moth infestation

[Wilko]

We seem to be infested with small white moths, possibly clothes moths ? Our neighbor said they were mites. Does anyone know anything about these beasties, where they nest and how best to get rid of them. I bought some sticky card from Auchan and in 24 hours the card is covered in the little blighters but it doesn't appear to have dented their population. Mrs W thinks that they are nesting in the wooden beams...........is this likely.

Thoughts anyone

Wilko

[5-element]

You don't mean food moths (mites alimentaires), which live on flour, nuts, etc. in your kitchen cupboards?

[Wilko]

Hi 5-element

Thanks for the reply. I think you are right cos we first noticed them in the larder. We then emptied it, cleaned it, sorted out all the boxes..........corn flakes etc and thought that'll sort 'em out. No Way............they are back with a vengeance and at the rate they are sticking to the sticky card it might be cheaper to buy the card company. Do you have any tips for getting rid of these beasties ?

Cheers Wilko

[5-element]

They seem to be very numerous and very active this year - only have a few in my kitchen, but a friend of mine is absolutely plagued with them this year. They can be found as little larvae (like small maggots) inside packages, inside jars even with screwtops, they just get everywhere. My previous (fairly extensive) experience with those is to learn to swat, track them down when they turn into moths as they like to stick to walls and ceilings, and they are quite easy to catch in mid-air and clap your hands to swat them. The only way to get rid of them is to turn out your cupboards completely, looking in every jar and packet, you will see some little cobwebs in some (yuk) as part of the life-cycle of that moth. The moths themselves are sluggish and lay their eggs for the next cycle.

Otherwise, I would just keep waging manual/physical war on them, and buy those sticky things that they end up on - put one of them in every single cupboard... good luck, I had to deal with those once while I was managing a health food shop in a posh area in London ....not nice, and the staff and I went to great pains to hide the problems from the customers...

Heat is what brings them out.

Google "mites alimentaires" and you will get lots of hits, with all kinds of tips on alleged efficient methods - I might look at them myself...

It would be interesting to find out if others are having the same problem, and if it is particularly bad this year.

[Lori]

Not sure if they are the same kind we get, but they sound like it and like 5-E, we tend to get them in the kitchen cupboards. 

I have found, in Spring/Summer, anything such as nuts, oatmeal, dry goods that I don't expect to be consumed quickly have to go in the freezer.  Once you have the problem, you MUST clean out everything.  You THINK you've gotten rid of them all, particularly if you see the web/bugs in a certain item, you think that is/was the culprit.  However, from experience, they are likely in other dry goods too, they just haven't surfaced visibly YET.

That could be why you clean out and then they come back.  You'll likely have to get rid of all your dry goods, cereals, crackers, bread goods, etc. and then place the anti-mite products in the cupboards.  Get plenty of them too.  There are all types available.

Once I did the above things, I got rid of them.  Now, I am very careful about how long I allow things to remain in the cabinets.  So far so good, but I am always on the look-out for the tell-tale signs.

Hello Wilko !

[5-element]

PHEW! (I was logged out of the forum again, after a brief power cut which stopped me here in mid-sentence!). Close parenthesis.

Lori, what a great idea to freeze flours, etc.. for the summer. I wonder though, as apparently, the eggs can stay viable for up to a year, so does freezing actually kill them? Then it's just a matter of exterminating the adult moths?

I found this forum had a nunber of interesting tips to get rid of the moths - although it doesn't look like any of them is 100%. Things like garlic, bayleaf or bayleaf essence, steaming, soap and water over all the surfaces in the cupboards, etc... bearing in mind that the eggs are tiny, last a long time, and that the beasts just love heat.

http://forum.doctissimo.fr/sante/pollut ... 3525_1.htm

ooops sorry, link not live...

hey Lori, I just got in through the back door....

[Lori]

As 5-E has been having some big problems trying to log-on to this forum, I am forwarding a link she thought might be of interest to us - folks with mite/moth problems.

Here she blows:::

http://forum.doctissimo.fr/sante/pollution/mites-alimentaires-cuisine-sujet_143525_1.htm

I shall check it out.

Hope you're able to get in soon 5-E !

[5-element]

Here I am, all I needed was a few botox injections and I'm back.

[WJT]

I have never heard of the moths before. It is interesting to see that Lori and Wilko are in the same area and 5-element not that far away. Has anyone on the forum from other parts of France had them before?

[Clair]

I read about them in the bread baking fora and blogs I follow.

I have not suffered from them (yet).

I keep all my flours, pasta, rice etc in sealed jars or plastic tubs.

