I saw the signs and didn’t know what I was seeing. The little webbing appearing in the corner of the kitchen  and pantry area, also in the garage and back porch. I thought it was somehow related to the moisture of the last year’s rains and just swept it away when I saw it and didn’t think much about it.  Then I began noticing it more. Mike my bug man came this week and told me they were Indian pantry moths.  He told me they were likely in all my cereal goods in the pantry.  But how could that be if I keep all my pantry items in the refrigerator?

My refrigerator stays pretty full, mostly with pantry goods that have been opened: flour, sugar, rices, pastas.  I store them in there to keep the humidity out since, except for in the summertime, I like to leave my windows open to the fresh air.

Mike said they never stray far from their food source and he showed me my one rack of dried beans – less than 6 months old mind you – and sure enough, the packages had been invaded. He sprayed and said I may be seeing them for a long time to come because of how they hatch.

Then I went on a hunt.  But first, I Googled “Indian pantry moths” to learn more about them and discover everywhere they might be.  I checked the bird seed, which I thought was safe in a sealed plastic container. But I’d been leaving the top half off, so it had been invaded.  I checked the dry cat food which was loosely sealed and not in its plastic container, and it had some.  To the garbage and out of the house with all of it.

Nothing I had seen in my childhood Andy Panda cartoon of 1942 “Goodbye Mr. Moth” had prepared me for this. Of course, in the cartoon,  the moth is wreaking havoc in Andy’s tailor shop.  It devours clothes like cartoon mice devour cheese, and we get to watch Andy go through all sorts of manuevers to get rid of him.  Similar to those seen here in Andy Panda’s The Wacky Weed (warning, violence).

I scrubbed down everything and was surprised to find more webbing all over the place, in cracks and crevices, near the baseboards.  It was contained in the pantry and kitchen and dining area.  I used Clorox cleaner with bleach on it all.  I pulled the stove away from the wall and made sure that was cleaned as well.  I saw evidence of none back there.  That was good.

The incident made me wonder how many other things are growing and beginning to take form and thrive without me being aware of it.  I’m not talking about insect infestation, I am talking metaphorically now.  I wonder how many good things are in the works getting ready to come to fruition for me, things I am not consciously aware of right now, things that would thrill and delight me.

As for Mr. Moth, now, days later, I see very few of them but am still on the lookout.  To be sure, I am wiping everything down again every couple of days, to catch any larvae I may not be able to see. We’ll see how well I did.

I even wrote them a note asking them to live outside.

We’ll also see how well they can read.

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