Hi there! My name is Audra, I’m from Ohio and love this internet space that Mavis has created. I recently realized that I had some nasty pantry moths in my pantry and had to throw out a lot of my staples. I love a good challenge and am trying to keep our food budget as tight as possible as I grow my freelance writing and graphic design business.
So, I asked Mavis if she’d be interested in some posts about restocking my pantry from Aldi and using those ingredients for our meals this month! I want to see how much money I can save and if I like the quality of products that they offer. I’m excited to see how it goes!
My local Aldi store (and what the skies in Ohio will look like for the next 5 months…).
I have never had pantry moths before, after some research I found out that they can hitch a ride in cereal and grain items, as well as in items from the bulk bin. In the future I plan on giving my bulk purchases a little arctic vacation in the freezer and repackaging cereals and grains to make sure there isn’t a possibility of the moths coming back.
We had to empty out all of our pantry shelves and inspect each item because the moths can lay eggs under jar lids and on the bottom of cans. We wiped down each sealed item with a bit of white vinegar, and I threw out anything that had been opened. I’ve definitely learned my lesson to store opened pantry items in jars or containers that seal!
Here’s what one of the pantry moth larva and some eggs look like, they were nice and cozy on the underside of a can.
Most of my spices were OK, although I did have to throw away a big bag of Penzey’s chili powder that wasn’t completely sealed. Out went my King Arthur flour, dried fruits for oatmeal, lentils, dry beans, sugar, rice, and corn meal! I’ll be shopping at Aldi’s for replacements, I’m really curious to see if they carry things like dry lentils. I know they have great prices on flour and sugar, but I’m not sure if I’ll like them as well as the brands I usually buy.
Obviously, my pantry needed some attention, that open flour bag was an invitation for moths!
Our pantry all cleaned out!
I hope you enjoy following along on my challenge! If you have any must-buy items at Aldi please let me know in the comments!
~Audra From Ohio
A big THANK YOU to everyone who sent in their photos for the $20/$20 Challenge in 2015. I hope by sharing those pantry pictures and organization stories, you were able to gain a little useful information. The challenge might be over, but I’d love to still see those pantries! If you’re willing to share, I’m willing to share, so keep ’em coming. If I end up using your submission, you score a $20 Amazon gift card! See details below. ~Mavis
If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:
- Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so, show me some picture of how you are going about it.
- Your Pantry Pics – Submit at least 5 HIGH QUALITY pictures of your pantry/fridge/cabinets, as well as a short blurb {at the very least} about you and your food habits.
- Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
- Cool Arts & Crafts – Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
- Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.
- Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Dumpster Diving pictures and the stories behind the treasures you found including how much you paid for them.
You’ll need to send in a Minimum of 5 HIGH QUALITY pictures and the stories to go along with those pictures. Do not send in a couple of grainy photos and a sentence about them. I can’t post that. It doesn’t make for an interesting or informative story.
If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com. You can send your submissions to me at onehundreddollarsamonth @ gmail.com {spaces removed} and be sure and put Mavis Mail in the subject line. Thank you. I’m looking forward to your submissions.
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Teresa says
Hi Audra,
I had moths once, what a mess. They came in some cake mixes my MIL gave me. I think those cake mixes must have been around for a million years. My best advice now that you are all clean is to make sure all your dry goods, bulk items or anything that is not sealed to put it in a snap type storage container or glass jar. Don’t buy too far ahead until you’re sure all those little creatures are gone. The good news is if you accidently eat any, they won’t hurt you. 🙂
Audra says
I think our problem started with some bulk items, it’s good to know we aren’t the only ones that have gone through this (or whose family members keep food for too long ;))!
Julia says
We had them too a few years ago. They came in in birdseed. I used sticky pheromone traps from the hardware store to catch the moths and had to gut my pantry as well.
mdoe37 says
Yes, those traps are the ticket!
Ria says
I bought some of the pheromone traps from a certain huge chain hardware store and took them right back because they were already full of moths! It was so gross! Luckily our pest control guy had some in his truck when he came by.
