# kitty litter moths



## creeper

I've never heard of moth eggs inside kitty litter. 

I'd suggest scrubbing kitty's area and box. Then try a new brand


----------



## joecaption

First you have to figure out what type moth they are before you can try and find the cause or treatment.
http://www.dpughphoto.com/moths.htm
Once you ID it key word search the name.


----------



## JulieJ

We threw out the whole box of litter, when we first had the problem. We also scrubbed the litter box and started out fresh. The moths don't eat fabric. We were informed that they most likely ate cat kibble. We've never seen any, in their bowl. We check it daily. We've done our do diligence daily and nail any moths. It's not a daily event anymore. It can take up to a week, before we see one, on the wall. The directions say that we have to wait 6 weeks, before we know for sure that the moths are gone. Well that hasn't happened yet. UGH!!! We'll continue to nuke the litter, prior to using it. We plan to paint this summer and we don't want to see a bunch of moth bodies stuck to our freshly painted walls. 

Julie


----------



## creeper

Moths and their eggs in animal kibble is very common. Our food too. Cereals, flours, granola..all that stuff. (try not to think about it too much or you may never eat again. Its actually called filth. Certain foods..rice, teabags, oatmeal is allowed a certain percentage of heavy filth. This includes dead insects and rodent eyelashes)

If it gets old the eggs hatch and out come the moths. Its best to consume all food while the eggs are still eggs as its less gross that way


----------



## joecaption

When I lived on boats we would always store flour and corn meal in the referator. If we found meal worms we just stick the container in the micro wave and used it anyway.


----------



## creeper

joecaption said:


> When I lived on boats we would always store flour and corn meal in the referator. If we found meal worms we just stick the container in the micro wave and used it anyway.


Easier to ignore them if they are dead huh Joe 

If you think about it too long, food is really gross


----------



## rusty baker

joecaption said:


> When I lived on boats we would always store flour and corn meal in the referator. If we found meal worms we just stick the container in the micro wave and used it anyway.


 Just added protein.:whistling2:


----------



## gregzoll

Sorry, but the majority of kitty litter is made of baked clay, others are made of recycled newspaper. Then there is the kind made from Corn product "World's Best Cat Litter", which can contain eggs and bugs.

So if you are getting a bug infestation, time for you to call in the professionals and have them exterminate the pests.


----------



## gregzoll

rusty baker said:


> Just added protein.:whistling2:


That is what dad always told me, when he was stationed in South America, back in the sixties, playing Cold war spy games as a Spook for the Air force, running an Elephant Cage radio tower. They got tired of picking out the bugs from the bread, and just ended up eating them, since it was extra protein.


----------



## Fix'n it

i us the corn products cat litter. i have never seen any bugs in it. 

btw, i love this stuff ! its not dirty like clay litter.


----------



## JulieJ

Thanks for the link Joe. We had no idea there were that many moths. yuck! 

In the middle of the room, one of our cats sat on her back legs and reached up and clapped her paws and nailed a moth. I had no idea what she was doing. I wish I could have gotten a picture of her, in action. It was funny. 

Between our 2 cats and us.....maybe we'll nail them ALL. (I can wish....Can't I?)

Thanks for the replies. 
Julie


----------



## Fix'n it

do your cats go outside ?


----------



## AllanJ

JulieJ said:


> Please don't laugh! (It's kinda funny, but a pain in the pocket book.) We've had a problem with kitty litter moths, since last summer. There is nothing in the pantry or cupboards for these moths to go for. Never in all my years of owning a cat or 2, that moths came out of kitty litter. We bought moth traps and invested/wasted $30.00. and that only trapped a few moths. We nail them, when we see them. We now microwave the kitty litter, once we open a new box. *These moths don't eat fabric*, thank goodness.
> 
> Besides eating kitty litter or ??? we're not sure how they survive. They are fast and blend in our carpet. If we can't get rid of these by summer, we'll have to board our 2 kitties over night, buy bug bombs and set them off. Leave, then come back and air out the house and wipe down any residue. Then go get two ticked off kitties and deal with them, cuz they won't be happy campers. ..


Are you sure they (their young) don't eat fabric?

In addition, the adult moths, if they are still in the litter when the cats use it, will carry microscopic bits of cat feces about the place although no more than houseflies do.


----------



## JulieJ

No, they don't go outside. The prior owners had them declawed.  

