Moths (flour, cocoa, fruit and others). These small brown-beige insects They happily settle in food warehouses, shops and other places where groceries are collected.

They are also attracted by the extensive food supplies in the apartments. Adult insects are not dangerous, life cycle butterflies are very short. And here caterpillars live longer (up to one and a half weeks) and are amazingly voracious.

It is they who cause the main harm to products, not only by eating them, but also by leaving excrement, skin particles and other inclusions harmful to human health.

Caterpillars are whitish, with dark spots on the head. Insects prefer secluded dark corners; you can find them by sorting through food supplies.

Where to look for pests?

Food moth and its larvae live in places where food products are concentrated: pantries, cupboards, chests. eat a variety of foods: cereals, whole and crushed grains, flour, pasta, dried fruits, cookies, crackers, cereals, sugar, cocoa, tea, bread, various spices.

There is a clear preference for dry products. Insects easily penetrate into any unsealed packaging, from cardboard boxes to plastic bags.

You can spot pests by sorting through your groceries. In boxes and jars of food, naked white caterpillars, small nests with worms, and silky threads of cocoons that resemble cobwebs are found.

ADVICE! If you find foreign inclusions in one of the products, you need to review all the packages nearby. Most likely, pests will be found there too.

Moth larvae and eggs enter the house along with contaminated products. A weak insect cannot fly into an apartment from the street. Once a butterfly enters the house, it begins to multiply quickly.

Features of wrestling

Clothes moths can be killed using toxic repellents and other potent agents. It’s more difficult with food pests. It is forbidden to treat cereals and flour with pesticides, use a food-grade moth repellent near kitchen surfaces, dishes and household heating devices also undesirable.

This is why universal preparations for indoor moths, skin beetles and other pests are not suitable. Then how to deal with kitchen moths?

In shops you need to look for products designed to destroy food pests specifically.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen?

The most important thing is to get rid of the emerging larvae in time. First, the affected products are sorted out. If too many pests are found in grocery bags, it is better to destroy the affected cereals or flour. The remaining products are poured into clean containers.

The interior of cabinets, shelves and doors are treated with non-toxic preparations from food moths. These can be aerosols or gels, diluted in the proportion indicated on the package. Instead of ready-made repellents can be used water solution bite. It is used to coat the grooves of drawers, door hinges and other secluded places.

Placed next to product packaging special traps for food moths that attract insects.

The most common and effective option – Aeroxon traps. They contain non-toxic, pest-killing substances and are not dangerous for food, children or pets.

Adult butterflies can be destroyed using adhesive fly tape. It is placed inside cabinets and hung next to them. This simple measure will help prevent the appearance of new insects.

Preventive measures

Having destroyed an existing moth, it is important to do everything to prevent it from appearing in the apartment again.

Do not buy bulk products in markets and dubious retail outlets , especially if they are sold suspiciously cheap. There is a high risk of purchasing contaminated and unedible cereals, flour or nuts. Give preference to products in sealed packaging with a normal expiration date.

Don't stockpile strategic foodstuffs. The more cereals and pasta in the pantry, the more favorable conditions created for moths. It is better to pour the products into containers with tight-fitting lids.

Freshly purchased bags of cereal or nuts can be placed in the freezer for 6-10 hours. Freezing kills existing insects. After the procedure, the cereal must be sorted and poured into clean, dry containers.

Every housewife takes care of preserving food in her kitchen. But as soon as you give in, a dangerous enemy will appear in your kitchen cabinets - food moths. This harmful insect settles in cereals, flour, dried fruits, bread, making the products unfit for consumption and multiplying rapidly. If you notice food moths within your apartment, immediately start fighting it, and we will help you with this.

Food moth: who is it and how is it different from the usual one?

The food moth looks like a small moth up to 10 mm in size. Its color is inconspicuous, usually gray with splashes or brown with stripes. The pollen on the wings has a pearlescent sheen, but you can only see it on your palms after you swat the insect.

This is what a food moth looks like

The moth moves through the air, and its flight path is so chaotic that it is very difficult to catch it. Surely you have encountered this: a long run around the kitchen and other rooms, and loud “applause” for this flying scourge. Yes, it is almost impossible to destroy a moth with your hands - it is too fast and resourceful. The moth's activity time is night, when the insect can move freely and unhindered around the room. As soon as you notice her, she tries to fly away or hide in an inaccessible place.

