1 week Ago By Ellen Jenne
To help protect your store cupboard foods from annoying pests , a cleaning and home hacks guru has shared a cheap, non-chemical method. Chantel Mila, known as Mama Mila on TikTok , revealed some of her favourite food storage hacks which will extend shelf life and deter any unwanted pests. In a recent video, Chantel explained that to keep any pantry insects away, she adds one herb to dry foods.
In this case, she advised adding either fresh or dried bay leaves to foods such as flour and pasta. She said: “Place bay leaves with flour or pasta to prevent pantry bugs.” The beauty of adding bay leaves to packets or tubs of flour and pasta is that they work as a natural repellent.
Bay leaves can help deter pests found in the pantry such as weevils and moths. This is due to the leaves’ strong, aromatic compounds, which are unpleasant to insects. It’s not just flour and pasta that bay leaves can help protect but other dry goods too.
A 2006 study looked at how effective various essential oils were as pest repellents, finding that they can also repel insects such as cockroaches and mosquitoes. Although the research on bay leaves is limited, the study found that eucalyptus, basil and anise were the best deterrents. Proof Pest recommended placing fresh bay leaves and sprinkling them on countertops and cupboard shelves - or anywhere you want.
To keep the leaves secure, you can tape them to your cabinets or place an object over them to ensure they won’t move. If you want to go the extra mile and protect dry foods, add the leaves to the foods directly..
