Indian Meal Moth
Biology
The Indian Meal Moth has many names including weevil moth, flour moth, grain moth, and pantry moth. It got it’s name from its habit of eating Indian-meal or cornmeal. This species of moth is found worldwide. Adults have pale wings and are colored a reddish brown and have a copper shine.
Females usually lays her eggs at night, she can lay 100-300 each night normally where grain is present. The eggs begin to hatch within 2-14 days. The larvae have 5-7 developmental changes. The life cycle (egg to egg) is normally 25-305 days. The adult moth only lives for 5-7 days; their main function is to reproduce.
Feeding Preferences
The Indian Meal Moth feeds mostly on grain and grain products, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, dog food, bird seed, and most anything that you can find stored in a home pantry.
Transmitted Diseases
The Indian Meal Moth does not transmit any human diseases.
Habits
The Indian Meal Moths are nocturnal. While the adults cause no damage, it is the larvae that can chew through cardboard, plastics, and most packaging that food substance is in. Once inside the package, they spin webbing, and cocoon; this contaminates the food. The larvae are sometimes misidentified as clothes moth larvae. These moths are attracted to light, you can normally see them flying near a light source at night.
Structural Pest Pantry Pest Program
David will perform a thorough inspection on both the interior and exterior of your home, finding all the infested areas and identifying which pests you are dealing with. Once identified, David will implement a pest control program that is designed to target the specific pests in your home.
