Food moths are real pests: If you have them in your kitchen, you want to get rid of them. But that is often difficult. Eco-checker Maral explains what helps and what doesn't. 00:00 Intro 00:17 Step 1: Identify infestation 03:28 Step 2: Examine supplies 05:14 Step 3: How to store food moth-proof 06:29 Step 4: Basic cleaning with a vacuum cleaner 08:02 Step 5: Parasitic wasps against moths 09:40 How good are lavender and the like? 10:12 Chemical moth sprays are so harmful to the environment and health 13:59 Conclusion RECOGNIZE INFECTION: FOOD MOTHS IN FOOD? The first sign of moths in food is white webs in the packaging. Often, pupated larvae can also be found in the food. Before the larvae pupate, however, they eat their way through the food for around 4 weeks. Only then do they look for a protected place and develop into moths. The only way to prevent moths is to transfer food into jars, e.g. with a swing top, immediately after opening. This way the moths cannot spread in the first place. A regular check helps: if loose bulk material, such as oatmeal, can still be moved around easily and is not clumped, then the food is not infested. BASIC CLEANING: COMBATING FOOD MOTHS If you do discover webs, it is best to dispose of the infested food immediately to prevent even more moths or even mold from forming. You also need to throw away packaging and food that has droppings on it. The second step is to thoroughly clean corners, holes and cracks in cupboards. Garbage and vacuum cleaner bags should then be disposed of immediately outside the house. parasitic wasps against moths Parasitic wasps are particularly effective at getting rid of food moths. They are placed in small cardboard boxes. The small beneficial insects fight the moths by laying their own eggs in those of the moths, so that no more larvae can hatch from them. The application should be repeated four times at two-week intervals. The parasitic wasps can be easily ordered online or bought in retail stores. WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID ANTI-MOTH AGENTS “That is also a problem with these active ingredients, that they can kill both harmful and harmless or even useful insects.” Erik Schmolz, Federal Environment Agency Most moth sprays contain pyrethroids, a group of insecticides that prevent nerve transmission in insects from functioning. The insects are paralyzed and usually die shortly afterwards. These neurotoxins have no place in the kitchen, especially if there are children, animals or sick people in the household. If used incorrectly, the active ingredients can cause irritation, dizziness and allergies. The pesticides also harm the environment. For example, they are toxic to aquatic organisms. And be careful: products containing permethrin are particularly toxic to cats and reptiles! Caution is also advised with anti-moth products containing essential oils: these are also difficult to break down and toxic to living creatures. CONCLUSION Checking food regularly is a must. Even sealed packaging is not 100% safe from moths. Experts advise against using parasitic wasps in the event of an infestation with food moths and against using anti-moth sprays in private households. Further links • Federal Environment Agency (2019): Food moths. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/lebens... • BMUV (2020): Brief information on biocides. https://www.bmuv.de/themen/gesundheit... • Ökotest (2021): Fighting food moths: Not all remedies help and are harmless. https://www.oekotest.de/bauen-wohnen/... Credits Author: Miriam Bade Moderation: Maral Bazargani Editor (solisTV): Kathrin Gatzemeier Editor (SWR): Cordelia Marsch and Katharina Voigt Image source: SWR Imprint, netiquette and co. ► Subscribe to the Marktcheck channel http://x.swr.de/s/13x1 ► Instagram @oekochecker: / oekochecker Ökocheckers are produced by SWR ►https://www.swr.de/impressum ► Comments are welcome - but please observe our netiquette: http://www.swr.de/netiquette #oekochecker #nachhaltigkeit #motten