Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

Pantry moths are like roaches upon a ship, where the sight of one signals the presence of others and the source must be found. The source is the same, always within dry goods stores, and but which ones? When you find it, you'll know it. Pro tip: Never tale stores south of Hatteras, but what you'll soon consume.

Three weeks ago I sighted the noxious pantry moth and immediately ordered a box of moth traps, while setting about to find the source. There were but a couple flitting about, but I knew what their presence presaged. I was a bit puzzled, because after the last episode I vowed never again, and adjusted my shopping and storage habits appropriately.

I got the traps working, and then decided to jump start the process and fogged the house with a bug bomb. And for a day, though I'd not yet found the source, I thought I might have gained the upper hand. Yet, I could find no source of them in kitchen nor pantry, and they were back in increasing numbers within subsequent days. I'm checking and rechecking locations I already know not responsible, driving myself nuts, though my dog was starting to appreciate them as an airborne attraction. What I definitely didn't need was him gaining any enthusiasm for their pursuit.

I'm thinking about bug bombing the house again, since I got the handy three-pack, but that's a pain, and they're still going to keep coming. I'm killing maybe half a dozen a day only, but still. Finally, my eyes espied the reserve supply of dog biscuits I'd bought a year ago, when the medium-sized ones were on sale at Wal Mart in the lifetime supply sized box, half of which had gone into his big glass dog biscuit jar, and the other half remaining within their original box. I knew it couldn't be the source since they did not exist within the glass jar, right? Nope, that was the source, though I did wait until my dog was taking a nap before disposing of them in the trash outside. No dog needs that kind of trauma in his young life.

And so we remain, still picking the little suckers out of the air, or squashing them when they alight, confident we're now at least on the eventual winning side. The biscuits were a good buy, so I don't even miss the 50% I threw out. Anyway, the purchase seemed like a good idea at the time, and maybe it would have been did I give them to the dog upon a dog-approved schedule, which would have seen them since long gone. As it was, another false economy. I probably should have listened to my dog and kept them in the truck.