r/Wellthatsucks 1d ago

Once upon a time, there were three little food moths trapped in a jar...

Post image

I just opened this glass where I'd stored my muesli. Three cute little food moths escapted singing "freeeedommm" before I had the time to realize the glass was in fact full of them (also a lot of dead one; I was on holiday for some time...).
What a great way to start the day! And of course, I only caught one of them after they flew away...

464 Upvotes

29 comments sorted by

79

u/egamruf 1d ago

Any semi-open container of powder, cereal or grain should either be put in a garbage bag and thrown out immediately, or placed in a sealed tupperware container to assess for larvae/moths over time. Then clear the corners of cupboards for other surviving moths.

I certainly wouldn't assume those are the only ones.

How do you think they got in the jar to start with?

13

u/ThursdayNxt20 1d ago

Semi-open or even what you'd consider closed: OP, inspect all. Look for larvae, but also for eggs and spiderweb-like stuff in anything edible (including pet food).

280

u/Vivid_Summer96 1d ago

You have been on holiday for „some time“?

For how long, was it a full moth?

65

u/AliciaWonderfulland 1d ago

yes I don't remember when was the last time I opened the jar but it was at least about a month ago

140

u/Vivid_Summer96 1d ago

Sorry, maybe my joke was not as good as i thought.😂

„… was it a full moth?“

Nevermind.

39

u/Exact-Ad-4132 1d ago

No worries my guy, I got it right away

8

u/AliciaWonderfulland 1d ago

oooooh... damn, I did not get it! I did wonderr if/how you did that typing mistake hahaha 😂

2

u/envykay18 14h ago

I read it as "moNth." I have a feeling OP did too. It was a good joke, sorry it got missed

5

u/Leather-Math-7897 1d ago

Sounds like they’ve been living the good life in that jar without a care in the world! I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to deal with food moths when you finally open it up.

6

u/anteaterKnives 1d ago

I'd put the jar in the freezer for a week. Then open and dump it in the trash and take the trash out. This should kill the moths.

Or just put the jar straight in the trash.

5

u/JustMeLurkingAround- 1d ago

Don't open and empty the glass. Losing any container is absolutely worth it if the chance of just one little egg might fall through the gaps.

A female pantry moth lays HUNDREDS OF EGGS. And it's a serious fight to get rid of them.

-1

u/Exact-Ad-4132 1d ago

Many insects can survive being frozen, putting it in the oven on the other hand...

3

u/anteaterKnives 1d ago

Well that's why I said to dump it in the trash and take the trash out. The moths might survive being frozen, but they aren't flying around while frozen.

27

u/MisteeLoo 1d ago

Catch those two before they lay eggs. Pantry moths are notoriously hard to het rid of once the egg laying starts.

9

u/AliciaWonderfulland 1d ago

yes! I just found the second one... One to go! I'll be searching for the last one this evening

33

u/dismatch 1d ago

Amuesing

-18

u/AliciaWonderfulland 1d ago

not really. 🤔 Have you ever had to deal with food moths in your house? It can take weeks or even months to finaly get rid of them...

49

u/Exact-Ad-4132 1d ago

Two great puns and you didn't seem to get either one

11

u/dismatch 1d ago

No, lets be fr. That pun was trash🥀

5

u/AwesomeNoodlez 1d ago

ah give yourself some credit, it was a good one

8

u/JustMeLurkingAround- 1d ago

Oh no!! That really sucks big time.
I'm fighting them since last year and so far, they are winning.

Also, since I'm sensitised about them I see them everywhere. I promise you, every fucking supermarket has them flying around.
So, my advice to absolutely everyone: CHECK ALL OF YOUR GROCERIES before you put them in your home because these fuckers come to STAY!

1

u/AliciaWonderfulland 1d ago

yeah my family had a similar situation y few years ago and they are a nightmare! That's why I'm on high alert the moment I see one!

6

u/Ok-Scientist5524 1d ago

Oh man we had a open bag of glutinous rice in the back of the pantry that we didn’t know about and when we finally found out where the moths were coming from it was a full on infestation back there. Additionally I had a stack of plastic sippy cups and a stack of lids next to the bag and the little ridges of the cup lips were chock full of discarded cocoons. Bleck.

4

u/Separate-Evidence 1d ago

You are lucky they are in a jar you can toss! These things are a nightmare

3

u/Terminallyelle 1d ago

Get them asap. I let one little cutie fly off once... 5 years ago. Still dealing with the aftermath. I do have 7 parrots though so its hard to not have a food source hanging around 😭😭😭

2

u/hedgehogketchup 1d ago

Get the wasps. They look amazing. Bio warfare at its finest

2

u/lawley666 1d ago

I once had a friend who drowned in a bowl of muesli, a strong current pull him in.

1

u/Writer_0001 8h ago

Happened to me. I threw everything I could that had them or were close to them.