Food moths do not live long, from several days to 3 weeks. But in this short period, the adult will produce so many offspring that the food in your kitchen will be in serious danger.

And this is a clothes moth. Don't get confused!

If you find moths in the kitchen, immediately check the following products:

• pasta;
• buckwheat;
• nuts;
• peas;
• sugar;
• semolina;
• oatmeal;
• coffee;
• cocoa;
• beans;
• cookie;
• pet food;
• dried fruits.

It is here that the moth settles in the first place, and from here it gets into ready-made dishes. The greatest harm is caused not by the adult, but by the larvae. During the growth period, they eat dry foods, leaving cobwebs, feces, skins that appear after rebirth, and their dead “brothers”. All these consequences of life activity not only look unpleasant, but also, to a certain extent, poison the food.

Reasons for appearance

A package of cereal contaminated with food moths: larvae and cobwebs are visible inside

In addition, nothing prevents moths from entering your territory on their own, through a window, door or ventilation holes. Warm, dry weather is especially conducive to such travel.

In a new place, the moth looks for products that are attractive to itself and penetrates them, even gnawing through cellophane bags if necessary.

Cardboard packaging is not at all a serious obstacle for our heroine. If you find thin cobwebs and light yellow worms in your food, this is the first sign of infection.

Please note: only larvae that hatch from eggs are responsible for spoiling and eating your food. Adult moths drink only water and sit on food only for the purpose of laying eggs.

Let's start destruction

If you do find moths appearing in the kitchen, first try applying temperature to it.

Such methods are only suitable if no more than 20% of your products are contaminated. And it is not a fact that eggs or moth larvae will not remain in cereals processed and sifted in this way. Therefore, it is better, nevertheless, to throw away the affected products and start cleaning the premises from insects and their offspring before going to the store for new supplies of cereals.

Household moth control products

The first thing to do is to do some general cleaning; moths are afraid of light and soap.

Open all kitchen cabinets and wipe down thoroughly soap solution all surfaces. Do this especially carefully in corners and crevices where insect cocoons may be stored. Wash with laundry soap all utensils in which contaminated products were stored.

Wipe all surfaces with vinegar kitchen cabinets. Leave the kitchen to ventilate for a couple of hours.

Place special pheromone traps around the kitchen in the form of oblong pyramids open on both sides. At the bottom of such a trap there is a bait with a pheromone that attracts adult male moths. Moths adhere tightly to the surface and pose no danger. The population gradually declines until it dies completely.

Pheromone glue trap for food moths

Note! Such traps have many advantages, but there is also a significant drawback: pheromones can lure moths from all over the area. To prevent this from happening, tightly close the windows and doors in the room where the trap is used.

Hang it in the rooms adhesive tapes against insects, which are used in the fight against flies. This method will help you significantly reduce the number of adult moths. The same principle applies to sticky traps that are attached to flat surfaces. They can be placed on the walls and doors of cabinets where you notice the most moths.

There are many chemicals available to control food moths. They are divided into:

• insecticides - liquidation agents containing substances that poison insects;
• repellents are plant-based products that repel insects.

The most popular chemical products for this purpose are Raptor for moths, Armol and Combat aerosol.

1. "Raptor" moth protection is used against adult moths and larvae. It can be sprayed onto any surface, including kitchen furniture. The effective action lasts up to 12 months.
2. The Armol aerosol has an immediate effect against butterflies and a prolonged effect against larvae. Effective action - up to 6 months.
3. Aerosol Combat destroys moths at any stage of development - from eggs to adults. Easily penetrates into any cracks and joints, which increases the range of action of the product. In addition, this aerosol is safe for animals and people.

These products should be used away from food products, that is, before processing, take them out of the kitchen and return them after 1-2 days. In addition, all dry bulk products long-term storage must be in tightly closed jars or containers. Otherwise, after contact with chemicals, the products become hazardous to health and unsuitable for food.

In addition to the above products, there are also Dezmol and Antimol tablets, Fitocid, Gela, Arsenal, Zitol cassettes, and Prayer plates. You can place these products on or under cabinets, and food moths will avoid your kitchen.

Folk remedies

If for some reason you don't trust modern achievements chemical industry, take advantage of the advice of our grandmothers. Food moths do not tolerate strong odors, and they can become your ally in the fight against insect pests.

1. The smell of lavender. It cannot be tolerated by any moth, so lavender has long been used both in its natural form and in the manufacture of chemical products. You can put a few drops of lavender oil on cotton swabs and place them in the corners of the cabinets, or you can put small bouquets fresh flowers lavender.