Iffin the moths are eatting fabric, we haven't seen any holes yet.

I'd like to know where they hang out all day. If they're in the carpet, they blend in. These moths are the same color.

When the weather gets nicer, we'll board the cats, bug bomb the house, air out the house. Clean the carpets and then deal with two ticked cats. 

Too bad we can't send the bills to the kitty litter company. ha ha


----------



## JulieJ

If we have to board these two, purchase bug bombs/foggers... etc, why should we HAVE to foot the bill, when we didn't have any bug/moth, problems to start with? 

We wrote the kitty litter company. All they did is say this was unusual....well DUH!!! (We've both had cats as a kid and this is a first.) They sent us a coupon value of $10.00. Yippie Skippie. Like that will put a dent, in our expense, to get rid of the moth problem. <sigh>

Any suggestions on how to get this company to compensate us, would be great. These moths don't show up daily. It can take up to a week and we'll find one or more. I know we've nailed the majority of them, but unfort. we haven't nailed them all. 

Thank you all for your time and any ideas. 
Julie


----------



## What

Hi
I am not laughing. I changed to wood cat litter and was happy that I had no odours. Since then I have developed a rash and noticed small poorly flying moths.
The only place they can come from is eggs in the litter.
I order in bulk and would have a problem microwaving it all. 
I will try another brand but suspect that clay based litter is the answer.
W


----------



## DoomsDave

@JulieJ


JulieJ said:


> If we have to board these two, purchase bug bombs/foggers... etc, why should we HAVE to foot the bill, when we didn't have any bug/moth, problems to start with?
> 
> We wrote the kitty litter company. All they did is say this was unusual....well DUH!!! (We've both had cats as a kid and this is a first.) They sent us a coupon value of $10.00. Yippie Skippie. Like that will put a dent, in our expense, to get rid of the moth problem. <sigh>
> 
> Any suggestions on how to get this company to compensate us, would be great. These moths don't show up daily. It can take up to a week and we'll find one or more. I know we've nailed the majority of them, but unfort. we haven't nailed them all.
> 
> Thank you all for your time and any ideas.
> Julie


How about pictures of the moths? Up close as possible?

ID on species might be crucial


----------



## Nik333

DoomsDave said:


> @JulieJ
> 
> How about pictures of the moths? Up close as possible?
> 
> ID on species might be crucial


Dave, this was almost 8 yrs ago. They probably resolved it. Sounds like meal moths. But, I dont think she ever said what kind of litter.


----------



## DoomsDave

Yeah, good point. Some litter is biodegradable, instead of the usual clay, so it might get moths in it.


----------



## meesha1118

JulieJ said:


> Please don't laugh! (It's kinda funny, but a pain in the pocket book.) We've had a problem with kitty litter moths, since last summer. There is nothing in the pantry or cupboards for these moths to go for. Never in all my years of owning a cat or 2, that moths came out of kitty litter. We bought moth traps and invested/wasted $30.00. and that only trapped a few moths. We nail them, when we see them. We now microwave the kitty litter, once we open a new box. These moths don't eat fabric, thank goodness.
> 
> Besides eating kitty litter or ??? we're not sure how they survive. They are fast and blend in our carpet. If we can't get rid of these by summer, we'll have to board our 2 kitties over night, buy bug bombs and set them off. Leave, then come back and air out the house and wipe down any residue. Then go get two ticked off kitties and deal with them, cuz they won't be happy campers.
> 
> If anybody has had this problem....please let us know how you got rid of the dang moths! Thank you for your time.
> 
> Julie


I have had cats all of my life and never had this problem before. But this year, they are a nuisance. My husband has a zapper, looks like a tennis racket, and he goes hunting. They hang out on the ceiling and are eating the popcorn right off of popcorn ceiling. They hang out in the laundry room which is where we have two litter boxes!


