How to stop millers?

[absolutbill]

I've had some problems with millers infesting my house lately. I don't know what they are actually called, but they are small moths that seem to come in cricket crack, or bug burger, or things like that - I've even seen them come in wheat bran. Needless to say I'm not high on the popular list with my husband right now

Does anyone know how to keep these millers from invading my house? Would freezing all cricket crack, and similar bran products work? Should I just throw the items into zip lock bags and keep them on the back porch? It's getting pretty frustrating, and since we never really have freezing weather down here I don't see an end to it.

BTW, I don't mean to single out Cricket Crack and Bug Burger specifically, it's in ALL brands of dry cricket chow. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[little leaf]

I make my own gut load, for my roaches , my base is a chick feed - I had the same thing ( except I would catch them for my carpet cham ) but my husband also go irritated with the millers- I started baking my gut load when it was done , in part to make sure it was dry - I have not seen a miller ever since I started to bake it - BUT I have never used any of the crix crack or any of that type of stuff - so I don't know if that will help you or not - but that is how I get rid of them

 

[ridgebax1]

They are pantry moths and are know for infesting things that are dry like flour, etc. and dry gutload is probably like dining at the Ritz for them! I used to have that problem when I kept birds and got bird seed from the pet store. You can just pop your gutload in the freezer for 24 hours and it should take care of the problem. Also The Gardners Supply Company website has traps for pantry moths and fruit flies if you wanted to go that route to get rid of the already hatched moths. I keep my gutload in the freezer and what I am currently using in a ziploc bag. I was just thinking that "millers" is an odd name for moths. I have heard them called that before. I bet back in the day, they infested grain mills and such and that is how they got that moniker!

 

[asongforyou]

I had this problem like 3 months ago. They were in my birds seed mix. Threw out everything that was infested and put the new stuff in the freezer and air tight containers. They're finally gone now.

 

[ridgebax1]

You don't have to throw out your gutload as it is just bug food and as long as it is exposed to freezing temps for at least 24 hours, nothing should hatch after that. I just kept the stuff in a ziploc bag afterwards. Now if it was my food out it would go! I do remember sometimes with the bird seed I would get a clump of webby like stuff with bird seed in it and I did throw that out.

 

[absolutbill]

Thanks to all of you - I wasn't sure if freezing it would be sufficient, but I think for my next batch I'll vacuum seal it into smaller bags and then freeze those. My concern was that nutrients would be lost in the freezing process, but if it's working for all of you then that's awesome. My husband already tossed the cricket crack, but I could see the little maggots starting to grow again in there.

I call them millers because that was my Mom's name for them, so that's just naturally what I assumed they were called.

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions!

 

[ridgebax1]

That's what my mom called them too, which is why I knew exactly what you are talking about. I don't think freezing has the same effect on nutrients as heat does. Plus you don't have to keep it in the freezer the whole time so the exposure is limited. I think the vacuum bags are a great idea because sometimes those little weevils can get into that type of food. I once had a box of barley that was like a condo in Dubai for them. They had a pool and a gym in there I swear cause there were hundreds of them. I think I hate them worse than the millers!