What to do if there is a mole in walnuts, prevention, video

Various types of moths or moths have firmly chosen human housing as a source of heat and food.

Depending on the species, these insects may prefer natural fabrics or food.... The appearance of pests is especially common in cereals, nuts, legumes, and other food products.

If moths have been found in walnuts, it is important to take immediate action to eliminate parasites, otherwise there is a high risk of contamination of all groceries.

There are no universal ways to combat food moths, larvae and adults can withstand low temperatures perfectly, and the use of insecticidal agents is fraught with food spoilage. Let us consider in more detail what can be done when moth larvae are found in nuts, and how to get rid of such an unpleasant neighborhood.

Control methods

Today, there are no universal methods of dealing with the king moth, which starts in nuts. For example, folk remedies have a low level of effectiveness, and may not cope with the task at hand.

If moths have started up in peeled walnuts, it is forbidden to use insecticidal agents, as you can spoil the product.

If a mole starts up, it is recommended to do the following: revise all products, throw out the spoiled ones, treat the room to prevent the reappearance of insects.

Chemical control agents

To get rid of moths in nuts, it is important to throw away all contaminated fruits and other foods.

Next, you need to process bedside tables, cabinets with insecticidal agents that will help prevent the reappearance of pests.

The following are highly effective:

Armol. Presented as a spray. It should be used for the treatment of all surfaces. After the procedure, you need to ventilate the house well, since the composition of the product contains toxic substances.
Raptor. Effective and safe for people and animals. It should also be applied on the surface of cabinets, bedside tables. After completing the procedure, it is recommended to carry out wet cleaning, ventilate the apartment.
Combat. It is especially useful for small crevices.

Any chemical insecticides are designed to kill adult parasites, larvae, egg clutches. Due to their toxicity, do not spray or apply to food.

It is recommended to thoroughly wash the kitchen surfaces after processing.

The use of folk methods

Good results can be achieved through the use of folk remedies.

If you start a mole in the nuts, you can do the following:

Bay leaf. The strong specific aroma of this spice repels parasites. To remove insects, it is recommended to make a sachet pillow from several laurel leaves. Place the resulting repeller among the stocks of groceries, nuts.
Essential oils. Essential oils have repellent properties. For example, it is recommended to apply eucalyptus, fir or lavender extract to the inner surfaces of kitchen cabinets and nightstands. With the regular carrying out of such a procedure, the risk of pests is minimal.

Sprigs of lavender or bitter wormwood can be used to scare off parasites.Arrange dry bouquets of plants behind furniture, other secluded corners.

Disinfection of the territory

If a mole has started up in the nuts, it is important to make a procedure for disinfecting work surfaces and favorite habitats of pests, which include containers for storing groceries.

For sanitizing, you can prepare the following solution, which has disinfecting properties: eight parts water, one part each alcohol and tea tree oil. Mix the ingredients with warm water. The prepared solution should be used to treat floors and furniture.

Containers for storing cereals, if they are made of glass or other refractory materials, are recommended to be warmed up with an oven or rinsed with boiling water. This measure will help to destroy the larvae and clutches of eggs of the walnut moth.

Folk remedies for moths

Most of the folk "recipes" for moth larvae, which are already in food reserves, do not work. However, there is some benefit from them, because a butterfly that has flown "to visit" will quickly leave your house, smelling an unpleasant smell for it. Some plants with a strong ethereal scent will help scare away butterflies, prevent them from multiplying and lay eggs. Among them, most of all, the moth does not like:

lavender;
sagebrush;
garlic;
geranium;
sweet clover;
rosemary;
laurel.

Spread the twigs of these plants on the shelves in the closet, and also the dried tangerine zest. Citrus moths also do not like it. And in the jars themselves, where you poured the nuts, add a couple of laurel or tangerine peels.

Royal nut moth

The king walnut moth is a species of large butterflies that parasitize food. The pest caterpillar has an impressive size and a high level of resistance to negative external factors.

The royal moth is common in almost all countries with a temperate climate. The appearance of a pest in the kitchen is fraught with rapid spoilage of food. In order to save the nuts, it is important to take action to eliminate the pest as soon as possible.

Description

The king moth is a large insect with inconspicuous wing color. You can see a butterfly only in flight, since when located on any surfaces, the insect folds its wings and becomes almost inconspicuous.

Caterpillars of the parasite lead a secretive lifestyle, preferring to feed and pupate in walnut shells... It is in view of the above fact that it is extremely difficult to detect pests.

Cycle and life span

A characteristic feature of any species of moth is the absence of a developed oral apparatus in adult insects. Only the larvae of pests need food sources, which need food for growth and development.

The lifespan of adult butterflies is about seven to ten days.... During the specified period of time, females lay about five hundred eggs in nuts.

The duration of the developmental period of moth larvae is several months and can vary depending on environmental conditions.

For example, at low temperatures, the formation of the parasite slows down significantly and lasts for six months or more. The growth and development of larvae occurs under the shell of the nuts.

What harm does a mole do

The moth will not keep you waiting for a long time to give out its appearance in the kitchen

It seems to many that the moth does not cause tangible harm. But this is not entirely true - its larvae are dangerous.

An adult can lay up to 500 eggs in a few days. Larvae emerge from them. They grow and shed their skin several times. As a result, the larvae clog the nuts with chitinous cover and feces. The consequences of taking such products can be dire:

immune problems;
intoxication;
allergy.

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Important! If a mole starts up in the kitchen, you should get rid of it as soon as possible.

Why does it appear

Walnut moth is one of the most common pests around the world. More often insects appear in the conditions of large food warehouses, barns intended for storing nuts and cereals.

If a mole has started up in the nuts, it is necessary to immediately take measures aimed at its destruction, since there is a high risk of spoilage of a huge amount of food.