Audra says
Oh my goodness, what a nasty surprise when you opened that package!
Tejas Prairie Hen says
I learned my lesson about pantry moths 5 years ago when we swiched to organic. The moth larvae make little webs in the food, too. Everything, everything goes into plastic or glass when it gets home!
Audra says
Yeah, those little webs are what tipped me off, ugh. At least I didn’t find out by accidentally eating one I guess!
Rosaleen says
The little buggers can get into plastic containers, too. I’ve seen moths flitting around crackers and flours in grocery and health food stores, showing that foods don’t have to be home long. To safely store dry food, consider using a vacuum sealed glass jar. I save most of our glass jars with rubber seals. Poke a tiny hole in the top, cover the hole with a small piece of rubber electrician’s tape, leaving a corner lifted, and vacuum with a pump. Both electric gadgets and hand pumps work for these.
Audra says
Oh wow, I never would have thought of that!
Anita Morton says
We had pantry moths too and they were very difficult to clear out and keep cleared out. We keep a Terro Pantry Moth Trap in our pantry now. I periodically inspect it to see if we have caught any, so we can clean everything out right away. So far, no more new ones. But, at the height of our problem, we caught a lot of them with these traps. I didn’t know they made little webs in the food. I threw out some grains with those webs when we had the pantry moths, but wasn’t sure what caused the webs. We now put grains and such into mason jars.
Audra says
Oooh, I didn’t even think to check into traps, thanks so much for the tip!
Em says
Ugh, bless you. From my experience with them, inspect everything: cardboard, especially where edges meet; channels or ridges of plastic containers. Dry pet food. My last round of moths took over a carton of oatmeal and it took me a while to find them. Before that, I think they rode in with a bag of dog food.
Hopefully, you caught things early, and cleaning your pantry will help a lot. I bought some of these from Amazon (Mavis, feel free to edit this link and make it a referer link for you if you like) after reading that some stores use moth traps under their shelves, and these caught a lot of moths for me: “Dr. Killigan’s Premium Pantry Moth Traps With Pheromone Attractant | Safe, Non-Toxic with No Insecticides (6, Black Traps).”
I’m puzzled, though, on the best place to put them out. One of them would attract dozens of moths, but another would hardly see any action, in the same room.
Our Aldi store is new, so I’m interested in reading your updates!
Good luck!
Audra says
Thanks for that link, that’s great!
Ruth Peck says
Be especially careful of any grain products from Aldi’s, too. I had that horrible pantry moth infestation a couple of years ago from a bag of rice that I bought at Aldi’s.
After completely cleaning everything and putting down new shelf paper, I put bay leaves in the corners of each shelf. I also but a bay leaf in each jar/container of rice, pasta, beans, etc. I have had no further issues!
Audra says
I definitely prefer a natural approach whenever possible so I will give the bay leaf idea a try! Thanks!
Carole says
My grandmother always used bay leaves. I still do but I also do the Arctic blast and vacuum seal all my dry goods.
Mary says
I stopped buying food from bulk bins for just this reason. Everyone I know who has used the bulk food bins from various grocery stores has had this problem. Such a shame because I used to love buying food that way. But I haven’t had any issues since.
Audra says
I started buying bulk because I was trying to avoid plastic packaging and waste. It’s so frustrating because I was trying to prevent waste and ended up having to throw out all that food! Any future bulk purchases will be going straight into the freezer for a few days!
Mable says
I stopped buying when, in one trip, I saw someone sneeze directly into a bin, and another person snort back her snot and wipe her nose with her hand and then stick that hand into a bin without using one of the scoops. That was enough for me!
Carrie says
I’ve had pantry moths before too. I keep everything in mason jars now. I am not impressed with Aldi’s flour selection. They only offer all purpose flour. I don’t bake a whole lot anymore but when I do I’ve been using almond flour. Really wish they would start stocking it! I haven’t noticed any lentils there either. Just dried black beans, pintos and northern beans at my store. I still love going to Aldi for any snack type food and produce. The organic blue corn tortilla chips are my favorite and I buy their trail mix (just went up in price!) and cereal weekly.
