As explained in our MOTH CONTROL article, there are just too many ways pantry moths can survive if you don't treat the surrounding area where the food is stored. Yes it's true there are is a chance you are bringing some of these pests home in the food you buy but it's more likely these moths and their young are nesting and thriving in you home.  Untreated cupboards, pantry storage spaces and maybe even other living areas around the home can all provide ample locations for safe harborage of young meal moths. These local populations will thrive indefinitely until you interrupt the cycle which is apparently well established based on the ongoing problem.

As for your concern regarding any treatments in the home; I suspect they are most likely unfounded and based on mis information. In other words, the products we're recommending pose no hazard to people or pets when used properly so they can be safely applied as described in our safety video's in and around the home. Unless you have some information to the contrary, the products we're recommending along with the methods and procedures on how to use them present no risk or danger when used in accordance to their labels. In case you missed our video clips, they are quite informative and should better prepare you for using our products for the task at hand.

As you'll see in the video, we always recommend children and pets should be away from the area when the treatment is being done. But you'll also learn that soon afterward they can safely return without concern once the treated areas have been able to settle and dry. Remember, you should be applying small amounts of product in very tiny areas and these doses when applied properly are just barely able to control the target insect let alone affect large, more complex mammals like people or pets. More information on this can be seen in our videos here:

http://www.bugspray.net/video/product-safety-first

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

If you review the online article we have detailing MEAL MOTH CONTROL, you'll learn that the adult stage is typically the ones people find moving around their home. Though killing this stage will greatly diminish the ones you're seeing, it won't solve the problem. As our article explains, there must be a source of food from which the adults are emerging. And if you wish to get rid of the adults, you'll need to get rid of their "source" food to effectively break the cycle.

There are many things on which they might be breeding. Most are listed in our article but the more common food stuff include cereal, pet food, pasta, flour, cake mix and other pantry stored ingredients. For the average homeowner, the guidelines we have listed in our article will help get their problem under control. For your situation, the resolution will be a bit different.

One important point to consider: If the stored items in your trailer will be there for several weeks, the risk of "cross contamination" is high. Adults have one thing in mind; find a mate and reproduce. If they are not able to find a suitable food supply on which to lay their eggs, they'll undoubtedly do so on where ever they land. These "other" items may or may not be able to feed and sustain the hatching young. Since this pest is adaptable, the larvae could full well find something not commonly thought of as food on which to thrive. Other "sources" of nutrients that can work include cardboard boxes, clothing or some other fabric. My point is the longer everything stays inside the trailer, the higher the risk of this cross contamination. This could – and I have seen it happen – lead to a big mess and even damage if left untreated and ignored.

The best approach at this point would be to remove everything in the trailer, find the contaminated food stuff and discard it all. The trailer should then be treated with either the Baygon Aerosol or the Permethrin and then everything can be returned (less the bad items which were found) safely and with little risk of getting infested. In theory this should solve the problem.

If you are not able to handle the problem this way, the next best thing could be to set off some Total Release Aerosols. These would kill off the adults but as our article explains, it would only take a day or two for more to appear. A better option would be to set out some Meal Moth Traps. These would in turn collect the foraging adults which would stop them from reproducing. With any luck you'll be able to keep them from populating long enough so that when you are finally able to remove the contents of the trailer, the source can be found and then discarded.

One other option worth mentioning is to get an Aerosol Machine and set it out with some Konk Insect Killer. This setup would enable you to get a regular amount of product to be applied on a regular basis so any hatching adults would die off before they could populate. Configure the machine to release a blast of product every hour and I'm sure it would handle the job.

If you have further questions, please give us a call at 1.800.877.7290. Your situation is a bit unusual but it still can be managed with the right products and approach.

Any time you treat a cabinet, especially in a kitchen or bathroom, it's imperative that everything is first removed prior to spraying. This insures you get proper coverage and that you don't contaiminate anything with the Baygon. After giving the cabinet space a good spraying, be sure to set out some of the Moth Traps to help catch any adults that will be emerging in the weeks after you spray. And of course, get rid of the infested food item as our meal moth control article explains.