OK... people often say Hawaii is like living in Paradise. Well... I don't know. We have a terrible cost of living here. Home prices are crazy. It's hard to find doctors and nurses. They're even having a hard time finding teachers. Traffic is bananas on Oahu. ETC. ETC.
On top of that, we have pests...year round.
First we had the pigeons building nests under our solar panels. We had our roof cleaner, Ku take care of that. Then we had our solar panel people come out and put critter guards around the solar panels. Then Art shot ice pellets at the pigeons every time I heard them land and coo about maybe trying to build another nest. Unfortunately, I see a house a distance away now having the same problem because their neighbor is regularly feeding them.
But yes, it has improved considerably. I think our feathered foes have moved on. We're not getting the horrible bird mite bites anymore. 🤞
Then there was the cockroach problem. We used the Harris tablets and gel. So far, we haven't seen another one. Sooo far... 🤞
But then suddenly, we found worms in the peanuts I'd boiled and given to friends and relatives.
What the heck!
And then we started getting tons of these tiny moths everywhere.
Art took a picture and looked online. He said it was a linen moth. I searched all our closets and none of our clothing seemed to be eaten. We don't even have woolen or linen type clothing and my cotton things looked fine. I also didn't see moths flying around our clothes closet.
We'd be sitting and watching TV and a moth would come flying past us. Annoying as heck! Down in the kitchen, we were getting them constantly. They seemed to be everywhere. We once caught 24 of them in a day. Art used a fly swatter because they were so light that when you tried to slap them, the movement of the air would send them flying out of the way.
But then I decided to do an online search. The worms in the peanuts did not look like linen moths. They looked like pantry pests. I found this on the University of Minnesota Extension website. However, the moths themselves looked similar.
In fact, I learned that clothes moths are often mistaken for grain/food eating moths.
So I'm thinking... could it be?
I went downstairs to look in our closet where we keep some of our dried food. Most are in airtight containers.
It's enough to make one shudder. You have to pay a price to live in Paradise!
ReplyDeleteIt is a bigger problem there, but Sue has spotted moths here and has taken action by purchasing cedar blocks and traps.
ReplyDeleteWe have ants, cockroaches, rats, flies problems here..it's hard to get rid of them and have to cover to protect our food and stuff..hope you can get them under control.
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING that you eat that's on that list above, you NEED to put into the freezer for no less than 24 hours! It kills the larvae...No more bug pest!
ReplyDeleteThat includes flour and rice...cornmeal...Any dry goods you bring into the house...freezer for No Less than 24 hours then airtight containers.
No more pest, I promise!
hugs
Donna
Donna said exactly what I came here to say. Store those items in plastic tubs in a freezer. You can open the tub and scoop out what you need as you need it.
DeleteHi Kay, one way to kill insect eggs is to put the grain in the freezer. Since I am cooking for one, I don't keep a lot of perishables at room temp. I did some checking and you can do short term freeze to kill eggs. You should make sure that all the current infestation has been cleared before putting more food in the area. Air tight storage is a good idea. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteM in NC
I am Margie from, Margie's Musings and I hate bugs of any kind. They turn my stomach!.
ReplyDeleteWell I am learning a lot here--this is exactly why I don't keep large sacks of rice or flour in my home, but thanks to these helpful comments I'll give this freezing for 24 hours a try! FYI, I lived in my last apt for 22 years, never saw a single bug--here at my new place, I wrestle with linen moths every spring. I keep shaved cedar chips in my dresser, and moth traps in my bedroom closet.
ReplyDeleteReading this gave me the creeps. Our biggest bug issue is box elder bugs trying to get in out of the cold. Now the ones who made it in are showing up but they are slow and easy to catch. We have a pest service every 3 months to keep the mouse traps in the cellar filled with bait. No mice upstairs as a result.
ReplyDeleteI was going to tell you to freeze things for 24 hours, but I see a couple of people have already beat me to that :-)
ReplyDeleteOh no!
ReplyDeleteI would use a freezer to store these things permanently, actually.
