What are these little moth like creatures in my bags of pet food and how do I get rid of them?
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These are pantry or grain moths, most likely. You will find their larvae in the most remote places-like in the groove of your tupperware lids, for example. They lay eggs, the eggs hatch and a tiny larvae will appear, often with a tiny web over then. They are green or light brown. They hatch into moths. Get rid of any infested food or grain. Wash out your cupboards and put any open foods or spices in airtight jars. You can go to the feed store (at least in Canada) and get glue traps. They are two cardboard trays that fit together with a spacer. Imagine 2 shallow bowls facing each other. Inside the trap there is a sticky glue and a pheremone that will attract the moths. They get stuck in the glue and die. This is a totally non toxic solution. Put a trap every 50 feet if the area is large. It takes a few weeks as the life cycle has to be completed, and if you didn't see larvae, they will hatch and fly. Don't be discouraged: You can get rid of them. Some health food stores use the glue traps in there warehouse areas, so if you can't find them, ask at the store and see if they have a source. Feed stores stock these because they are prone to the moths. Been there, done that! It will get better!
sounds like pantry moths
see source:
sounds like indian meal moths/ pantry moths. They're attracted to grain. How long was that pet food sitting around?
The number one thing is to get rid of the source, and next time store the pet food in a air tight container if you think it's going to sit around that long. Also, make sure that when you get rid of the source, you keep it air tight as well while disposing, so that the infestation doesn't get worse.
Vacuum your pantries and clean the corners. If they have infested your house, check your grains and flours, keep them all air tight. If it's bad, you may want to invest in moth traps.
If the bags are small enough, you can put them in your freezer for a couple of days and that will kill the moths and the larva. Whenever I buy bird seed for my two small birds, it goes into the freezer immediately! It won't hurt the seed and you can store it there indefinitely.
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