Because my superworm colony has become infested with pantry moths and I can't get rid of them no matter how many things I do currently (because it's been going on too long) I have start over... which frustrates me in a lot of ways.... but it's necessary, I cannot sell safely from the colony and am losing a lot of the new babies. So I will be freezing and throwing out all that is currently in there, including insects, and cleaning with a watered down bleach solution. I will buy fresh super worms after finishing the cleaning out and then laying down a new substrate, and pupating the majority of them. I plan to keep the clean colony in my bedroom since the pantry moths are no longer an issue inside the house, only in the garage. Hate the bastard creatures. Honestly I don't hate a lot of insects, even the ants in my house I have a strange respect for and hate having to poison them (though I do because if I let them go unchecked they become dangerous to my other animals), but the pantry moths... they are just annoying.
Overhauling my super worm colony
- Thread starter Andee
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J
Just curious if you had used the pheromone traps for the moths. I had an infestation of these some years ago, and the with the traps, I completely eradicated them.
I have used the traps, but I can't seem to kill them off fast enough with them, how long did it take (I just started using the pheromone traps in larger numbers the passed month or two)? I also have some wild spiders who I have been encouraging mother to keep in the garage right now because they are being helpful cut down on the numbers. I also squish any I can find XD
sdsnybny
Arachnogeek
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Try freezing any grain based food you use in the substrate and for feeding. I used to have outbreaks that came on the Parrot food till I froze it for about 2-3 weeks. the eggs of the moths come in on it even the processed stuff.
The entire substrate is grainbased .____. I mean we have pretty much killed them off in the rest of the house because of how we store things they live in now. But... The one thing I can't kill them in is the substrate being used now without killing off the insects etc.
sdsnybny
Arachnogeek
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freeze it before use every time
Oh XD lol I do now, but now there it's something I have to fix with the current set up and kill off the current moths in my garage... so >.< I just am frustrated with it now. I make my own substrate for them in a way and food/gutload. But I don't have to worry about it being in the food any more. Apparently they can't get in mason jars except maybe 1% of the time if I forget to tighten it enough. But usually you notice before you feed it off... it's just *slams head against wall* a constant battle currently... need to get more traps for sure... horrible little creatures.