Ward Off Pesky Pantry Moths With This Simple Trick

You have probably heard of moths eating away at wool coats and cashmere sweaters in your closets, but did you know you have to look out for them in your pantry, too? These winged insects sneak into your home through your dried foods — they're usually brought inside as eggs hiding in things like pasta, dog food, and rice. The issue with these pests is that they contaminate and eventually eat through your food supply, wreaking havoc in your pantry. When the eggs hatch in the dry goods, the larvae begin to eat your stock as a way to grow and thrive. This makes your food unsafe to consume, resulting in you dumping money into the trash. However, you can ward them off with cedar.

Much like closet moths, pantry moths hate the smell of cedar and won't want to stick around in an enclosed space permeated with the woodsy scent. This is a great hack to try because it uses natural, green materials, which is especially important when trying to remove pests near food sources. You don't want to contaminate your pantry with dangerous or harsh chemicals, so cedar chips or granules are the way to go. Here's how to use them.

One of the leading ways to remove closet moths is to surround your clothes with cedar, and the same is true with pantry moths. But if you don't have it in your budget to build a pantry completely out of this specific wood, there is a more convenient way to go about using it to keep these flying insects at bay. And that is to use pellets or granules in satchels. First, you want to remove everything from your pantry, toss out all infested or suspicious food, freeze any unopened bags, and wash the shelves with water and vinegar to disinfect. This will remove the worst of the infestation. Next, you want to repel any leftover moths that might be lingering and discourage new ones from setting up shop. To do so, fill a sheer pouch with cedar granules or pellets. This will repel the bugs naturally.

Keep in mind you will need to switch out the cedar once every couple of weeks so that the scent stays potent. However, since it's quite strong, be careful where you hang the satchels. Food in air-tight containers is safe, but food that is out in the open might absorb the woodsy smell and change in taste. However, keep this one caveat in mind: This will repel moths, but it won't kill them. If you want an insecticide, you will need to find an alternative hack.