what they are, signs you may have an infestation, how to get rid of them if you have them, and what you can do to prevent them in the future. If you notice a moth in your pantry, we recommend acting fast so you can get the situation under control.

What Are Pantry Moths?

Pantry moths are simply the name of a type of moth that lays its eggs on common household food products such as grains, beans, flour, nuts, and even pet food. While there are several types that can be considered “pantry moths,” the Indian Meal Moth, Mediterranean Pantry Moth, White-Shouldered House Moth, and Brown House Moth are the most common types, according to MothPrevention. They are small, and spotted with flecks of brown, tan, and/or gray colors and often fly in a zig-zag pattern.

Look For Signs Of Infestation

The National Pesticide Information Center says that a telltale sign of infestation is finding an adult moth in your pantry. Females can lay up to hundreds of eggs on or around your dry goods. Their larvae are capable of chewing through cardboard boxes and plastic bags, meaning even unopened packages of food are at risk for infestation. Additionally, you may find webbing around the packaging, sticky secretions that causes your food to clump, or unusual odors in your cereal and grain products that could all be signs of pantry moth infestation.

The good news is that a pantry moth infestation is not likely an issue with your home or your housekeeping methods. It’s more probable that moths or eggs hitched a ride home from the grocery store or arrived in pet food or bird seed you purchased from the store.

How To Get Rid Of Pantry Moths

You may want to seek professional help if you have a pantry moth infestation. You can also try purchasing traps and pheromone baits from the grocery store. That’s not enough to eliminate the problem, though, unless you follow these steps:

• Inspect your pantry and toss out any infested food. The National Pest Control Center advises that the items most at risk of infestation include cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, animal food, spices, tea, chocolate, and candy.
• Clean out food storage containers with hot water and soap, and vacuum or scrub your cupboards.
• Take any trash filled with infested items outdoors as soon as you’ve edited your pantry for infested products.
• Store remaining products in air-tight, pest-proof containers.

You may want to store remaining uncontaminated items in your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below for several days to kill any eggs that may be present before placing them back in the pantry. It may also be useful to group the remaining uncontaminated items in one area of the pantry to monitor for further infestation until professional help comes to lay traps.

How To Prevent Pantry Moths

There are some simple ways to prevent infestation, especially if your household uses a lot of dry goods that come in thin cardboard boxes or single-use plastic bags. It may be worth investing in glass or thick-walled plastic storage containers to store your pantry goods in (plus, your pantry will look much more organized and aesthetically pleasing). You’ll also want to clean up any spills as soon as possible, as the pantry moths’ larvae can feed and survive on even small amounts of food hiding in a crevice or a dark corner of the floor. Finally, keep windows and door screens closed to keep moths out of your house.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to ‘The Old Farmer’s Almanac,’ “You may find larvae and pupae tucked away in door hinges, backs of door knobs, and corners of wire baskets; underneath shelves, and around the edges of jar lids, cans, and non-food items also stored in your pantry or cupboard. The larvae can chew through paper and plastic.”

Female moths can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, according to moth-prevention.com. Pantry moths are most destructive in their larval stage, so discouraging this stage will help prevent the infestation from spreading. Adult pantry moths only live for about four to seven weeks.

Pantry Moths

Pantry moths lay their eggs on stored food and grains. Finding an adult moth may be a sign that there are infested items somewhere in the home. Adult females can lay hundreds of eggs directly on or near potential food sources, and the damage is done by the larvae (tiny caterpillars). Larvae can chew through plastic bags and thin cardboard, so even unopened packages may become infested.

They attack a wide range of products, including cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, dry animal food, spices, chocolate, and candies. Indian meal moth is the most common pantry moth, but properly identifying your pest will help you target your efforts. Consider contacting your local Cooperative Extension Service for help identifying a pest.

Mothballs should not be used around food or food preparation areas. Mothballs are only allowed to be used in airtight containers. Gasses build up to kill insects that feed on natural fibers. Those gasses may pose a risk to people or pets if used improperly.

Prevention tips:

• Use older food products first and store all bulk foods in thickly walled glass or plastic containers.
• Clean up all spills, including flour and sugar. Larvae can survive on small amounts of food under cabinets and in corners.
• Transfer bulk items from plastic bags to sturdy glass or plastic containers. Pantry moth larvae can chew through plastic and Ziploc bags to access food.

Control tips:

• Identify, remove, and dispose of all infested food items. Larvae spin a web as they move and leave behind silken threads; signs of webbing or clumped grains or flour may be a sign insects are present.
• Take the interior bags out of boxes, roll them around looking for clumps or webbing. Check the corners of boxes and creases of bags.
• Remember to inspect all cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, dry animal food, spices, tea, chocolate, and candies.
• After removing all infested items, consider storing the remaining items in a large plastic tote to monitor for any eggs or larvae you may have missed.
• Use a vacuum with a crevice attachment to clean out all corners of the pantry. Wash the surfaces with warm water and soap to remove any remaining spilled food, eggs, or cocoons.
• Food items may be placed in a freezer for a week to kill any eggs or larvae that may be present.
• Larvae can travel far from food sources in order to pupate, which could create a potential for re-infestation if food is still accessible.
• Pheromone traps, or plain yellow sticky traps may be useful in monitoring the population, and identifying problem areas in the home.

Pantry Moths

• Identify your pest.. There are several beetle and moth species that infest kitchen food items. Be sure you’re targeting the right insect.
• Find and remove infested food items first. Look for food with webbing, feces, or holes poked in plastic bags.
• Food without signs of insects should be moved to airtight glass, or plastic containers.
• Remove all items from the cupboard or pantry and clean thoroughly (vacuum corners and wash with soap and water).
• Check other non-food items that may become infested. These may include animal food, birdseed, tea and dried flowers.
• Remove cocoons. Be sure to search nearby drawers, under shelf paper, and the folds of towels and paper products.
• Place infested items in the freezer for a week to kill pantry moth larvae and eggs.
• Place all new food items into glass or plastic containers in case lingering moths exist.
• Pheromone traps may be used to monitor the population and capture male moths. Plain yellow sticky traps may also be helpful.

If you choose to use a pesticide, read the label before you buy. Try a lower toxicity product first.

If you have a pesticide product in mind, have your label handy and click here for information about that product.

County Extension Offices

Through its county agents, the Cooperative Extension Service gives individuals access to the resources at land-grant universities across the nation. These universities are centers for research in many subjects, including entomology (the study of insects) and agriculture. Each county within the United States has an Extension office, which is staffed with agents who work closely with university-based Extension specialists to deliver answers to your questions about gardening, agriculture, and pest control. You can find the phone number for your local county extension office in the local government section (often marked with blue pages) of your telephone directory or by clicking on the map below.

U.S. States:

U.S. Territories:

Additional Resources:

• Indian Meal Moth – Colorado State University Extension
• Indian Meal Moth – University of Maryland Extension
• Indian Meal Moth – Clemson University
• Pantry Pests – Utah State University Extension
• Pantry Pests – UC Davis IPM
• Pantry pests: Insects found in stored food – University of Minnesota