[gosub]

Yes I have in 47, these bu**ers (like flour weevils) are in the flour, almonds etc. just waiting for an opportunity to convert, firstly into maggots then moths.

[lacote0_0]

Plenty in 38, and pheramone strips sometimes unavailable in the shops.

[5-element]

I first encountered those pests in.....London - in a wholefood/healthfood shop where I was working....the stockroom was full of them, and the staff at great pains to hide the fact from the customers - it was in High Street Kensington too! :-))

An Australian friend at the time was very familiar with them and taught me how to swat them in mid-air.

Here they are, in all their splendour: (scroll down for Meal moth - I notice there is a special Mediterranean version too!)

http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/domestmoth.htm#moth2

very sorry, I don't seem to be able to post live links as I used to in the old days...

[WJT]

Aarghhh! Now until I get get into my cupboard, I am certain to have nightmares tonight!

5-element, you have put me right off health food! Pesticides obviously have a place after seeing those photos.[:D]

[Maricopa]

Thanks to all for this thread, now I know where the little blighters are likely to be found, I can wage war on them at grass roots level[:-))]

[5-element]

WJT, at least you are forewarned, remember those moths are tiny, they are 2mm, NOT cm!

But don't make the mistake of believing you find them ONLY in health foods, they will go in porridge oats and all cereals, chocolate, any nuts, flour, rice, biscuits, dried fruit, etc... Pesticides are more harmful than those blighters, and I certainly wouldn't want any lethal chemicals anywhere near my food cupboards...

 Here is another link which de-dramatizes the problem a little

 http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4568623_pantry-moth-infestation-happen.html

 

[WJT]

2mm is quite small BUT I don't want to eat them! I assume that the customers of that health food shop got a belly full!

Was joking about the pesticides but really don't like the idea of living things hiding in my food.

[Wilko]

Thanks for all your posts, we have started the battle aginthe little blighters.

Wilko

[5-element]

And now I am finding that I have a few around my kitchen too, as the weather has become very hot. Time to polish up on  those kung-fu swatting moves, and time to use up all the buckwheat flour, oatflakes, breadcrumbs, etc.... before they become alive with pests.[+o(]

I have just made an impressive pile of buckwheat galettes.[:)]

[Lori]

[quote user="5-element"]

I have just made an impressive pile of buckwheat galettes.[:)]

[/quote]

I'll be right over.  [:)]

[5-element]

I'd better make another batch then, as the previous one is no more.

We eat them as wraps at the moment, instead of bread - there is still quite a bit of buckwheat flour to go through before the galloping  food moths get to it. I should make a really, really huge batch, and freeze them (until you get here).[:D]

 

Then when I have finished the buckwheat flour, it will be the turn of the chickpea flour, to make Socca, or Indian flatbread, or Cecina.

Cecina
1 cup chickpea flour
2 cups water (I have seen recipes with a 1:1, 1:1 1/2, and 1:3 but
this works well.)
2 TSP olive oil
Dash salt

Mix the batter (it is very watery) and let set for 2-4 hours.

Fire your oven so that is hot and ready for fire-in-the-oven
cooking, it cooks best with top and bottom heat.

Pour a liberal amount of oil in a baking sheet with 1" (or so) sides.
Add enough batter to make a 1/4" - 1/2" thick flatbread, and bake for
10 minutes. It should be brown on top. Cut and drizzle with olive
oil, and serve immediately. seasoned cast
iron pans are best.

Next I will have to find what to do with oat flour, and rice flour.[;-)]

[Lori]

You know I STILL don't have a cast iron skillet !  Thanks for the recipe.  I'm surprised you do it in the oven, not on the stove top.

I too have seen a couple of the moths in the pantry this week.  Threw out some old dates I had, figuring they might be the problem.  Yet, just like you, I know I will simply need to use up all the dry goods in the cabinet or face the consequences...

[Pierre ZFP]

IKEA do a nice cast iron skillet with a wooden handle for little money.  Works great over a gas flame. 

Not good at all on the the highly attractive but functionally useless halogen hob I have now.

I think I'm going to try the chic pea bread at the weekend when I can get back to gas and proper charcol BBQ.

I know I've asked this before but is a 'cup' around 250 ml in proper measurements?

[Lori]

Thanks for the IKEA tip, but I imagine, with a wooden handle, it cannot go into the oven.  I need one that can do stove top and oven.  I have found some, but they cost an arm and a leg ... hence the reason I don't have one...

[Pierre ZFP]

Yes I see.  I wonder if the handle would unscrew??? I think I'll have a look at the weekend.

If you do come across a reasonably priced one for hob and oven, would you post the details please as I'd like to get one too.