If you’re looking for the best and most effective way on how to get rid of birdseed flour moths, then this article is written just for you. Flour moths can be very annoying, and they can easily ruin most grain-based food. Anyone who has bird food inside their home is always at risk for this kind of moth infestation. And even if you have the freshest top quality bird food out there, it’s still possible that you’ll encounter a flour moth problem.
But before you start getting rid of birdseed flour moths, you must be able to identify what a flour moth looks like. To preserve your grains or bird seeds, you have to control as soon as possible any moth infestation. Bear in mind that these moths can easily lay more than 400 eggs. These pests start from the egg stage, then to larvae, move to the pupae stage, and finally to an adult stage. Once it reaches the adult stage, it’s now ready to lay more eggs again.
If you see any moth drowned in your pet’s water dish, then the first thing that you need to do is to be looking for eggs, larvae, and pupae. You can find them in crevices and corners. Again, you want to make sure that you prevent these moths from laying eggs.
Getting Rid of Bird Seed Flour Moths
Detection and Elimination
As stated earlier, you want to make sure that you know how to identify flour moths and their eggs, larvae, cocoons, and pupae. Eliminating them is your priority. You can squish the larvae, put it inside the bag, and it throws it outside the trash. Using vinegar, you can also wipe the cocoons and then toss it outside the garbage disposal. You must eliminate these eggs before they hatch and turn into pupae or larvae.
You have to carefully examine the bird seeds. It’s easy to notice any webbing. If you see moth larvae that look like a worm, then you have to get rid of it the soonest time you can. However, detecting eggs can be quite difficult since they are very small. Some people use a magnifying glass to detect these eggs.
These worms usually have distinct off-white colors, and their brown heads can be easily noticed. Before turning into a cocoon, these larvae will eat as many bird seeds as they can. To avoid infestation, you must know how to control their source of food. You don’t want them to reach the cocoon stage since this is where finding them becomes more tricky.
Finding the Cocoons
If you were not able to squish the eggs or larvae, then the cocoons may have already populated the crevices and corners inside your home. You can also find them on floorboards or shelving in food storage containers. They usually hide in corners where they feel safe. Screw tops and the seal of food containers are also a great spot for them to hide. Don’t forget to also check the floorboards. Again, look for any webbing, which looks like a web that of a spider. If you notice any webbing, then the best thing that you can do is to wipe the spot or the surrounding area with vinegar.
Cleaning the Area
Cleaning the area or the pantry where you placed the bird seeds is crucial if you truly want to get rid of these birdseed flour moths. You must do this in order to prevent infestations. These following instructions should be very easy to follow.
Inspection is necessary. Always check the birdseed package, whether it’s sealed or not.
You should check the jars or containers. Don’t forget to also check the lids since it provides a safe refuge for pupae to develop. It’s also advisable that you look for any webbing.
When detecting flour moths, make sure that you don’t only check for the containers that contain bird seeds, but you should also check for any other sources of grain.
If you see any webbing, larvae, pupae, or cocoon, the best thing that you can do is to wipe the surface with vinegar.
You can also find people who are using a mixture of vinegar, water, and peppermint oil to eliminate eggs and, at the same time, repel them.
You should also do some general cleaning if you truly want to get rid of these flour mouths. You can vacuum corners, crevices, walls, ceilings, or any other areas inside your home that would invite pupae.
You can also wash down all walls, floors, and any door hinges.
Installing flour moth traps is also a good idea.
And to minimize future infestation, you can use plastic food storage containers to store the bird seeds.
As much as possible, you don’t want to use any sprays like pesticides, especially on food sources.
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Eliminating Adult Moths
Smash and trap any adults to avoid reproduction. The best way for you to get rid of adult moths is to utilize pheromone-based flour moth traps. There are many flour moth traps available in the market today, and the most common ones are glue-based boards. Of course, you also have to make sure that you check the quality of the flour moth trap. Be sure that you read reviews or check out testimonials written by people who have bought and used the flour moth trap product before.
Preventing Future Infestations
Aside from making sure that you eliminate eggs and moths, you also need to know how to properly prevent future infestation. You can do this by following these tips. You can also use bay leaves to repel moths.
Organizing Your Pantry
Any food products that are past their expiration date should be thrown away.
Smart Storage
Storing your food products properly is important if you don’t want future moth infestations. You also have to make sure that the storage of the containers is airtight. You can find bug-proof containers that prevent infestation disaster.
Practical Shopping
It’s also advisable that you only by bird seed products that you think you can use within a few weeks. You don’t want to overbuy grain products and let them expire – this invites moth infestation.
Proper Refrigeration
Another important tip that you need to keep in mind is to make sure that you keep grain products or bird seeds in the fridge.
Final Thoughts
Getting rid of bird seed flour moths is easy. Just follow these instructions, and there’s no doubt that you’ll be able to get rid of them fast and efficiently. Also, it’s smart that you ask for tips and pieces of advice from your friends, families, or fellow enthusiasts who also had a problem with birdseed flour moths but were able to find a safe and effective solution. Conducting research is very useful and helpful if you want to minimize or even eliminate these pests. Remember to always consider health and safety since there are a lot of methods out there that can be harmful to your health.
