How to Kill Pantry Moth Eggs

Moths are one of the most difficult insects to rid your home of. They feed off of wool, grains, flour, rice, fur and feathers. Moths lay eggs at up to 400 eggs at a time that are sometimes difficult to locate and remove prior to hatching. Once a moth infestation is discovered in a cabinet or pantry, the moths and their eggs can be killed and removed without harming the pantry or its contents any further. Moth eggs can be killed using extreme temperatures and insecticides.

Things You'll Need

  • Airtight plastic containers
  • Freezer
  • Moth crystals
  • Lavandin oil
  • Pheromone traps
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Remove items from the pantry. The pantry with the infestation of moths and moth eggs should be completely cleaned out prior to insecticide treatment. Any items containing moths or moth eggs should be placed inside an airtight container and sealed. Throw away any food items exposed to moth eggs.

    • 2

      Place the airtight containers in the freezer. Extreme temperatures help to kill both moths and their eggs without damaging most items. Leave the items in the freezer at least overnight before removing.

    • 3

      Treat the pantry with an insecticide or set moth pheromone traps that the moths will stick to. There are two common insecticides used for killing moths and moth eggs, lavandin oil and moth crystals. Use either of these to treat the entire pantry. Allow the pantry to air out for several hours prior to placing anything else inside of it to prevent insecticide contamination.

    • 4

      Remove the airtight containers from the freezer. Take them outdoors, away from the home, and inspect the contents for moth eggs. While most moth eggs should shake out of fabrics and on to the ground it may be necessary to pick them out of the weave of some fabrics. Any infested foods should be disposed of in outdoor trash receptacles.

    • 5

      Clean the airtight containers. This is to remove any moth eggs that may be lingering in the containers, even if they are dead.

    • 6

      Replace the items in the pantry. Store wool, fur, feather, grain, rice and flour items in the clean airtight containers to prevent another infestation of moths.

General Family Health - Related Articles