JulieJ said:


> Please don't laugh! (It's kinda funny, but a pain in the pocket book.) We've had a problem with kitty litter moths, since last summer. There is nothing in the pantry or cupboards for these moths to go for. Never in all my years of owning a cat or 2, that moths came out of kitty litter. We bought moth traps and invested/wasted $30.00. and that only trapped a few moths. We nail them, when we see them. We now microwave the kitty litter, once we open a new box. These moths don't eat fabric, thank goodness.
> 
> Besides eating kitty litter or ??? we're not sure how they survive. They are fast and blend in our carpet. If we can't get rid of these by summer, we'll have to board our 2 kitties over night, buy bug bombs and set them off. Leave, then come back and air out the house and wipe down any residue. Then go get two ticked off kitties and deal with them, cuz they won't be happy campers.
> 
> If anybody has had this problem....please let us know how you got rid of the dang moths! Thank you for your time.
> 
> Julie


They are actually called litter moths. They hang out at our house in the laundry room on the ceiling. They are eating the popcorn right off of the ceiling. My husband bought a zapper, which looks like a tennis racket and goes hunting. Sometimes they fly in to the living room. They are annoying!


----------



## Nik333

@meesha118 - I think they're Indian Meal Moths. They eat mostly grain. Look on your litter bag/box and if the litter isn't made from clay, that may be why. If it is made from clay, look to see if the brand or parent company makes a "Natural" litter, too. It may be that the conveyor belts are used for both. That would account for the moths. I can't imagine that moths like silica clay!

My first real job, as a teen, was cleaning the shelves of a Health Food store of all packages with moths,
eons ago.
Good article, scroll down to the Management-



Indianmeal moth - Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)



DIYchatroom thread -









Moth infestation in a room!


I have a severe moth infestation, in a room that has some snack boxes and clothes... I removed the foods.... These are small slim moths. Tried naphthalene balls, no outcome. What's the best way to eradicate these? Here's a pic from home depot, i dunno which is the best bait? Pls advice thx




www.diychatroom.com





I don't know of any moth that would eat a popcorn finish off a ceiling, but, I'm not a pest expert nor a painter. Unless it has been damp & the moths eat mold/fungus? I doubt it. I have a problem with the local Dairy flies and they hang out on the ceiling, also, it's warmer.

You can start a thread, also.

Additional info -
"This widespread pest of stored food prefers the coarser grades of flour and is the most common pest in wholewheat, and cornmeal (Indian meal). Feeding is not confined to grains, it is found outside in a wide variety of substrates including ear corn, wild grasses, and nuts. Inside the home Indian meal moths have been found infesting grain products and broken grain, seeds, stored bird seed, nuts, dried fruits, dried flowers, crackers, pasta, biscuits, dried soup mixes, cake mix, muffin mix, powdered milk, spices, chocolate, candy, dried red peppers, and pet food. Once I found a bag of cat litter made from wheat completely infested with hundreds of moths, larvae, and webbing. The only place in the house with lots of activity was the upstairs bathroom. My inspection found the wheat cat litter in the back of the bathroom closet under a pile of bathroom supplies, forgotten." Colonial Pest


----------



## Kitty Inthesun

I had this same problem after buying Worlds Best Kitty Litter, Sweat Scoop and corn based litter. It came in the litter. They are Pantry Moths. I had to buy over 20 of those triangle paper traps with moth pheromones and sticky glue painted on the inside. The moths go in and stick to the glue. I had the cat box upstairs and I didn't think they were in my closet downstairs but I put traps in there, and they were in there too! It was expensive but these were the only things that work. The moths were dormant in the sealed litter because I did not see them fly out of the bag when I opened it. I guess the light made them finish their life cycle. I know this because I opened the litter and put half in the cat box and the other half in a large clear plastic container immediately after opening to keep it from getting moist and moldy until time to use it, and there were live moths and webbing in the sealed container about 2 months later. I was really pissed that I paid $42.00 for this litter and it infested my house with hundreds of moths within a month. Do not fool yourself and think they are only in the room with the litter. By the time you notice them they are through your entire house. The only way to tell when they are gone is to put fresh traps in each room and if no moths stuck in there after a month, then they are gone. BTW, if you put dry cat or dog food in a sealed clear plastic container, after a month you will see worms crawling on the walls of the container and webbing in the food also. So now I check the expiration dates to make sure I am buying a new bag, only buy small bags so its gone before these things hatch, always keep in a sealed plastic container and always wash out the empty container in the dishwasher before next use. The dishwasher has that hot steam drying cycle. I like the litter, so I am going to try microwaving some known infested litter and dry food, then putting it in the see-through plastic container for a month first, to see if it does in fact kill the moths. It may not. I was at work and we have little sugar ants, and one was running around the rim of my coffee mug while in the microwave, for 3 minutes! The water was boiling the mug was hot and that ant was not phased at all. But, I think cooking the litter in the oven would kill them, I hope. Guess I will do that experiment too, then put it in a plastic container for a month. Those moths were gross and very embarrassing when you have guests and they say "what are those little paper triangles I see everywhere?" As they pick one up and see hundreds of little beige moths stuck to the inside, some still wiggling...now they will never eat any food from my house and I'm sure they it was a topic of conversation later with other people - for years. Really pissed off at Worlds Best Moth Filled Litter. They could at least heat kill these moths before selling it to us. Probably make those $6.00 moth traps.


