Pantry Moth Traps

The trap releases a pheromone that imitates the female pantry moth, drawing adult males onto a sticky board. Taking those males out reduces the number available to mate, which disrupts breeding and brings the population down over the following weeks. It also tells you whether moths are active and which cupboard they are concentrated in. Read our honest answer on whether moth traps work.

Not on its own. The larvae live inside the food itself and no trap reaches them, so the trap brings the adults down while you find and bin the infested packet. Check flour, cereal, rice, pasta, nuts, dried fruit, pet food and birdseed, and look for fine webbing, clumping, or grains stuck together - that webbing is the giveaway, not the moths flying about.

Inside the cupboard or pantry where you have seen activity, near the dry goods rather than by the door. Keep them away from extractor fans, open windows and anything that moves air, since a draught disperses the lure. One trap per cupboard reads more clearly than one for a whole kitchen.

The traps are non-toxic - the lure is a pheromone and the catch is held on an adhesive board, with no insecticide involved. Even so, keep the trap from touching food or food preparation surfaces directly, site it to one side of the shelf, and follow the instructions on the pack.

Two things usually explain it. Larvae crawl well away from the food to pupate, so they end up in the lip of the shelf, the underside of the cupboard door, the screw holes and the corners of the shelving - empty the cupboard completely and wipe those down, including the gaps. The other cause is a second source you have not opened yet: check every packet, including pet food and birdseed, not just the one you found. Anything unopened is usually fine.

A lure lasts several months, with the exact figure stated on the pack - follow that and note the date you opened it. Replace sooner if the board fills or the surface gets dusty. Keep spares sealed in the wrapper until you need them, because the lure starts working the moment it is opened, whether it is in place or not.

Move dry goods out of their original packaging and into airtight jars or containers - cardboard and film are easily chewed through, and most infestations arrive in a packet from the shop rather than through a window. Check new dry goods before they go in the cupboard, use older stock first, and leave a trap in place to catch the next one early.