   Store lavender in your kitchen cabinets

2. Citrus. Lemon and orange peels or essential oils these fruits in the corners of kitchen cabinets will easily drive away the adults.

   Use orange and lemon peels or their essential oils

3. Place a few cloves of garlic in containers where you store cereals. A pungent odor will repel moths from food. Garlic will not affect the taste and smell of cereal.

   Place the garlic cloves in the food container

4. Place around the perimeter of the kitchen cabinet bay leaves. They can also be added to containers with foods that attract moths.

   Place bay leaves on kitchen cabinet shelves

5. The spicy smells of plants such as basil, fir, geranium, cloves, tansy, rosemary, and wild rosemary also perfectly repel food moths. Apply to cotton swabs aroma oils with these odors and place them where you store foods that are attractive to moths.

   Moths cannot tolerate spicy, bright odors, so essential oils of flowers will help you

   Walnut leaves

6. Proven remedy - natural camphor and essential camphor oil. This smell will prevent moths from approaching food cabinets.
7. Place tobacco leaves in drawers and cabinets: moths find the smell of tobacco unpleasant. If there is a smoker in your family, his bad habit can be turned into a benefit. After cleaning the kitchen cabinets, you need to thoroughly “smoke” them from the inside with cigarette smoke. But fresh tobacco leaves are still much more effective.

   Dry tobacco leaves

Prevention

As you know, it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later. Therefore, adhere to certain rules so that one day you do not find unpleasant flying neighbors in the kitchen.

This way you can prevent moths from appearing in your apartment, or prevent their reproduction at the very initial stage.

Video “Ways to combat food moths”

We hope our tips will help you not only get rid of food moths in your home, but also prevent them from appearing. Remember that prevention is the most important measure to prevent any troubles. Share with us in the comments your methods of getting rid of food moths. Good luck and comfort to your home!

How to get rid of moths in your house forever professional and folk remedies will be discussed in this article, because moths can sometimes appear even in the cleanest house.

Moths can ruin clothes and food, so it is imperative to get rid of them. However, to do this, you need to determine what type of moth you will have to fight. In this article you will learn how to get rid of it quickly at home from different types moths and what methods and means to use for this.

Where do moths come from in an apartment and house?

Most often moth in the apartment and appears at home when she has something to eat:

• Clothes moths may appear in the house after purchasing fur or woolen items. They most likely contained moth larvae, which had already turned into insects at home.
• Also, clothes moths can be brought into the house with furniture, especially not new ones. Pets can also bring moth larvae into the home on their fur, although this is extremely rare.
• Food moths appear in the house with food. Most often it starts in cereals, which was not hermetically sealed or flour. Moths can move to you from your neighbors through the ventilation system.

Species living in residential areas

It doesn’t matter where the moth came from in an apartment or house, it is important to get rid of it as quickly as possible, before it has time to ruin natural carpets, fur coats, clothes and even the upholstery of the sofa. Most often, the following types of moths appear in an apartment:

Fur (wool) is a gray-yellow butterfly with small black dots on its wings. She lives in wardrobes. Where are clothes stored? She can even chew through plastic bag to get to fur products. If there is no fur in the house, she can eat books, pillow feathers and felt.

Furniture. A yellowish butterfly with a golden tint on the wings. Settles in upholstered furniture and eats furniture fabric, can sometimes damage furs and woolen products.

Clothes.

A butterfly with yellow wings, sometimes they can be purple. Loves dark ones wardrobes. Eats any clothing indiscriminately.

Food (grain, fruit). A small butterfly with speckled gray or brown striped wings. It eats food (cereals, legumes, tea, flour, nuts, sugar), leaving in them traces of its vital activity, particles of skin, and caterpillar husks. Such products are no longer suitable for consumption. Eating them can cause poisoning.

Wax moth.

She lives in bee hives and causes a lot of damage. But the tincture on its larvae is very useful.

Important! The adult moth does not cause damage because it has no mouth and cannot eat or digest food. She simply lays eggs, from which hungry caterpillars emerge.

What to do if moths appear in the apartment

To quickly get rid of moths forever an integrated approach is needed.

