How to get rid of pantry moths in the kitchen | Non-toxic

How to get rid of pantry moths in the kitchen

When pantry moths get into the kitchen, they rarely stay put in one cupboard. You might see them fluttering near the ceiling, resting on a wall or tucked into a cabinet across the room from where they hatched. Clearing them means finding the food they are breeding in, cleaning the spots they hide in and trapping the adults, all without toxic sprays around where you cook.

Why they spread through the kitchen

Pantry moths start in one bag of dry food, but they do not stay there. When the larvae are ready to pupate, they leave the food and crawl up walls, into cabinet corners and along the tops of doorframes to spin their cocoons. That is why you spot moths and webbing far from the pantry. The adults that emerge then lay their eggs on whatever open food they can reach, moving the problem from one cupboard to the next. Finding the original food source is the key to stopping the cycle. (More on the how and why: How to get rid of moths when you can't find the source and Do pantry moth traps work?)

The non-toxic fix for your kitchen

Start where you have seen the moths and work outward, checking the open bags and boxes of dry food nearby for webbing, clumping or larvae. Throw out anything infested. Check the cupboards on either side too, since the larvae travel. Freeze sealed staples that look clean, but you are unsure about for a week to kill any eggs you cannot see. Vacuum the cabinets, shelf corners and the wall and ceiling edges where larvae crawl to pupate. Wipe the cleared surfaces with a vinegar-and-water solution, then spray them with Six Feet Under, which will also drop any moths you catch flying. Hang Pantry Moth Traps to catch the adult males and break the breeding cycle. Once the surfaces are dry, puff Dust to Dust in a thin, even layer into the cabinet seams with the Insect Buster as a lasting barrier.

Clear the kitchen step by step

• Start at the sighting: check the open dry goods nearby and the next cupboard over, tossing anything infested.
• Freeze the maybes: freeze clean-looking staples you are unsure about for a week as a precaution.
• Clean the surfaces: vacuum the corners and edges, wipe with a vinegar-and-water solution, then spray with Six Feet Under.
• Trap the adults: hang Pantry Moth Traps to catch the males and stop new eggs.
• Seal and protect: store dry goods in airtight glass or metal and dust the seams with Dust to Dust.

Related: How to get rid of Indian meal moths and How to get rid of pantry moths in dog food.

Shop non-toxic pantry moth control → browse the full Pantry moth collection.