----------



## Nik333

🤣 "As they pick one up and see hundreds of little beige moths stuck to the inside, some still wiggling...now they will never eat any food from my house and I'm sure they it was a topic of conversation later with other people - for years. Really pissed off at Worlds Best Moth Filled Litter. "

There are a bunch of threads on Indian Meals Moths. Thanks for your addition! I wasn't sure that's what was in the litter.😊


----------



## jsctro

JulieJ said:


> Please don't laugh! (It's kinda funny, but a pain in the pocket book.) We've had a problem with kitty litter moths, since last summer. There is nothing in the pantry or cupboards for these moths to go for. Never in all my years of owning a cat or 2, that moths came out of kitty litter. We bought moth traps and invested/wasted $30.00. and that only trapped a few moths. We nail them, when we see them. We now microwave the kitty litter, once we open a new box. These moths don't eat fabric, thank goodness.
> 
> Besides eating kitty litter or ??? we're not sure how they survive. They are fast and blend in our carpet. If we can't get rid of these by summer, we'll have to board our 2 kitties over night, buy bug bombs and set them off. Leave, then come back and air out the house and wipe down any residue. Then go get two ticked off kitties and deal with them, cuz they won't be happy campers.
> 
> If anybody has had this problem....please let us know how you got rid of the dang moths! Thank you for your time.
> 
> Julie


I can tell you one thing that DOESN'T seem to work. I've been adding tons of baking soda to the litter trays, but no matter how much of the stuff I add, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I think I'm going to have to change my cats over to another litter.


----------



## Fix'n it

all this time, we have never had a problem with the non clay litter we use


----------



## jsctro

Kitty Inthesun said:


> I had this same problem after buying Worlds Best Kitty Litter, Sweat Scoop and corn based litter. It came in the litter. They are Pantry Moths. I had to buy over 20 of those triangle paper traps with moth pheromones and sticky glue painted on the inside. The moths go in and stick to the glue. I had the cat box upstairs and I didn't think they were in my closet downstairs but I put traps in there, and they were in there too! It was expensive but these were the only things that work. The moths were dormant in the sealed litter because I did not see them fly out of the bag when I opened it. I guess the light made them finish their life cycle. I know this because I opened the litter and put half in the cat box and the other half in a large clear plastic container immediately after opening to keep it from getting moist and moldy until time to use it, and there were live moths and webbing in the sealed container about 2 months later. I was really pissed that I paid $42.00 for this litter and it infested my house with hundreds of moths within a month. Do not fool yourself and think they are only in the room with the litter. By the time you notice them they are through your entire house. The only way to tell when they are gone is to put fresh traps in each room and if no moths stuck in there after a month, then they are gone. BTW, if you put dry cat or dog food in a sealed clear plastic container, after a month you will see worms crawling on the walls of the container and webbing in the food also. So now I check the expiration dates to make sure I am buying a new bag, only buy small bags so its gone before these things hatch, always keep in a sealed plastic container and always wash out the empty container in the dishwasher before next use. The dishwasher has that hot steam drying cycle. I like the litter, so I am going to try microwaving some known infested litter and dry food, then putting it in the see-through plastic container for a month first, to see if it does in fact kill the moths. It may not. I was at work and we have little sugar ants, and one was running around the rim of my coffee mug while in the microwave, for 3 minutes! The water was boiling the mug was hot and that ant was not phased at all. But, I think cooking the litter in the oven would kill them, I hope. Guess I will do that experiment too, then put it in a plastic container for a month. Those moths were gross and very embarrassing when you have guests and they say "what are those little paper triangles I see everywhere?" As they pick one up and see hundreds of little beige moths stuck to the inside, some still wiggling...now they will never eat any food from my house and I'm sure they it was a topic of conversation later with other people - for years. Really pissed off at Worlds Best Moth Filled Litter. They could at least heat kill these moths before selling it to us. Probably make those $6.00 moth traps.