Audra says
Yeah, when I restocked I was disappointed that the only flour available was bleached white flour, I usually buy unbleached or whole wheat. It seems like almond flour would fit into their gluten free section really well, hopefully they make that available some day! I’ll have to try their blue corn chips, I like the Garden of Eatin brand ones and I bet they are similar!
Jessica says
Fellow Ohio-an responding… If you have a Marc’s store in your area they have Bob’s Red Mill on sale 2/$5.00 and there is an Ibotta for $1.00 off up to 3 per receipt! In the past Aldi has had wheat flour during baking season! – this time of year
Audra says
Thanks for the tip! We don’t have a Marc’s but I do use Ibotta and hadn’t seen that offer! It’s good to know that Aldi’s might be getting in some wheat flour, too!
Gigi says
I started making my own almond meal/flour. 10oz of almonds =2 cups of meal/flour. I just throw it in a blender and pulse until it’s ground. Just be sure not to blend too much or you’ll have almond butter.
Carrie says
Thanks! I’ve made almond milk in my vitamix. I’ll have to try this next time!
Jennifer Meyer says
I actually just searched my local Aldis (Virginia) for lentils and unfortunately they don’t carry them. I think they only had kidney beans and great Northern beans. Otherwise I love everything at Aldi’s and do probably 75% of my shipping there now. I talk about them way too much and I know this because people constantly give me coupons for there when they come out lol! We haven’t had any issues with any of the produce. I don’t particularly care for their bagged chicken breast as it cooks up really small. Their girl scout copycat cookies are super yummy! I got them on sale for 90 cents! Their cheaper pizza is a bit bland to me, haven’t tried the more expensive one. Flour, sugar, tortillas, bread, canned goods, diapers, dish soap and dishwasher soap, milk, eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, store brand cola, and lots of other stuff I can’t think of are all great. 🙂
Audra says
I’ve never seen any coupons for Aldi, do they come in the mail or are they in the newspaper inserts or do you find them online? I’d love to get even better deals there!
Jennifer Meyer says
I’ve seen them in the weekly ad, usually like $5 off 35 or 40. Our Aldi’s are relatively new so it may just be their way of trying to get more business here. We had grand opening coupons in the mail also.
Audra says
Cool, thanks for the info! I’ll have to look more closely at the weekly ads and see if they offer them here too!
KC says
After a bout with weevils (and a lot of heartbreaking throwing-out of food in a tight-budget time), I started keeping all the dry goods (beans; cake mix; rice; flour; pasta; nuts; dried fruit) in plastic tubs or in gallon-size ziploc bags – that way, if a new bug showed up, there was only one ziploc bag (or one large tupperware) of food to go through and throw out. Doesn’t work for mice, but for the little bugs it worked really, really well. You do have to verify that the package with the bugs in them is still air-tight, or they may have gotten out, but even if they’ve gotten out, any other package that’s air-tight is “safe” inside, so you just have to wipe down the cupboards and the outsides of the containers.
That said, it’s not photogenic, and we did get teased by a friend who looked in the cupboard and saw the gallon-size ziploc bag of packaged ramen: “What, expecting a flood?” 🙂 But it meant that each future critter accidentally brought home from the grocery store was quick and cheap to toss and kill off, and that’s worth some aesthetic cost to me (especially with all the dried fruits and nuts and specialty flours that we had in the house!).
Audra says
I think the worst part about all this was throwing out all of that good food right at a time we are watching what we spend really closely! Sounds like the precautions you have taken are worth it though!
Leslie says
The. Worst.
When we remodeled our kitchen, we found they had set up shop between the cabinets in the walls. Never would have gotten rid of them otherwise, I’m sure. The. Worst.
Audra says
Oh my gosh, I can’t even imagine. I haven’t seen any signs of moth activity lately, hopefully they were just inside our cupboards!
