How to Rid a Pantry of Moths and Weevils

Dear Home Ec 101,

My food pantry is  completely  full of weevils, I tried fog bombs, insecticide, you name it, I took out the flour and pasta packages and put them in the fridge, I also put the rice and beans in air tight containers, but still the little buggers are there.  What else needs to be done?

Thank you,

Weevil Killer

Ivy says:

Meal weevils and pantry moths are the worst. You may have to get rid of any flour and pasta that were open, especially anything that had a tiny hole in it- look very carefully. I’d take literally everything out of my pantry and examine each item, throw away anything that could have been gotten into, and then vacuum the living daylights out of your pantry.

When I was researching for a solution for you, I found this pantry bug trap that might be very helpful to you.  Use the traps until no more adult moths or weevils are caught, this will help prevent reinfestation by any lingering adults.

I highly recommend storing flour, corn meal, pasta, and Cream of Wheat in sealed containers when possible.  When purchasing these items always inspect the packaging carefully, if the product is leaking that means there is a means for entry, as well.

I read that bay leaves repel the weevils as does sulphur, so you might consider putting a pack of matches into your pantry as well. (I know! Weird!)

Hope this helps and you get rid of your weevils soon!

Got a question? Submit it to the Home Ec 101 mavens at helpme@home-ec101.com.

Tagged as: moths, pantry moths, pantry weevils, Reader Questions, weevils