Adult butterflies have developed wings and, if weather conditions are favorable, can move between rooms. The appearance of moths in residential premises is more often due to the purchase of infected larvae of nuts.

In the presence of the required amount of food, nymphs can remain viable for a long time. For example, even at low temperatures, parasites hibernate rather than die.

Description of the pest

The butterfly is about 2 cm long. Belongs to the order Lepidoptera. The wings are brown-gray. There is a pair of antennae on the head. Has 2 pairs of legs. The insect lays eggs in cereals, dried fruits, flour and other places. The eggs are small, up to 0.5 mm in diameter, it is almost impossible to notice them. From them, larvae appear, which cause the main damage to products. After the larval stage, the moth transforms into a pupa and then into a butterfly.

Important! The main damage to products is caused by butterfly larvae.

Parasite harm

For walnuts, moths are especially dangerous. The appearance of only one or two pests on the territory of an apartment or a grocery warehouse can cause massive contamination of products. The larvae of the king walnut moth throughout the entire development cycle are in the shell of the nut, feeding on its kernels.

Accordingly, it is there that the insect molt occurs, insect excrement accumulates under the walnut shell, as well as discarded chitinous covers.

When eating a nut infected with a parasite, there is a high likelihood of developing signs of food intoxication... The appearance of pain in the area of the digestive tract, nausea, vomiting, stool disorders is possible. To prevent poisoning, it is important to choose nuts with extreme caution.

Causes and signs of appearance

Moths start in the kitchen for several reasons:

bringing food contaminated with insects into the house;
storing nuts in a room with high humidity;
rare airing of the room;
finding an open container next to the window, bringing in from neighbors.

Why does a mole start to live in the house and how does it get into the apartment?

The most favorable living factors for this pest are:

the presence of twilight;
constant access to food;
room temperature for a continuous life cycle.

And it can get to your home in several ways:

Having flown from neighbors. Although the pest does not fly well and does not fly much, it is quite capable of covering short distances through ventilation holes or holes near heating pipes.
Having flown from the street. In search of food and for breeding, they can easily fly into the house from the street.
With contaminated food. If the manufacturer has not properly stored its products and has not paid attention to heat treatment, various food products can be contaminated with larvae.They are invisible to the eye, and once in a warm environment they begin to feed again and grow into an adult flying in search of a partner.

Cycle and life span

Caterpillars appear from the laid eggs, they turn into butterflies. Having reached puberty, butterflies lay offspring. In favorable conditions of city apartments and houses, this cycle can continue all year round without interruption.

The lifespan of a single adult with wings is short and ranges from 15 to 30 days, depending on the species.

It moves little and only at twilight, as its wings are poorly developed and there is no protection from predators.

Features of prevention

Porridge "Hercules" - one of the favorite places for the origin of food moth

Clean kitchen cupboards with vinegar. Use oils that smell bad for insects.
Disassemble the rubble - get rid of old things. A parasite can start in the trash, which will eventually move to the kitchen.
Store nuts in a plastic container with a tightly screwed lid.
Review your inventory periodically.

The food is spoiled not by the butterflies themselves, but by the caterpillars. It is difficult to see parasites because they do not announce their appearance. The danger is that the affected foods can lead to serious health problems: allergies, decreased immunity, intoxication.

It is necessary to destroy insects in a comprehensive manner: eggs, butterflies and larvae. It is not recommended to use insecticides as they can poison the food. If preventive measures are taken, parasites will not appear! At the same time, it is important to carry out timely sanitization not only in the kitchen, but also in other rooms.

Method 5 - processing furniture with vinegar

Wipe all the cabinets in which the cereal lies with soapy water, cleaning, if possible, all hard-to-reach places, since it is in them that eggs and larvae are often hidden. Ventilate the room - the moth is afraid of fresh air. Soak a rag in a vinegar solution and wipe down all of these surfaces.

How to deal with food moths without the use of special insecticides? This can be done with ordinary table vinegar. In this case, you need to act like this:

To begin with, you will need to empty any cupboards in which you store dry food, and carefully clean them with soapy water, paying special attention to hard-to-reach places. The cereals and other products themselves need to be sorted out well so that there are no pests left in them.
Then you will need to remove any remaining soap solution from the cabinet walls and treat the surfaces with vinegar.
After that, all that remains is to wait until the vinegar is completely dry, and you can return the food back to the cabinet.

Ways to deal with moths

There are several methods to deal with this pest, but the most reliable of them are:

The most effective and efficient way is to prevent its appearance in the house. Be sure to follow the rule: after purchasing bulk products, pour them at home into hermetically sealed plastic, glass and metal storage containers. And the best option is to use transparent containers for these purposes.
Keep your kitchen area clean and tidy. Avoid the presence of food leftovers on tables, storage cabinets and never store cereals, baby food, animal feed in an open form. Wet mop more often and revisit groceries periodically.

What to do if there are moths in walnuts

Unfortunately, it is impossible to save the fruits that have already become a habitat and a "dining room" for moths. Even if you go over them, traces of the vital activity of the pests will remain. Feces, eggs, husks - who wants to eat nuts with such a "filling"? So throw away contaminated supplies without regret. But it is quite possible to prevent the reappearance of moths. For this:

Vacuum all cabinets and shelves to pick up pests.
Wash them with soapy water and dry well.
Wipe the surfaces with a concentrated vinegar solution. You can use special insect repellent, for example, Antimol.

Cleaning will have to be repeated several times until insects are visible. Special traps for moths will help to catch them. Break the nuts in the shell and see: if there are already larvae there, discard.

To prevent unwanted guests from arriving, pour untouched good nuts and all cereals into glass, tin, or plastic containers. The main thing is that it should be tightly closed with a lid.