1. Having discovered a moth, it is necessary to inspect the entire room. Moths rarely settle in a house alone. If she appeared in the kitchen, go through all the products, especially cereals. Also inspect cabinets and textiles throughout the house.
2. Having found a nest of larvae, it must be destroyed using a vacuum cleaner. Next, this place is washed with a sponge and water with the addition of detergent with chlorine.
3. If there are moths in the closet, shake out all the clothes, including synthetics.
4. It is better to wash all clothes in hot water with powder. Large wool sweaters can be placed in freezer for a few hours. Not a single larva will survive such a procedure. Clean outer clothing with a brush, Special attention It is worth paying attention to folds, pockets, and lining. If you have a steam generator, use it on heavy jackets, fur coats and coats.
5. Do some general cleaning. Wash curtains, carpets, curtains, rugs and blankets. If there are items that cannot be washed, take them outside in sunny weather so that they can be exposed to direct sunlight for several hours. This procedure will kill all the larvae.
6. The kitchen will also need a thorough cleaning. Affected cereals, dried fruits and nuts should be thrown away. All cabinets, containers and hard to reach places wipe with a solution of chlorine or vinegar.

These steps will help you find and destroy moth nests. However, this is not enough, since one undetected larva is capable of reproducing at a rapid pace.

Watch the video! How to get rid of moths in an apartment

How to get rid of house moths - household (clothes, fur coats, furniture)

To combat moths, you can use pesticides and traditional methods. Of course, it is better to give preference to folk remedies that will not harm the residents of the house, but will help get rid of the insect.

Important! Before using any moth repellent, you first need to do a general cleaning of the apartment, ventilate well and wash all cabinets, clean carpets and upholstered furniture, books, pillows, blankets. It is better to take your outerwear to the dry cleaner.

Folk remedies:

How to get rid of moths in the kitchen - food (grain, fruit)?

It is impossible to fight food moths with chemicals, since we are talking about food products and kitchen processing, where food is prepared for all family members. In this case, it is necessary to resort to traditional methods of fighting moths:

How to get rid of moth larvae?

1. Remove all clothing from the maggot-infested closet.
2. Thoroughly vacuum the entire cabinet, especially paying attention to the corners and shelves.
3. Wash the shelves and the entire closet hot water with the addition of laundry soap.
4. Spray a special anti-moth spray.
5. Wash clothes in hot water. It's better to do this in washing machine, setting at least 50 degrees and wash for at least 30 minutes. Place clothes that cannot be washed in hot water in a bag and put them in the freezer for a day. Then take it out and wash it in water at an acceptable temperature.

Watch the video! How to get rid of moths using folk remedies

Professional methods of fighting moths

There are household chemical insecticides, which quickly and effectively fight moths.

Aerosols

Such products in the form of sprays are sold in special cans, which must be used strictly according to the instructions. The poison is spread into closets and hard-to-reach areas of carpets and furniture. The treatment is carried out wearing a respiratory mask. Close all vents, windows and doors. There should be no people or animals in the room for several hours. After the specified time, everything is washed well, and the clothes are washed thoroughly. Aerosols help fight adults and larvae. The most popular aerosols:

• Dichlorvos - intended for treating exclusively hard surfaces.
• Antimol is one of the most effective anti-moth remedies.
• Armol - this product can be used to treat textiles.
• Raptor - kills adults and larvae, safe for humans.

Important! Many aerosols are prohibited for use in the kitchen.

Sprays such as Clean House, Morimol, Foxide, Maskitol, etc. are also effective.

Fumigator

A fumigator is a device that is plugged into an outlet. It heats special plates or insecticidal liquid, which begin to release into the air special components that kill insects. A fumigator is considered safer for people than an aerosol. Most often, manufacturers offer insecticides in different forms, so everyone chooses for themselves which product to use.

The fumigator has small area lesions, but it is convenient to use to get rid of moths in the closet. This kills all the larvae and eliminates the need to wash all the clothes.

Pheromone traps

Traps are considered the safest and most effective chemical means of moth control.

The traps are a small piece of cardboard that emits the scent of the female moth's pheramones.

The male flies to this smell and sticks to the cardboard. Since no one else can reproduce, the life cycle ends.

Advice! It is recommended to use only one trap per room, as excessive odor disorients males.

Plates

The plates are also made from a small piece of cardboard or organic material, which are impregnated with special insecticides against moths. Such plates are usually placed in a closet or bedside tables. These products are considered the most durable, as they last for several months.

The most popular and effective means getting rid of moths and larvae. However, before using chemicals, it is recommended to try traditional methods of combating this insect.

