need an exterminator

[jodi]

..or some way to get rid of these bugs! I'm not sure what they are - I have heard them referred to as "flour bugs". They are brown/gray moths that spin little webs in the packages of crackers/flour products/rice/pasta. They eat holes through the plastic and lay little worms inside (sorry to gross you all out!). They got in a package of Bisquick and it was like a little minefield of holes all through the mix - absolutely disgusting. Anyone have any ideas for dealing with these guys? We have been battling them for a few years now. I thought they were gone, but the warmer weather just brought them back. I am about to throw out every flour product in the house and start over! But even then, I have no way to know that they are not hiding somewhere, waiting to come back as soon as the flour does...

So far we are: keeping the flour in the fridge
keeping all crackers and such in Tupperware containers
I haven't gotten to sealing away the macaroni and pasta yet, and don't have nearly enough Tupperware to do so anyway.
Any ideas appreciated...thanks.

[Thrifty Ray]

Hi Jodi My son and I actually run a pest control business out of my home. I asked him your questions and he said that most likely you have indian meal moths...and that you got them from a contaminated package...(most likely that buisquik).

Unfortunately, you will need to get rid of any packages that has evidence of them...put in a trash bag, seal it and take outside. Your best bet is to get rid of any starch based packages.

Then, wash down your cupboards good with a household detergent.

Then, treat the cupboards with a synthetic pyrethrin. There are several over-the-counter sprays that contain this chemical.

This should solve your problem. Good luck.

[jodi]

Ray, thank you SO much! I will let you know how it goes...

[Fern]

i think they're called codling moths, and there are traps you can buy made especially for them! I tend to keep a whole lot of stuff in my fridge as i seem to get them in cycles, every few years or so.

in my fridge i usually have batteries and film, veggie/flower seeds as well as flour or any packaging that is less than airtight.

[jodi]

Thanks Fern! I think I will combine the methods for maximum effectiveness.

[Thrifty Ray]

Jodi- i googled "Indian Meal Moths" today and found some great sites full of info (and pictures) You might take a look there too. Best of Luck!

[jodi]

Thanks Ray. I found a great site that described the moths to a tee, so I feel as though I am definitely on the right track. I think we are going to have to throw away a ton of food...already cleaned out half the spice rack. I bought some traps today that I will put out once we get ready to mount the full attack.
I did read though that the pyrethrin should not be around food??? I will have to do some research on it to see how much of a residue it leaves and if there is any danger...we have two small kids and a puppy, so I wouldn't even want any of it to get on the carpet or outside of cupboards either.

[Thrifty Ray]

I will definately check out the pyrethrin situation with my son and get back to you. Sure don't want to give you bad advice....I will let you know as soon as I talk to him.

[Thrifty Ray]

Ok- I spoke with my expert and here is what he said:

She needs to remove ALL FOOD from the cabinets/cupboards that she will be treating. Throw away any food that has indications of pest contamination. Then, she can wash down and treat as recommended (you would treat the cracks and crevices at the wall/cupboard joints) not the entire cupboard.. Wait an hour (or until the treatment has fully dried and then she can replace her food.

If she is hesitant to do this, she can look on the do-it-yourself pest control website and they have traps (similar to a sticky fly trap) that attracts and catches the moths...but there is also and egg and larvae stage of the pest. She could check into the Eco-smart line of product, which are chemicals made from essential oils to treat the other stages.

Please let me know if you have any other questions....Good luck.

[jodi]

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. When we get a whole day to get this done, we will definitely use the traps (already bought them) and maybe the pyrethin, depending on where I can find it and for how much. This was really great of you to take the time to look into this for me and I thank you again!