ReplyDelete...but you also know that I'm a bit paranoid about bugs in the house. ;)
DeleteI'm pondering if you increase in moths is because you ran off the pigeons which eat insects along with grain. Oddly enough, our local store sells two pound bags of rice cheaper than the 40 pound bags we had been buying so we have switched over. We just leave the two pound bags sealed until needed instead of filling up our rice dispenser with 40 pounds at a time. The rice is much fresher and I have no complaints other than we now have 20 plastic bags to dispose of instead of one mesh bag.
ReplyDeleteI have heard people say they won't live in FL because of the bugs but in all honesty I don't see a big difference in VT -- have had invasions of pantry moths there, crickets, ants, tics, mosquitoes, bats, voles and mice. VT does have fewer snakes and no wild boars or alligators (at least not yet).
ReplyDeleteLin says ah bugs, we all have them time to call my exterminator again...
ReplyDeleteWe too have an exterminator that comes and sprays, etc. in the Spring and Fall. But most we see here are large roaches that come in from outside... and luckily we don't see them often. When we see them, they are usually dead from the spraying... but I won't touch them. Call DH for that. Once years ago, I found moths in a one pound bag of rice from the grocery.
ReplyDeleteWhat a headache!
ReplyDeleteThose bugs are rather pesky. We have them in the sunflower seeds at the nature center.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the moths came inside the bag of rice. I bought a sack of bird seed once, and promptly put it in a tight container. Bugs appeared later, so I never bought from that fancy bird store again. Maybe you need some geckos inside to eat your buggies. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteWe do have geckos but I think those moths are too fast for them.
DeleteWe are getting so many little mosquitos nowadays after our rainy weather. And yuck! Those worms in the peanuts are gross! Those were from those moths? I put my rice in a large plastic bottle and if I remember I put a couple of bay leaves in the bottle. My mother used to do that to keep the bugs out.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure the worms in the peanuts were from the moths. We also bought a bag from the Open Market and they had the same worms in them.
DeleteYes, one of those thick plastic buckets with the screw top. We have one for bulk stuff too. Good luck to you We have one for bulk stuff too. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem when I had pet rat and hamsters. There were bugs in the big bags of rat and hamster food that I would buy. Some of the rat forums told us to stick the bags in the freezer for 24 hours to kill off any bugs or eggs that might be in there to stop them from hatching or breeding. Then I would put the food in an air tight plastic container.
ReplyDeleteI bought a small bag of rice today. I think I’ll stick it in the freezer.
DeleteWorking in a supermarket I learned that the bugs or eggs are already inside the product hen shipped. Then our glorious warm, humid environment causes them to hatch. Bug heaven. Yup we would throw buggy dog food in our walk-in freezer to kill them. Even rice, I buy small expensive 10# bags because of the bugs, plus small enough for the freezer. Wasteful to throw it away more. I have a worse problem because I have parrot seed and the problem with them is that they lay eggs on clothing and the web they use to hold it doesn't come easily off, even with washing and when they lay 5 eggs it's noticeable. BB
ReplyDeleteSigh... no more buying Genjimai rice at Costco anymore. Might be time to buy a small freezer, BUT sheesh! Where do I put it?
DeleteYou can make portions that fit in the freezer and make a new bag with already frozen ones. That will kill any ones inside, then put that in a highly secured container or bag. Problem is, it takes effort to do this over time. And if one bug gets into the clean frozen ones, there you go again. BB
DeleteWe just bought a smaller bag at Don Quijote and it was about $13. It's a lot cheaper to get the big bag at Costco or Sam's Club. But sheesh! Then we'd have the bug problem again. Freezing them a little at a time would sure take more effort than I would like.
DeleteI heard, if you keep the rice in the freezer for few days then bugs won't grow. Not sure it is true though
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago we inherited a lovely wool rug from my aunt. After a year or so we noticed a lot of those little moths. We finally found the source. That rug was infested with larva and was being eaten away under one of our loveseats. I Googled. We spread it out on the driveway in direct sunlight. The larva started coming to the surface and probably dying. But I couldn't put it back in my house. I was freaked out. We ended up taking it to the dump.
ReplyDeleteWe have so many insects here! I understand the stress of it all, too.
ReplyDelete