Preventing moths

In order not to fight moths later, it is necessary to take preventive measures.

• Install Mosquito nets on all vents, windows and ventilation outlets.
• Do not forget to regularly ventilate the room and use fragrances.
• Store tea, cereals and nuts in glass jars which are tightly closed with lids. Buy only fresh food nutrition.
• It is better to store clothes in sealed bags or covers. It should always be clean and ironed.
• From time to time it is necessary to sort through all the things in the wardrobe, clean the closets and wipe them with soapy water.
• For preventive purposes, you can use aerosols, plates and adhesive tapes against moths.
• Don't forget about folk remedies, use orange peel, lavender and herbs.

Observing simple methods prevention, you will never know what a moth is. But if an insect does enter your apartment, start fighting it immediately so that it does not spoil your favorite things.

Many people encounter an uninvited guest in the kitchen - moths. Getting rid of it is quite difficult, especially if you have no experience in this matter. The main difficulty is that the insect larvae are located in dry bulk products, and the adult flies wherever it wants. Where do moths come from and how to get rid of them 100%?

Where do moths come from in the kitchen and how to get rid of them?

The principle of combating kitchen moths should combine the following actions:

• complete liquidation of affected stocks;
• destruction of flying moths;
• treatment kitchen furniture.

We can immediately conclude that in order to eliminate the harmful insect, it will be necessary to develop a whole range of measures. It is worth noting that it is simply impossible to withdraw it with one action.

Check the products in the store; they should not contain even a hint of moth larvae or cobwebs. Check the expiration date and general form products.

Very often, when housewives see moths in the kitchen, they begin to wonder whether where did she come from. There is no need to guess - moths always enter the house with affected products from the store. These are mainly cereals, sugar, and less often pasta. Kitchen moths cannot simply fly in from the street; they multiply and spread through larvae. More often, products that have expired and have not been treated for pests are susceptible to damage.

The basis for the fight against moths is constant preventive measures And competent organization storage of products, rather than one-time destruction.

What does a food moth look like from a photo?

The food moth looks like a small butterfly, about 1 cm in size. The color is inconspicuous so that it can be easily hidden in products, from gray to brown tint with various inclusions.

What does food moth look like - in the photo

How long does a food kitchen moth live? Its lifespan is on average about three to four weeks, during which time it manages to lay a huge number of larvae.

Organization of food storage

As already noted, moths enter the house with spoiled food in the form of larvae, and only then turn into insects that fly. To combat it, you should follow the following rules and recommendations.

• Be sure to look through all food supplies in the cabinets. If any signs of cobwebs, larvae or adult insects are found, the entire stock should be destroyed. You should not buy a huge amount of food in reserve. The maggots may not appear during storage, but if an affected batch is received, the entire stock may be damaged and will have to be thrown out.
• It is better to purchase quality, proven products brands. It's better to pay a little more than just throw everything away.
• When purchasing, you should carefully consider the packaging of the product. The slightest hint of cobwebs or lumps should be a signal that you should not purchase such products.
• After destroying contaminated food, it is imperative to clean the kitchen. Very often, moths begin to multiply further in food spilled on the floor or table.
• When searching for moth breeding sites, you should check every package, especially in the pantry. It is in such forgotten and nondescript packages that the main breeding ground for moths may be located.

It is worth noting that the name “kitchen moth” is a collective name for several species of butterflies belonging to the moth family. At home, the granary or flour moth is mainly found. Distinctive feature the first individual is the presence light stripe on brown wings.

Treating kitchen furniture against food moths

Such an event is simply necessary to destroy the larvae. After all, before the pupation process, they leave the food and spread throughout the entire territory. They can be found on walls, furniture doors and so on. For treatment, you can use various aerosols and means to kill ants and cockroaches. Today you can buy and special means specifically against food moths and their larvae. Before treating furniture with chemicals and some time after, carry out wet cleaning.

After poisoning once, you should not hope that the insect will disappear. The emergence of larvae from food occurs at different times, and they can reappear in the kitchen within a couple of days. There are drugs that have a prolonged effect. They last much longer, but can be used exclusively for furniture, avoiding contact with products.

In the photo - food moth larvae

The use of chemicals alone will not have an effect unless a targeted fight is organized and the damaged products are not disposed of.

