Moths treatment in Chicago
Pantry moths in food stores, clothes moths in natural fibres. Two different problems.
Moth problems in homes come in two distinct forms, and treating one as the other wastes everybody's time.
Indian meal moths are the pantry variety. They infest dry goods — flour, grains, cereal, nuts, dried fruit, pet food, birdseed — and are very often brought into the house already inside a sealed package. The giveaway is silken webbing and small caterpillars in the food itself, and adults fluttering along the tops of kitchen walls and ceilings.
Clothes moths are the fabric variety. Their larvae feed on natural protein fibres: wool, cashmere, silk, fur and feathers. They favour dark, undisturbed places — the back of a wardrobe, a stored winter coat, a rug under furniture that never moves. The damage is irregular holes, and it is done by the larvae, not the adults you see flying.
For both, the work is inspection to find every infested item, removal and disposal, treatment of the voids and cracks where larvae pupate, and monitoring to confirm it is over.
Signs you have moths
- Small moths flying along the tops of kitchen walls and ceilings
- Webbing, clumping or small caterpillars in dry food packages
- Irregular holes in wool, cashmere, silk or fur garments
- Silken tubes or cases in wardrobe corners and under stored rugs
How we treat them
- Full inspection of pantry stock or fabric storage to find every source
- Removal and disposal of infested items
- Crack, void and shelf-edge treatment where larvae pupate
- Pheromone monitoring to confirm the infestation is finished
Common questions
How did pantry moths get into sealed packages?
They usually arrive already inside them. Infestation typically happens upstream at a processing or storage facility, not in your kitchen.
Do the flying moths eat my clothes?
No — the larvae do all the damage. By the time you see adults flying, feeding has already happened somewhere nearby.
Other pests we treat
Dealing with moths?
Free site estimate anywhere in Chicagoland. See a pest within 2 weeks of our service and we come back free.