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Pantry Moths Threadhttps://t.co/OfOAPtsImm
I'm going to buy some wine with my first paycheck. But not to drink (well maybe to drink).Mostly though, I want to see if I can attract and kill the female pantry moths that have invaded the house. The traps don't work on them (only the males).https://t.co/Z0KVFhNtOY
Experimenting with 2 vinegars, 2 wines, and an IPAhttps://t.co/vvpWUPs76O
It's kinda gross, but the moths *LOVE* this window, so I spread out the bait traps.No control in this preliminary trial. Just look to see which ones attract more and then I can do head-to-head trials after. https://t.co/UwjrrFqPCi
We've had some luck with 'bay leaf' as a deterrent. But they're really bad right now due to a large amount of carbohydrates in a cupboard that roommates use, and the warm humid weather being a great time for caterpillars to do their thing.
I only ever buy moth-proof containers. I lost a bunch of food to a mice infestation and then another bunch from a previous moth indecent in Burlington. Been trying to figure out ways to attract and kill females, or at understand what they're scenting for.https://t.co/8gV27uT04Y
Been exploring how moths make their digestive acids. It's really fascinating how much variety there are in moth species.https://t.co/ktJ5x5vYMW
One answer for meal moths is to empty out all food that they eat, wash everything with some soap, rinse, then wipe all the surfaces down with a dilute vinegar solution. Also be on the lookout for leftover bags of dogfood or other infestation source that can cause a reinfection.
The key is to kill the eggs so they don't reinfest. They also seem to avoid ceder oil like most moths, which you can get for fairly cheap.Lots of containers aren't actually 'hermetically sealed' and the larvae can (& will) crawl in. I've found silicon gaskets tend to work well.
The containers with an easy open seals, such as the OXO brand 'POP' containers seem to let the larvae in thru the mechanism in the top. There are a couple of knock-offs that work similarly. I avoid those entirely. (the 'Smart Seal' versions are fine.)
The reason I'm doing an experiment is: while the moth traps on the market https://t.co/OKy2RxGhx0 work, they aren't fool proof. They imitate female's scent to attract males (then they get stuck). It reduces numbers, but doesn't clear them out. One female can lay hundreds of eggs.
I'm also generally interested in moths after learning that scientists are measuring moths in bear poop."One study found that moths can get up to 83 precent fat and are more energy dense than ground squirrels, trout or pine nuts."https://t.co/2bhWiD3IFG
When I live in a place infested with an insect, I learn how they work & figure out how to 'bait' them. I once found carpenter ants absolutely love pepper jelly, (more than sugar water!) and it lets me contain them in one part of the house ala distraction.https://t.co/GH3IqgnPP1
Ants are tiny self-replicating roombas powered the crumbs they pick up. The undomesticated kind plant seeds, which act as long term energy harvesting systems that absorb material from the earth/air and generate ATP using the sun.House ants should be treated as friendly daemons. https://t.co/TDuJ0AxTEj
I also figured out how mice work well enough that I got really good at catching them. I figured out a while back how to do it in a humane way ( https://t.co/OeuqOS9CyQ ) and I think I might be able to control mice via their urine.https://t.co/RjgjV50pMe
So this moth thing is an easy way to test out my experimental methods.And then maybe I can move on to mice, and then more advanced animals like deer/cow/goat herding.https://t.co/7yVjkIzluN
Results are in for the moth trap. It took about 3 weeks for the contents to evaporate. The red wine won out with about 3 times as many moths as the rest. The apple cider had the best initial action, but once the red wine started going sour it did a better job.
I found a cheap DIY moth trap design used for measuring moths in the wild. I'm thinking I may be able to modify the design to turn it into an indoor trap while doubling as a fly catcher.https://t.co/HKbkv6RBiM https://t.co/xFD46sIiBa
You ever try to meme people into trying to figure out if pantry moths can spread glyphosate resistant gut bacteria?https://t.co/m2FvTZwTFc
Expanding "sustainable paths":Environment engineering can make habits easier.Sometimes it's accidental & not in your control, but you can take advantage anyway.An example: pantry moths in the kitchen mean it's easier for me to to avoid grains! 😂https://t.co/nKu6UskHrd
Moths like to eat eat fungus on trees.https://t.co/PHWian7VIWA fungus kills moth.https://t.co/YrUXL98ZN7https://t.co/JlFmN0n3KM
"The fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga has become prevalent in gypsy moth populations throughout North America. How the fungus spreads and what affects its ability to infect GM populations is still not entirely understood."https://t.co/n5rL5wBRE6https://t.co/W3wMhwvaWw