Destruction of food moth butterflies

There are other situations when all measures to destroy the larvae have been taken, the food is thrown away, and the moth is still flying. This should not be ignored; butterflies should also be destroyed, as they can lay larvae. Removing adult insects is easy. Chemicals may not be used. A simple fly swatter or even a house slipper will be enough.

The photo shows food moths in the kitchen. Get rid of moths so they don't spread again

To eliminate moths in warehouses and public catering establishments, special professional aerosols are used. Destruction is carried out on a weekend, followed by general cleaning.

Effective remedies for food moths in the kitchen

Help to get rid of food moths and their larvae modern means, which must be used strictly according to the instructions and in conjunction with the cleaning and destruction of contaminated products. At the moment, there are such remedies for moths in the kitchen: sticky traps, sections, sprays. Do they all help? Let's consider the effectiveness of these drugs in order.

Food moth traps in the kitchen

The moth trap is sticky sheet with a scent that attracts moths. A butterfly landing on this surface sticks tightly and dies. These traps are glued to the inside walls of kitchen cabinets.

The effect of such a product is designed to last 4-6 weeks, after which there will either be no space left on the trap, or it will no longer emit an odor and lose its sticky properties. The cost of this insecticide averages 150 rubles for two Velcro.

If in the kitchen you open the door of the cabinet where cereals and other groceries are stored, and a small gray moth flutters out towards you, it means that you have food moth. It’s not much of a pleasure, but if you have the necessary knowledge, you can easily get rid of this household pest.

Name "food moth" unites several species of butterflies of the moth family, whose caterpillars feed on cereals, nuts, dried fruits and other groceries.

Adults of different species of food moths are sufficiently differ considerably:

• wings flour moth have a characteristic pattern in bright brown tones, lighter at the base and darker towards the corners;
• color mill moth less flashy, gray-brown in color, the upper wings are darker, the lower wings are lighter;
• wings southern barn moth decorated with a beautiful pattern, bright orange color;
• cocoa moth has an inconspicuous faded yellow wing color.

But, despite all the differences, any food moth looks quite inconspicuous, since they all have relatively small sizes- 8-10 mm. And sitting on the surface with folded wings, they become almost invisible. It is not surprising that the average person will not be able to notice the difference between different representatives this pest.

Food moth. Photo

Developmental stages of food moths

In the process of becoming an adult, the food moth goes through four stages:

• eggs;
• larvae;
• pupae;
• butterflies.

Butterflies

Adults individuals no harm done food products, since they do not have a mouthparts, and they live no more than a week. Soon after emergence, they mate.

Females attract males with pheromones, which are secreted from special glands. The mating process usually takes place in habitats and eggs are laid there. Even in those rare cases when fertilization occurs away from the food supply, the female always returns to her food environment.

food moth has a fairly short breeding cycle. With sufficient humidity and suitable temperature, it does not exceed two months. The optimal humidity for insect development is 50% humidity and temperature 25 degrees. When the temperature drops, the development of larvae slows down and may be delayed for several months.

Food moths can tolerate short-term heat and cold. However, for reproduction it chooses warm, humid and, most importantly, food-rich places.

Fertilized females lead a sedentary lifestyle. The moths flying around the kitchen are predominantly males.

Eggs

Through 5-6 hours After mating, females lay eggs from 50 to 100 tiny eggs. It is impossible to notice them with the naked eye. The eggs do not exceed 0.5 mm in length. Usually they white And oval shape. To prevent the offspring from suffering from overcrowding and lack of nutrition, the female lays several clutches in different places.

Through 6-7 days emerge from eggs worm-like larvae, no more than 1 mm in size.

Caterpillars

Harm brings our food supplies precisely insect larvae. In order to develop into an adult, it needs to actively feed. During the process of gaining weight, the larvae move little, crawling from place to place only in search of new food.

At this stage of the breeding cycle, insects of different species no different. By appearance larvae it is impossible to determine what type of moth it belongs to. These are small white caterpillars with a yellowish or pinkish tint, with a brown head.

Moth larvae they look like small worms, but this is only a superficial resemblance. True worms have no limbs, but moth caterpillars has six pairs tiny paws. Oral apparatus larvae equipped powerful jaws, thanks to which the larvae can gnaw through the dense shell of the cereals.

Caterpillar goes through several stages molting, before turning into a chrysalis. In about a week and a half, the larvae grow to 1.5 cm in length and gain sufficient weight for further development.

