Indian Meal Moths

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  Indian Meal Moths are probably the most common pantry pest found in kitchens and pantries.

APPEARANCE:




SIZE &COLOR
BODY: Body size: 3/8th inch long
WINGS: Wing size: spreads about 3/4"-when at rest, the wings are folded together-held tightly together by the body Blend of two colors: front half of the wings-pale grey-pale tan, bottom half of the wings: a rust-bronze color
LARVAE: Larvae size: 1/2" A dirty white-off white color,
can have green or pink hues



HABITS   They are nocturnal, flying a night...if disturbed during the flying, they will zig zag. They rest during the day in dark places.

They lay their eggs in food stuffs like: grains, grain products, dried food, dried fruit, powder milk, seeds, candy, chocolates, and specially dry pet foods. Indian meal moths can take from 25-135 days for moths egg-egg development cycle to occur. One moth can lay 100-400 eggs over 1-18 day period. Almost any thing in your pantry that is not in a "tin can" is suspect.

The larvae is what does the damage-feeding on these different food items., forming an extensive web type of substance over the food items that they infest.

After the larvae stage-they go into a cocoon...it is called-"pupate"-spinning a cocoon (very similar to a butterfly). These larvae can sometimes be found wandering : many are found in cracks and crevices.

The Clothes moth is a little different...they have no distinctive markings, and the wing span is only 1/4th".

CONTROL  

The first thing needed to done is the elimination of the source of infestation. In private residences the pantry pest is usually brought in products from the grocery stores. It is usually just in one area, but can spill over into other areas. The larvae can and will migrate to other areas. They can also be a box that is "sealed". Also look into cracks and crevices and any void area where food may have accumulated. Look into your cereals, grains, dried beans, sprouting seeds, dried fruits, and spices. Don't forget to check any bird seed or pet food. Bird Seed is many times a major source.

After complete elimination -of the source thoroughly vacuum the area paying attention to cracks and crevices. Be prepared for more searching in other areas of infestation, even after you have apparently have cleaned all infested sources. Continue this for at least a month.

    We recommend that you follow up with two products:






  • THE PANTRY PEST TRAP, Safer-- this trap contains a special pheromone to attract the adult moths-very effective.











    Another pantry pest trap,equally effective is the

  • Revenge pantry pest trap. It also has a pheromone to lure the adult moths, with a sticky surface inside.



  • PERMADUST a residual crack and crevice aerosol-to spray in the cracks and crevices-penetrating adults and any wandering larvae...so they would come into contact with it---before spinning into a cocoon.