Addison's 3-in-1 Toronto Pantry Moth Extermination

You want…

• To quickly eliminate a pantry moth infestation, stop the invasive spoiling of your food stores, and return to life as normal...

• An affordable, professional, honest and warrantied moth exterminator...

• An environmentally conscious treatment that is safe for the whole family, including your pets.

Here’s what to expect:

• Answers to all of your questions

• A no-obligation quote over the phone in seconds

• Flexible scheduling with 24/7 same-day service throughout the GTA.

• No hidden service fees or follow up costs.

Addison has...

• Decades of experience

• A trusted track record

• All-inclusive warranty

• Comprehensive customer service

• Rigorously trained technicians

• Tried and tested extermination methods

• The safest, most effective insecticides

Key Facts about Pantry Moths

• also known as Indian meal moths, kitchen moths, food moths

• most common food infesting pest found in Ontario, causing the most economic damage

• lay their eggs in stored food goods such as grains, flour, cereal, spices, pasta, etc.

• larvae are the damaging pest, adults do not feed on food stores

• very rapid procreation

• larvae produce an overwhelming amount of faeces and shed larval skins spoiling the food they infest

• can access food stores through tiny holes in packaging

Step 1: Moth Heat Treatment

Category:

• Physical

Equipment:

• Handheld heat treatment gun.

Method:

• Direct heat applied locally to areas of elevated moth activity

Strengths:

• Heat kills moth eggs.

• No damage to furniture.

• Instantly kills all bugs and eggs treated.

• Avoids pesticide resistance.

Weakness

• No residual protection.

• Only kills the bugs and eggs that are visible and accessible to technicians.

• Not sufficient without other complementary bed bug extermination techniques.

Step 2: Moth Powder Treatment

Category:

• Physical + Chemical

Equipment:

• Power duster

Method:

• A fine silica dust insecticide is injected into all crevices and wall cavities through electrical sockets and gaps underneath baseboards.

• Electrical items, such as a power bars, are also treated with powder.

Strengths:

• Cuts up the abdomen of bugs that pass through the powder

• Coats the insides of the wall cavities to create a protective powder barrier around your home

• No moths can spread to or from attached houses, adjacent apartments or condo units.

• Essential lasting protection.

• Fully approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, safe and non-toxic for humans and animals of all shapes and sizes.

Weakness

• Only suitable for crack and crevice treatment.

Step 3: Moth spray treatment

Category:

• Chemical + Residual

Equipment:

• Precision surface sprayer

Method:

• A fine mist of residual spray is applied light fixtures, windowsills, door jambs, walls, baseboards, and other surfaces in areas of elevated moth activity throughout the home.

Strengths:

• Kills moths on contact and remains active as a protective surface treatment to continue to kill moths as they come out of hiding.

• Keeps your home and furniture protected for up to 6 months.

• Fully approved by Ontario Ministry of Environment, safe and non-toxic for humans and animals of all shapes and sizes.

• Fully approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, safe and non-toxic for humans and animals of all shapes and sizes.

Weakness

•  If used improperly, may promote pesticide resistance

Beware of Discount Pest Control

These companies use low quality or low concentration surface sprays with only 10 to 14 days of protection.

• The tip off is when they offer to do a “follow-up spray” two weeks after the first treatment. While this may seem extra thorough, moths may remain hidden without feeding for extended periods of time and new eggs can hatch up to two weeks after that point.

• By this time the budget treatment will have long worn off and the new population of moths will be free to re-infest your home. These budget services can breed pesticide resistance in the pests in your home, making future treatments increasingly challenging.

What you need to know for an effective pantry moth treatment

If you suspect you have a pantry moth infestation clear and complete information is the first step to getting rid of them. Here are a few facts, myths, and tips that will help you to make a well informed decision about what to do next.

How to identify Pantry Moths

Adults

• 90mm wingspan

• 20 mm in length

• Copper coloured

• Rear set of wings pale gray

Larva

• 13 mm in length

• whitish/pink coloured caterpillar shape

• a brown head with a body shield

• all damage is done by the larvae

Behaviour

• more common to see in the daytime than clothing moths

• most often spotted around dusk and into the nighttime

• most common food infesting pest found in Ontario, causing the most economic damage.

• spin massive amounts of silk with an overwhelming amount of faecal matter and cast skins in food products

• versatile feeders, commonly found in:

  • broken grains

  • corn meal

  • pasta

  • oatmeal

  • rice

  • cereal

  • dried fruits

  • seeds

  • nuts

  • chocolate

  • powdered milk

  • dehydrated dog food

Recognition

• easily mistaken for clothing moths.

