Little Grey Moths

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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I've got a lot of little grey moths flying around in my apartment. Does anybody know where they come from and how to get rid of them?
 
are they easy to kill? We used to have grey tiny moths in canada that would eat our clothes and would come from cereal boxes or some other foods not in airtight containers. I swear we brought one from Canada. They are very dumb and easy to kill but look like lil maggots if living in cereal etc...I hated them. Couldn't get rid of them b/c i was taking care of my 97 year old G'ma with Alzheimers and she would never close things properly!!
They were everywhere!!!
EVERYTHING AIRTIGHT or in the fridge!!
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
are they easy to kill? We used to have grey tiny moths in canada that would eat our clothes and would come from cereal boxes or some other foods not in airtight containers. I swear we brought one from Canada. They are very dumb and easy to kill but look like lil maggots if living in cereal etc...I hated them. Couldn't get rid of them b/c i was taking care of my 97 year old G'ma with Alzheimers and she would never close things properly!!
They were everywhere!!!
EVERYTHING AIRTIGHT or in the fridge!!

Yes, easy to kill if you find one on the wall.

I have determined that they are pantry moths and am now looking for anything that they might be feeding on. I didn't think there was anything open in the pantry, but this morning I discovered a couple of things that were probably food sources.

Somebody gave me a trap for pantry moths and that is working, but I'm told that it only attracts the males and you still have to kill the females.

Last night I was feeling especially frustrated because there seemed to be more than ever flying around. But I was feeling better when I went to bed because while prowling around the apartment on a moth hunt with fly swatter in hand I killed at least 15 and my new trap got 6 or 7.
 

flyinroom

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Aug 26, 2012
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The nest(s) will have to be found and decimated. While the flyers are the irritant, it is what is happening in the nest(s) that is the killer.
These little buggars are laying eggs as fast as you can blink an eye......Find the nest.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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What do they look like?

Are you sure thyey aren't termites? This is swarm season, especially during and after it rains.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I have them in my "Dispensa", food storage closet.
I "TRY" to keep all cereal,flour, grains, closed tightly, or in "Zip Lock" storage bags, and/or air tight containers.
We all know that if there are ANY Dominicanos" in residence, THAT is not possible!
We remove EVERYTHING from the closet about once a month, spray, and refill.
Most "Grains", cereals, and pasta come , "Pre-Loaded" with the microscopic eggs which will hatch after a period of time.
Keeping those items in a sealed bag in the fridge will keeep that from happening.
THAT way, you can eat all the microscopic eggs you want without ever seeing them!
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Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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What do they look like?

Are you sure thyey aren't termites? This is swarm season, especially during and after it rains.

No, I know what termites look like. These are pantry moths/indianmeal moths. Just found this on internet and will follow the instructions for cleaning the pantry.

4 Ways to Get Rid of Pantry Moths - wikiHow

I now have a trap and will be ordering more. It has a small disc impregnated with something that attracts the males. When they fly in, the get trapped on the glue surface. It gives me great pleasure to look into the trap and see a new one stuck there. But it just gets the males, you still have to kill the females. I have also seen and killed some of the worms that are pictured.

I've lived in my apartment for years without seeing one of these moths. Have no idea how this infestation got started. But they drive me nuts and they don't stay in the pantry. They seem to get especially active in the evening when the lights are on.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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like many people here i keep nearly all foods in the fridge: rice, pasta, flour, sugar and so on. the only stuff in the pantry is in cans, jars and bottles. once every now and then i take everything out and clean all the shelves.

if the moths bother you that much buy bygone, close all windows/doors and spray the living area. leave to have a fria, come back in half an hour, open the windows, swipe the dead bodies. and find the source: throw away infected food, clean the area.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I just figure grains and pasta have a short shelf life, and plan accordingly...
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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Maybe the sell one of those "Glue Traps" that attracts dominican men?????
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i have two of those. they are bolted to my chest. and they seem to work for most men. and some women. yay!
 
Pantry moths are def what we had! Lots of work to get rid of them, drove me nuts but i like that they just sat on the wall and i could kill them easy. Then the next one would pop up.....
GOOD LUCK! We have had one here. The wife is psychotic about having everything in airtight containers. I think it is almost an obsession to her.
It's a must in the DR though. Cockroaches are our problem. When I first got here i screamed like a little girl when i saw a cockroach now i just enjoy watching the dogs kill them or kill them myself. NEVER thought i could live with cockroaches!
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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Pantry moths are def what we had! Lots of work to get rid of them, drove me nuts but i like that they just sat on the wall and i could kill them easy. Then the next one would pop up.....
GOOD LUCK! We have had one here. The wife is psychotic about having everything in airtight containers. I think it is almost an obsession to her.
It's a must in the DR though. Cockroaches are our problem. When I first got here i screamed like a little girl when i saw a cockroach now i just enjoy watching the dogs kill them or kill them myself. NEVER thought i could live with cockroaches!

Cleanliness and lack of moisture will control cockroaches, and a cat.
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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watch out letting the pets do your cockroach extermination. roaches can carry the eggs of tapeworms, and the cats and dogs can get tapeworms from them.
 

flyinroom

Silver
Aug 26, 2012
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Pantry moths are def what we had! Lots of work to get rid of them, drove me nuts but i like that they just sat on the wall and i could kill them easy. Then the next one would pop up.....
GOOD LUCK! We have had one here. The wife is psychotic about having everything in airtight containers. I think it is almost an obsession to her.
It's a must in the DR though. Cockroaches are our problem. When I first got here i screamed like a little girl when i saw a cockroach now i just enjoy watching the dogs kill them or kill them myself. NEVER thought i could live with cockroaches!

And then there is the "laissez-faire" approach to cockroaches..........
Go into the kitchen.
Kill the ones you see and
Say good morning to the ones you don't. :eek:
 
We have read all sorts of ways to get rid of the roaches. been too busy and lazy to try certain methods. Since we first moved in the maid had not kept our house that clean, well it was Dominican clean, but we have scrubbed areas and done some of the things to rid of cockroaches and we see way less. Used to be at least one a day, now it's one every week maybe?
Can't help if the dogs play and kill the roaches at night, we be sleepin!

Moisture is a problem since we live a foot from the ocean.

Borax will kill em, eucalyptus they hate, if you pour beer in a bucket and wipe the inside with oil they get drunk and drown.
I also left a little oj out the other day in a tall glass and I found one dead inside.
They also don't coffee grounds, etc.
Am i sick for seeing dead cockroaches and liking it. I don't kill anything but those ****ers. I swear they run straight for me, or even better yet the flying ones that land on me....YUK!