Pupae

Developed caterpillars weave cocoons, in which they will pupate. Typically this is cases made of threads web-like excrement, stuck together excrement or food debris. For pupation, the larvae choose dark and hard-to-reach places; only some types of caterpillars come out of the closets into the light.

The outer covers of the larvae become more dark and hard. Under the protection of this shell, the insect spends 1-2 weeks, during this time colossal changes occur in her body, turning a larva into a butterfly. The adult individual emerging from the pupa is completely ready to fulfill its duty to nature - to continue its race.

Harm and benefit

Despite its small size, food moth can bring enough big damage, especially if the population of these insects is large enough. As noted earlier, the main damage is caused by the larvae of food moths.

Here sample list of products, which a domestic pest may choose to feed its offspring:

• flour;
• cereal;
• nuts;
• seeds;
• dried fruits;
• pasta;
• cookie;
• candies.

The presence of larvae can be detected by the following characteristic signs:

• grains glued together by cobwebs;
• lumps in small grains or flour;
• eaten away tunnels filled with larval excrement;
• skins of eaten grains.

Cereals spoiled by pests, it is impossible to eat or sell, since it is absolutely impossible to clean it of larvae and their excrement. Flour can be sifted, but in food processing plants this is very problematic and costly.

As strange as it sounds, food moth can also be beneficial:

1. Wax moth caterpillars They feed on honey and wax, which undoubtedly harm beekeeping. However, ethnoscience attributes a medicinal effect to the larvae of this insect. This is justified by the presence in their digestive tract the enzyme cerrase, which successfully breaks down not only honey and wax, but also the phospholipid membranes of Koch's bacillus, the main causative agent of tuberculosis. Once in the body of these insects, bee products, combining with the enzyme, form a unique substance that destroys pathogenic bacteria. Over time, the tincture of wax moth larvae began to be considered almost a panacea. It is recommended to be used to treat diseases of the lungs, cardiovascular and urinary reproductive systems, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, allergies and even oncological diseases. However, official medicine medicine do not recognize. Certified doctors do not prescribe tincture of wax moth larvae to anyone.
2. Moth caterpillars - excellent bait for winter fishing.
3. Larvae can be used as live food for those kept in terrariums, exotic frogs.

Important. In nature, moths are an essential participant in many biocenoses. Therefore, it should be destroyed only if it poses a danger to our property, supplies and the sanitary condition of the home.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen

Buying contaminated cereals– a fairly common occurrence. This is due to improper storage groceries in warehouses and stores.

You need to start fighting the pest in your apartment without delay, immediately after the moth is discovered. This process is better carry out step by step.

Stage 1. Swipe inspection all food supplies. Carefully inspect all bags, jars and containers where foods attractive to food moths are stored. If you find a package in which you notice moths, larvae, threads similar to cobwebs, the most The best decision- throw it away.

Stage 2. Remove all food items from the cabinet and thoroughly treat the shelves and walls with an insecticidal agent.

Stage 3. Adults are also subject to elimination. It can be done mechanically, using bait - traps or sticky tape.

Prevention

An effective remedy preventing pests from entering an apartment is thorough check of purchased food products. The amount of groceries also needs to be controlled. It is advisable to store only a week's supply of food. Even these simple measures This will already be enough to protect your home from harmful butterflies and caterpillars.

Like food, clothes moth- It is the most widespread apartment pest.

Clothes moth by size 2-3 less food mm. Unlike its food relative, it has wings without pattern, yellow-brown in color.

If you look closely at this insect, you will see that it is all sprinkled with pearl pollen. Clothes moths are afraid of daylight and hides in wardrobes and dark nooks.

Larvae both types similar as twins. They differ in gastronomic preferences. Caterpillars wardrobe Moths damage cotton and wool clothing, carpets and rugs, furs, upholstery and even felt pads in musical instruments.

In clothes, they are especially attracted to sweaty, stained places, folds, gathers, folds under the collar, cuffs. Moreover, being at this stage of development, clothes moths always spin a thin silky web as it feeds. Subsequently, she uses it for weaving cocoon.

Larval excrement clothes moth can be multi-colored, since they are dyed with dyes from the fibers of the fabric, which are absorbed by insects. So if you notice colored grains of sand in the places where you store your clothes, you won’t be able to wear something similar in color.

Both types and clothing and food usually fly near the site of infection. They are characterized by a peculiar flight pattern - fluttering and a spiral trajectory of movement.

Useful video

How to get rid of food moths in the video below: