Best of the Best: Swat Team for uninvited guests

The conversation between my husband and son went something like this:
“You’ll have to help me out; it’s the only way to manage the problem.”
“Can it be set off in the house?”
“I don’t know; we have to get rid of them.”
I pipe in, “Are you talking about bombing?”
“Yes, we have to do something, they’re out of hand.”
 “If Homeland Security is eavesdropping through the car navigation system, a swat team will be on us shortly.”
If this sounds menacing, it is. We have been invaded, for the second time this year, with Mediterranean Flour Moths. I recognize them from pictures of pesky pantry invaders, about a half-inch long, pale gray with black zigzag markings on the wings, and about an inch wingspan. Apparently, they set themselves apart from run–of-the-mill pantry moths by their resting stance, a distinctive commercial pose, “where the moths forelegs are extended raising the head and giving the body a sloping appearance.”
I don’t care if they are Mediterranean guests- I’ve had it. They show up uninvited, without a hostess gift, in packaging from grocery warehouses, move into the pantry, raid grain related foods, brans, and flour, and reduce my pantry basics to 1930 depression levels. And that’s not the end of it.
 “When fully grown, the larvae leave the immediate area where they were feeding and wander about in search of a location to spin silken cocoons.” This wandering around the house, spinning silken cocoons business, is not as glamorous as it sounds; it has me on high alert. When spotting a moth in flight, I jump obstacles and leap into action, slapping palms together in mid-air to flatten the pests. Every time I enter the pantry I scan the walls, shelves, and ceiling, as if an air raid is eminent, and swat the foreigners with a fly swatter. I look as though I have a few wires arcing in the frontal lobe causing a short. It’s maddening. I hope the Swat Team does show up; I could use the help.
Unfortunately, you can only manage the Mediterranean’s as they run their course. What I discovered is this:
1. Throw out all infested packaging.
2. Clean the pantry well.
3. Place pantry pest traps in the pantry and around the house. I placed them in closets.
4. Spray Alpine PT in cracks and crevices using the small tube tip attachment.
5. No bombing in the pantry.
6. Call in the Swat Team.

Best of the Best:
Pest control

Pantry moth pest control:
Safer Brand The Pantry Pest Trap – Four Traps
Propest Pheronet Pantry/Beetle Pest Trap
Revenge Pantry Pest Traps
Alpine PT “is a reduced risk insecticide, a residual aerosol, with a crack and crevice tip.”

Website:
DIY Pest Control, http://www.doityourselfpestcontrol.com: I was able to identify the pantry invaders and found information to share with you on this site.
Printed in the November 29, 2012 edition.