Laura T. says
I just went through this too! I had to throw out a lot! The webs are a sure sign. I keep a few paper bags near the pantry & they got into the folds of some too. You have to check all tight spaces. I cleaned it all up & put the bay leaves down. I had heard that putting some items in the freezer for a while after you bring them home should kill any eggs inside. I know, gross!!! I just hate when it happens because I know I have a huge project ahead of me!
Audra says
Good info about the paper bags, we keep them in a different cupboard but I will go check them right away. Seems like a cozy hiding place for sure!
Libby says
I have also had success with the sticky traps. I just saw one moth so I put one out and was shocked to find a ton on the trap the next day. Ugh. I bought plastic storage bins from Costco for cereal and chips and flour and everything gets sealed.
Allison R says
I haven’t dealt with a really severe infestation, but I will admit to sifting some flour and using it anyway…I figured it’s getting baked anyway and what’s a little extra protein if something slips through. I know this will really gross some people out though!
My grandma used to say that you should make dog biscuits out of really wormy flour.
Audra says
True confessions, I found a larva in my bag of whole organic vanilla beans. I rinsed them thoroughly and shoved them into a bottle of vodka to make vanilla extract, I couldn’t stand to throw them out!
Kirsten G. says
Lol. The alcohol probably killed off anything that didn’t get rinsed off.
Audra says
That was my thought! 🙂 Not a bad way to go, really…
Brook Hart says
This was a living nightmare. I tossed a couple thousand dollars worth of food out. I had couponed like a mad hoarder. I had to pull all drawers out and scrape every crevice with a fondue fork to remove the nasty sac’s. We flooded the kitchen with vinegar. The offender was a canister of oatmeal from a salvage store. My problem was severe. I let it get out of control because I had no idea what they were. I thought it was just a cute little summer moth.
Audra says
Oh no, that sounds like a horrible ordeal!
Kari says
I had a similar problem many years ago with weevils. It was during my poor, broke college days, and they probably came home in a box of Noodle Roni or Ramen I had to throw out aanything that wasn’t in a sealed can. Ever since then, I keep all grains, pastas, etc, in air-tight Tupperware or canning jars and I’ve never had a problem. Good luck!
Audra says
Thanks Kari!
Torry says
The people we bought our house from had a bug (not moth) infestation. Luckily we weren’t moving right in and were able to scrub everything down and disinfect it. They kept dog food over the refrigerator and they just left all of the dog food that had fallen out of the bag. Ughhh! Now our reoccurring problem is ants.
We get hoards of them whenever the weather changes and at random times, too. In addition to the ant killer, I continually clean with Windex. It is toxic to them, erases their scent that the others follow and leaves the countertops shiny.
Audra says
Ugh, I can just imagine the mess you had to deal with! Pet food can be so greasy too, yuck!
Carrie says
The best way to get rid of ants is to mix 1 cup of warm water with 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of Borax. I use an old plastic container with lid (like cream cheese) and punch some holes in it so the ants can get in and my pooch stays out. Sit in their route and they will be attracted to the sugar and take it back to the colony. It’s truly amazing!
I do get ants every spring, usually at the front door and in the kitchen. I set out my homemade traps, a ton of ants will show up over the next day and then they disappear.
mdoe37 says
I burned feed corn for several years and I suspect that’s how I got them. They got into everything from soft dog treats to sesame seeds.
I’m certain that freezing will not always stop them. The corn I stored was in bins in the garage. During a very cold snap, I opened a bin of corn to see a moth fly out. Dead of winter in Michigan.
The traps work very well….set up several, they are cheap. I opted for clorox cleanup in the crevices in my pantry and kitchen. Just keep checking…jars and tupperware type containers are not always pest proof. Vigilance is the key. After two bouts with moths, I finally (knock on wood) got rid of them.
Audra says
That’s not good news, but good to know! I was counting on the freezer method to do the trick but I guess I need to reevaluate!
