Les,

I have several bits of advice which I hope will help you.

1) Perform a Google search using the exact phrase below.
Don't forget to include the quotation marks:

"pantry pest traps"

These pheromone based traps are very helpful in wiping out
pantry moths. They used to be a mail-order-only item, but
I know that Ace Hardware now carries the product and I'm
certain that other retailers must also. I'm guessing $10 for
a pack with 2 traps. I just remember that the retail store
price is about half of the mail order price. I'd suggest buying
at least 2 packages for a total of 4 traps.

2) Don't forget to investigate any pet food or bird food stored
in the house. If you have an attached garage, also check
any bird seed or dog food stored out there. The moths will
find their way into the house. They seem to be particularly
fond of sunflower seeds stored anywhere in the house or
garage.

3) Check behind furniture and behind hanging items such as
pictures. The moths will set up colonies in these areas
and the newborn will find a source of food in your kitchen.

They can be hidden behind these objects for months or
even years without being detected there. There shouldn't
be any doubt when you encounter a nesting area - it will
look like spider webs overlaying mini-cocoons.

If you find them in one or more of these hiding places, I'd
suggest vacuuming them with a vacuum that has a disposable
filter. Remove the filter and clean the vacuum outdoors
soon after you feel that you've vacuumed all of the hideouts.

I would suggest starting your search with pictures hanging
on the walls. Next I would investigate any wooden furniture
which has a rear flat vertical surface which is fairly close to
a wall. Next I'd check the back or sides of all other wooden
furniture. Finally, everything else.

4) Be sure that you check every possible bulk food item which
you may have around your house. Do you have any leftover
unshelled nuts sitting in a bowl from the Christmas season?

Some of those nuts, such as walnuts, may have a slight opening
in them and the moths can get in and use the nut as a
"breeding chamber." This can go on for months or even years
and you are likely to only notice the moths when they hatch
and move over to your kitchen or pantry.

5) Remember that it is very common for a homeowner to completely
cleanout pantries once a month for many months and never
get rid of the moths because there is a hidden location in another
part of the dwelling. This is extremely frustrating and it is the
reason why I suggest an extreme attack on your part as early
as possible.

My personal advice - search for hidden colonies away from the
food source, continue to monitor food sources, and buy the traps.
These pests can ruin a lot of food, consume a lot of your time and
they can frustrate a homeowner for years. It sounds as if you've
done a great start at researching and attacking the problem. Let's
hope these few extra tips win the battle for you. And quickly, so
that you don't have to go through another cycle of pitching food.

That's all that I can remember for now. If I recall any more tips,
then I'll post them later. I have omitted any tips which I have
heard over the years, but which I cannot personally vouch for
based upon my own experiences at home or my experiences
helping friends and neighbors.

Don't forget to post to this newsgroup and let us know what you
discover and how successful you are.

Good luck,
Gideon