Fix'n it said:


> all this time, we have never had a problem with the non clay litter we use


What type of non-clay litter are you using?


----------



## Fix'n it

jsctro said:


> What type of non-clay litter are you using?


its corn cob or something like that. i can work it in my hand = my hand doesn't get dirty.


----------



## jsctro

Fix'n it said:


> its corn cob or something like that. i can work it in my hand = my hand doesn't get dirty.





Fix'n it said:


> its corn cob or something like that. i can work it in my hand = my hand doesn't get dirty.


I hate to tell you this, but pantry moths will eat corn. If you don't have moths yet, I think you may soon.


Indianmeal moth - Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)


----------



## Fix'n it

jsctro said:


> I hate to tell you this, but pantry moths will eat corn. If you don't have moths yet, I think you may soon.
> 
> 
> Indianmeal moth - Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)


ok, been using it for over 15 years, no moths.


----------



## jsctro

Fix'n it said:


> ok, been using it for over 15 years, no moths.


That's impressive. You're definitely a statistical outlier when it comes to pantry moths.


----------



## Fix'n it

jsctro said:


> That's impressive. You're definitely a statistical outlier when it comes to pantry moths.


perhaps. but i don't see this stuff selling if many users were getting moths.


----------



## Catlady101

Kitty Inthesun said:


> I had this same problem after buying Worlds Best Kitty Litter, Sweat Scoop and corn based litter. It came in the litter. They are Pantry Moths. I had to buy over 20 of those triangle paper traps with moth pheromones and sticky glue painted on the inside. The moths go in and stick to the glue. I had the cat box upstairs and I didn't think they were in my closet downstairs but I put traps in there, and they were in there too! It was expensive but these were the only things that work. The moths were dormant in the sealed litter because I did not see them fly out of the bag when I opened it. I guess the light made them finish their life cycle. I know this because I opened the litter and put half in the cat box and the other half in a large clear plastic container immediately after opening to keep it from getting moist and moldy until time to use it, and there were live moths and webbing in the sealed container about 2 months later. I was really pissed that I paid $42.00 for this litter and it infested my house with hundreds of moths within a month. Do not fool yourself and think they are only in the room with the litter. By the time you notice them they are through your entire house. The only way to tell when they are gone is to put fresh traps in each room and if no moths stuck in there after a month, then they are gone. BTW, if you put dry cat or dog food in a sealed clear plastic container, after a month you will see worms crawling on the walls of the container and webbing in the food also. So now I check the expiration dates to make sure I am buying a new bag, only buy small bags so its gone before these things hatch, always keep in a sealed plastic container and always wash out the empty container in the dishwasher before next use. The dishwasher has that hot steam drying cycle. I like the litter, so I am going to try microwaving some known infested litter and dry food, then putting it in the see-through plastic container for a month first, to see if it does in fact kill the moths. It may not. I was at work and we have little sugar ants, and one was running around the rim of my coffee mug while in the microwave, for 3 minutes! The water was boiling the mug was hot and that ant was not phased at all. But, I think cooking the litter in the oven would kill them, I hope. Guess I will do that experiment too, then put it in a plastic container for a month. Those moths were gross and very embarrassing when you have guests and they say "what are those little paper triangles I see everywhere?" As they pick one up and see hundreds of little beige moths stuck to the inside, some still wiggling...now they will never eat any food from my house and I'm sure they it was a topic of conversation later with other people - for years. Really pissed off at Worlds Best Moth Filled Litter. They could at least heat kill these moths before selling it to us. Probably make those $6.00 moth traps.


I have the same issue, came in in a bag of the walnut litter. Love the litter, dust free but cannot tolerate these moths. They do not respond to pantry or clothes moth traps, have yet to catch a single one. I keep squishing them and when they fly around at night I have a battery powered swatter that actually electrocutes them. I kill about 10 per day but they keep coming. Just ordered new litter to try. I will empty the area out and take everything outside a and wash everything down like the walls etc. Wish me luck. I'm at my wood end


----------



## Fix'n it

still nothing here.


----------



## chandler48

Even after 8 years, nothing but cat poop and diatomaceous earth with smelly stuff in it.


----------