Brigid says
I will add my name to the list of those who have fought these pests. I believe they moved into my empty nest! I always stored oatmeal in the original cardboard containers because I could be sure that it would be eaten soon. ONce the kids moved out, the oatmeal just sat and attracted moths. I too threw away lots of food, took everything out of my pantry –including the shelves. Wikihow recommends washing everything with a solution of water, dawn or Mrs Meyers all purpose cleaner and a little bleach. Then spray with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar & water with a few drops of peppermint essential oil (Moths dislike mint and bay leaf.) I did all that and bought the pheromone traps. Even though everything is now in airtight storage containers, I still get a few moths in the traps. I will buy replacement food. when I need it.
Candy C. says
Since you live in Ohio, perhaps there is a Marcs nearby. They sell King Arthur Flour for $3.50 a 5# bag..4 varieties near me. It far surpasses Aldi flour. Bob’s Red Mill is also a superior brand and is carried at Marcs. It is difficult to pass over the $1.50 flour but then I don’t buy junk food so why not buy the best flour to make my own ‘junk food’ hahaha.
Audra says
Agreed! King Arthur is my usual bread and wheat flour and I buy some of Bob’s Red Mill’s specialty flours. I thought it would be worth checking out what Aldi carries but after my challenge I’ll be switching back 🙂 I wish there were a Marc’s nearby, you’re the second person to mention their great flour prices! The closest one is about an hour away, unfortunately.
Delorise says
Years ago I got them in my pantry. A small bag of some millet like cereal got a tear in it–what a mess! I try to keep items in storage bags, plastic containers or glass jars. I shop mostly for dairy, fruit and vegetables at Aldis ( big couponer at Publix so that is my main shopping store-hard to beat the BOGO when shopping with coupons), however I am always asking people as I am standing in line at Aldi’s about the items they are buying. I’ve been told the Aldi brand of clam chowder is just as good as the Campbells and their bread items are great. As a matter of fact most people speak positively about the Aldi brand of items. So sorry it happened to you and looking forward to following you on your challenge. Best of luck on rebuilding your stockpile.
Audra says
Thanks Delorise! 🙂
Linda says
when I bring my flour home it always goes in freezer for at least 2wks to kill anything that comes in the flour. Then I put it in labeled glass jar or tupperware.
Practical Parsimony says
I had and still have pantry moths. I am disabled and cannot clean much at once. Pantry Pest moth traps are not meant to kill all the moths. They only attract the male moth which might solve the problem, but only 1 in 8 male moths enters the traps. They tell you where the infestation is.
Three days in the freezer will kill moths, weevils, and eggs of either. If you want to leave things longer, it will not hurt anything. I put all beans into canning jars and put in the freezer for three days. Canning jars will keep the eggs in beans or flour from escaping into your house. If you freeze in the canning jars, you can kill eggs in anything and once you take the jars out of the freezers, no moths can get in. You have to use a jar with the rubber seal. A plastic lid will not keep them out.
Rubbermaid or an airtight seal works. Plastic bags can be eaten through. Even so, I sometimes have to use a freezer bag. Rubbermaid bins do nothing at all to keep moths out. I bought some of the bins that have a rubber seal. Even five gallon buckets with a gamma seal work.
I had rice in a canning jar. One day, I wondered if moths had gotten under the lid in the rings. Yes, the moths had gone up into the rings around the jar. Nothing had gotten in. The reason I checked under the ring spirals is because I found out that moths will crawl under the labels on cans. The moths had not gotten into the jar because of the rubber seal like for canning.
When I cannot put things into canning jars or don’t have time, I tape the seams on things like raisins with packing tape.
Moths got into silk flowers in the kitchen.
My mother was born in 1921 and lived during the Depression. She said that when moths got in the flour or weevils, they left a web. They sifted the flour and used it anyway. So, Audra, you are not the first one to do this.
Peppermint gum in the cabinets is supposed to repel the moths.
