Mini pantry moth outbreak!

[chirpy]

So i have a mini pantry moth outbreak its nowhere near as bad as last time cause I was assassinating about 30 per night (they were in hiding during the day crreeeeepos!) this time its been about 4 a night.. still its gross and I cant seem to find any of those feed-store pantry moth things that are bird safe around my area and I live in illinois.. youd think!

.... I was watching the birds the other day and this stupid moth fluttered by mindlessly into the cage and my Fatty McFatt Fat Roseanne swooped up and ate the moth.



then I thought, IS IT BAD that she does this? I don't really have control of such matters once its IN the cage but then they eat bugs outside anyway!

but I just wanted to make sure!

[Nerien]

I would think eating a moth was fine. Instinct told her to snap at the thingy flying by, if it wasn't okay to eat, she probably wouldn't have.

My dog eats moths, and my cats, too.

My first cat would go nuts for the miller moths in the spring when I lived out west. She HAD to catch and eat every one she saw. Then, after consuming every moth that had gotten into the house by evening, she would lay down, and just lay there looking rather blissful. As moth season ended, and there were fewer and then no moths for her, she'd be frantically roaming the house looking for her moth fix. Moth withdrawal was rough.

Wonder just what was in those things!

[chirpy]

Nerien my cat only eats flies.. or rather kills them and my daughter finds them... back then she would pick it up and tell me "LOOK!" but now she knows what bugs are and tinks they are gross haha!!!

it makes sense its just her natural instinct to eat the moth... it was kind of funny that it was Roseanne of all cause shes seriously such an eater. llol

shes been getting mad lately "che!che!" for no reason. maybe she needs her moth fix!

[Martie]

I am knocking on wood - but haven't had an infestation in a long time, thank heavens. It's no problem if the birds eat them, but you need to start killing them soon, because in my experience, they don't go away by themselves and the population just continues to increase.

Avian Insect Liquidator works to kill the ones you can see, but as you have found, those sticky traps are the best. You can find them in most hardware stores, some grocery stores - Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They are also available online through several bird supply retailers (but then you have to ship them).

Good luck!

[cindy]

Ladygouldian.com has moth traps that contain a hormone to lure them in and get stuck...check your seed for webbing. If you have bags or boxes of rice check that to. The moths lay the eggs in the food, the larva emerge and general climb up to a corner or to the ceiling, attach themselves and rest...turning into moths.

You can freeze the seed for about 48 hours in a sealed airtight bag.

[chirpy]

Martie I had no idea lowed and Home Depot will have them! Do you know he specific name? Are any of them toxic to birds?

I hate them sooooo much. This out break is mini... For now I guess! I found the sources to be seams of boxes. I need to get more Tupperware and ziplocks!

@cindy I have the seeds in a spout Tupperware which stores the whole amount I buy thankfully! It always seems to be in the same pantry - snack pantry!! Ughhhhh!

[Martie]

Martie I had no idea lowed and Home Depot will have them! Do you know he specific name? Are any of them toxic to birds?

There are a few different brands, but they all are on the same principle - a flimsy cardboard frame with a sticky pad for inside the bottom and a hormone attractant disk or square to go in the middle of the pad. They are called "Flour Moth Traps" or "Pantry Moth Traps". The ones sold by the bird supply companies are the same as the ones found everywhere else. (At least I've never seen any made specifically for cage bird areas - and can't imagine why they would...).

Good luck - you're right - they're so annoying!

[chirpy]

Martie cool!!! Thank you!

They are so annoying they just appear out of nowhere fluttering around but at the same time I'm thankful they are "bad" like cockroaches etc! Atleast from what I know these guys don't have diseases etc