Moths enjoy cereal. Especially in the summer. The silver-grey insects also fly on pulses, rice, flour, dry fruit, chocolate and even dry animal food.
How do the food moths get into the kitchen?
The consumer advice center says that they often already get into the house with the shopping. However, they also get inside through an open window. Experts advise to do something against these insects. People who consume foods that are infested with moths can get allergies or gastrointestinal diseases.
How can you discover food moths and get rid of them?
Glue traps with pheromones attract male moths. These glue traps can be bought in supermarkets and drugstores. The traps show that there are moths in the cupboards. First, all foods should be checked. Webs and clumps point towards moths. The infested foods should be thrown away immediately.
Open packages and newly bought foods that are wrapped in paper or carton should be stored in tightly closed containers right away. The reason: food moths easily eat through paper or carton, says the consumer advice center.
What to do against the moths?
The cupboards have to be cleaned thoroughly. For this, water with vinegar can be used, for example. The consumer advice center suggests to also vacuum cracks in the shelves or drill holes. Inaccessible areas can also be heated with a hairdryer. This way, the moth eggs die. A more expensive option in the fight against moths are ichneumon flies. Cards with their eggs can be bought in hardware stores or online. The cards are placed in the cupboard and renewed multiple times throughout roughly three months. The ichneumon flies disappear when they have destroyed all moth eggs.
tun21072902
Lebensmittelmotten in der Klebefalle. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL/Ute Kaiser.