About ants, I had them in the kitchen for a period of each summer for about 15 years. Finally, one day I was searching the basement for ant trails and found none. I went outside and wisteria was touching the house. It was a veritable ant superhighway. Finally, when I cut away every bit of greenery that touched my house, the ants ceased. The best ant killer is Terro, found in Lowe’s. It is just sugar, water, and borax. I tried all the recipes, but only the store bought worked for me.
You can use Borax 20 Mule Team borax to sweep into the baseboards to get rid of roaches. This product has been used forever. It is in the aisle for washing machine detergents.
I bought an electric flyswatter that looks like a tennis racket and it was a dud. Then, I went to Lowe’s and bought theirs. It works. The ones from Harbor Freight last about five minutes.
I hung fly paper in desperation, and it caught loads of pantry moths, male and female, I presume. It also catches fruit flies and mosquitoes. I hate the look of these, but I was desperate. I put one on a paper plate, sort of coiled it around and set it in another room. Works to get those pantry moths!
Go to
https://practical-parsimony.blogspot.com/search?q=pantry+moth
Audra says
Wow, thanks for all the great info!
Laura says
At Aldi’s, be sure to try the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cereal bars are a hit with my grandkids as well as some of the individual sized trail mix varieties.
Audra says
Thanks Laura, I’ll check them out!
Lisa L says
Good luck Audra! Looking forward to reading how it all goes for you!
Audra says
Thanks Lisa! 🙂
L. bryant says
Just like so many others we had to deal with the moths. Despite cleaning with bleach the problem continued to get worse. What we discovered is that if you have adjustable shelving the larvae will be in the holes for the pegs that you adjust your shelves on. I had to use a coffee stirrer dipped in bleach and purge every hole in our pantry.
We use food saver bags, mason jars , and sealed Tupperware style containers in our pantry. Nothing stays in its original box . If I need the label for directions I peel it and put it in with the food in a Ziploc bag.
We even went so far as to remove the labels from cans. We froze and then taped them back on to prevent the reinfestation. All cans get a straight vinegar wipe on the top and bottom before being placed in the pantry.
I still stock up but With the ideas we have been using we have not had another problem.
Carrie says
I had moths get into a package of sandwich thins. Didn’t realize it, fixed our burgers and then my husband starts freaking out half way through his. There were larva in the buns. It was the most disgusting thing ever and I’m sure we all had a helping of insect protein. YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was 5 years ago and I still get queasy thinking about it and haven’t bought the sandwich thins since.
Audra says
I can’t blame you one bit!
Sarah says
I wouldn’t be so quick to restock your pantry.
If you research the life cycle of a pantry moth you’ll see they can lay in wait for months. I battled them for a few years because I cleaned like a mad woman and thought it was over only to get a burst of them on a hot summer day 9 months later (they tend to develop and hatch in warm temps.)
I keep one pantry moth trap in my small kitchen (don’t put the pheromone traps close together) and I check it pretty much every day. I’m still a bit traumatized from my pantry moth experience. I don’t buy in bulk and everything goes in hermetically sealed jars (the pupa can eat through plastic bags lickety split and they’ve been known to creep in the threads of peanut butter jars and pupate in on the underside of jar lids!) Our pantry moths came from a bag of brown rice from Costco.
Pantry moths are a total nightmare. To those who read this in the midst of an infestation, you have my sympathy.
Audra says
9 months!?! OMG. I guess there’s a bright side to keeping our house on the cool side during the winter, but we keep it on the warm side during the summer so….ugh. Thanks for the heads up, I was hoping we are done but it’s good to know that they can stay dormant for extended periods.
Wendi says
Yes, the moths…but what I really want to know about is the pumpkin in the finished product – the one beside the box of foil et. I had a bunch of them that volunteered from last year’s holiday decoration compost. I thought they were strictly decorative. Will you prepare it like a regular pumpkin, steamed and mashed for example?
Practical Parsimony says
It is edible. I made pumpkin butter from my decorative pumpkins. chop it up to keep it from being stringy.