I don't want weevils--or whatever the pupa stage of this moth is--in my pantry. And if they ever got in the basement it would not be good.
So, I bought something I would have never thought I would ever need. A fly strip. Yes, I know. Disgraceful, but what do you do? Let one grain moth live and later be faced with the plagues of Egypt.
This happened to a friend of mine. She and her husband teach at BYU. They were taking a group of students to Spain for a semester abroad. They left a clean and tidy house. What they didn't know is that in some product they brought home from the grocery store there was a hitchhiker--a grain moth. Pregnant. They closed the house and in several months, when they opened the door and turned on the lights the whole room took flight--a plague of Egypt.
I have no desire to participate in a plague experiment, no matter how educational and historic.
So, up went two fly strips, one behind the pantry door and one in the basement. The pantry strip caught three moths or maybe three parts of moths. It's hard to tell.
The basement fly strip didn't catch any moths. It did catch something else. Me! Let me tell you, those suckers are sticky! No moth is escaping, unless he leaves his wings behind. I nearly tore the fly trap in half, getting my hair out of it.
I had to go upstairs and wash that part of my hair. And my hands. Again and again. Fly trap goo is stubborn.
So, I went to lunch--I was a few minutes late but she was a few minutes late plus one more minute so I didn't have to explain. I chatted and was charming and never said that I was a fly strip victim. I mean, how embarrassing is that? First, admitting you have a pest problem and then admitting you actually put up a fly strip. And then, admitting it caught you.
Here is why I don't want moths in the basement. I can see I was going to make some serious Chex mix over Christmas. Or some muddy buddies. Now what do I with all that cereal? We don't eat cereal. Anyone think Chex Mix or Muddy Buddies are a stupid thing to serve for Easter? Yah, me too.
And looking at these photos I know I need to clean and organize the basement. I think I will take down the fly strip first. No sense in tempting fate.