  Check out our clothing moth page for distinguishing features

• One quick distinguisher:

  • clothing moths fly in a straight line

  • Indian meal moths have an oscillating flight path

Can I get rid of pantry moths on my own?

If you catch a pantry moth infestation in its earliest stages it is possible to eliminate without a professional pest control company.

Unfortunately, going this route does take more time than a professional extermination and the infesting moths may have time to infest large amounts of stored food.

Here are some tips for getting rid of pantry moths on your own:

• locate and dispose of any infested stored food

• store all dried goods in air tight bags or containers

• Use high heat steam to thoroughly cabinets and panties

• kill all adult moths that you spot

• Food stored in -40ºC will eliminate larvae. Most freezers will only cause larvae to hibernate

• use pheromone baited sticky traps in your pantry and food storage areas to gauge the severity of an infestation

Pantry moth larva are voracious eaters and can cause significant financial loss, especially in commercial food storage.

Often infestations can go undetected for a long period of time. Once the infestation is identified, customers often fear that they may have consumed infested food products without knowing.

If you are cannot successfully eliminate an infestation with these do-it-yourself steps call us to get a no-obligation quote in seconds, and schedule a same day treatment.

How do I know if I have a pantry moth infestation?

Spotting a single pantry moth does not mean you have a full blown infestation, these moths can multiply quickly and contaminate a signifcant amount of food in a short period of time

If you begin to see moths on a regular basis it is time consider implementing a professional pest control program.

Be on the lookout for these signs of a clothing moth infestation:

Sightings

• Small worm like larvae found in containers with perishable food, cereal, grains, legumes any edible organic matter

• Shed larval skins webbing and worms in your food containers if not stored properly.

• Adult moths flying in oscillating pattern around your home

Damage

• larvae are surface eaters

• cover their food source with a soft webbing before consuming

• spin massive quantities of silk

• produce an overwhelming amount of fecal matter and shed larval skins in food products

• Adults do not feed on grains and usually are resting during the day.

Where to look for pantry moths

• pantries

• cupboards

• window sills

• storage cellar

• in dried goods

  • broken grains

  • corn meal

  • pasta

  • oatmeal

  • rice

  • cereal

  • dried fruits

  • seeds

  • nuts

  • chocolate

  • powdered milk

  • dehydrated dog food

Give us a call to get a for a no-obligation moth extermination quote for in seconds.

How did pantry moths get into my home?

• Eggs, larvae or live adults may gain entry to home through infested food material

• Many food distributors suffer ongoing pantry moth infestations

• Bulk foods are at a higher risk of infestation

How serious are pantry moths?

• cause significant economic loss by spoiling entire pantries of food stores

• neither the adults nor the larvae are known to spread diseases, pathogens or parasites

• unsightly nuisance in any home or business

• high rates of reproduction can become severe infestation in short time period

What do pantry moths eat?

• adults lay eggs in dried food products to give newly hatched larvae plenty of feeding material for their development

• some common infested products include:

  • broken grains

  • corn meal

  • pasta

  • oatmeal

  • rice

  • cereal

  • dried fruits

  • seeds

  • nuts

  • chocolate

  • powdered milk

  • dehydrated dog food

How serious are clothing moths?

• cause significant damage to treasured clothing, linens and fabrics

• damage may be in concealed areas on garments

• check areas beneath collars or cuffs of clothing, in folds of material on furniture and carpeted areas beneath undisturbed furniture

How can Addison help eliminate and prevent a pantry moth infestation?

• At Addison, we use professional grade pheromone baited sticky traps to monitor the severity of a moth infestation and locate the areas of increased activity

• As part of our service, we conduct a 360º home inspection to offer precise insights on how to cut off moth entry points, clean up potential breeding sites and dispose of infested material

• Inspect all screens, exhaust vents, weather stripping, door sweeps

• 3-step residual insecticide, heat and powder treatment eliminates moths, larvae and eggs efficiently and safely

What A Happy Client Says about Addison on Google

My partner and I were very happy with our Addison Pest Control experience. Connor spoke with us for nearly half an hour via phone answering all our questions about our moth problem, the treatment process, and how to prepare. On the day of the appointment, Michael and Cam arrived right on time. They were super friendly, professional, and reassuring, and made us feel like they would take good care of our home. We're very happy with the job they did, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend their services to friends and family. Thanks!
Matthew B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We’re proud of our 4.9/5 rating on Google across 1228+ reviews!