Comments for Small brown Moth (Indian meal moth)

Comments for
Small brown Moth (Indian meal moth)

Indian meal moth
by: Moni

Peggysue
Indian meal moths are known for infesting all cereal food products and whole grains, with the larvae feeding on these as well as a wide variety of foods such as dried fruits, powdered milk, cornmeal, flour, raisins, prunes, nuts, chocolate, candies, health food and seeds, bird seed, dog and cat food, fish food, graham crackers, dried red peppers, pastas, etc. Therefore, maybe they might possibly be in the dried fruits on the trees, but they usually are an indoor storage pest.
They do seem to be everywhere and are a constant problem in warehouses that store not only the raw grain, but the processed products. So, you are constantly bringing them home from the grocery. Many times there are eggs in the cracks of the cartons of cereals, pet food bags, pastas, and all those types of products. Try to check for any signs of an infestation on the packaging before purchase. Perhaps buying smaller size packages so you use the products faster will also reduce the number of insects you see. The best way to control them is putting everything WITHOUT the packaging into tightly sealed glass, metal or hard plastic containers the minute you get them home.
If you find an infestation, you can put the package in the freezer (0 degrees F) for a few days to kill off all the insects. Or for heat treatment put it in a microwave oven for five minutes or in a shallow pan in the oven at 140°F for one hour or 120°F for two hours.
A thorough cleaning of the cupboards on a regular schedule, especially the cracks and crevices with a vacuum followed with soapy water will keep the population down.
You are also wise to use the sticky traps. They really do help. Make sure to replace them when they expire.
Since you have such a warm climate, these critters are going to be more of problem as there are no freezing temps to minimize the population. The life cycle depends on temperature, taking two to six months in temperate zones and three to four weeks in warm climates. Here in the north where we have freezing temps, some of the critters are killed in storage.

Hope the removal of the cupboards was for renovation not just to rid the house of Indian meal moths...that could be very expensive! :-)

Best wishes in riding the place of them!

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Submitted by: Moni

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Peggysue Indian meal moths are known for infesting all cereal food products and whole grains, with the larvae feeding on these as well as a wide variety of foods such as dried fruits, powdered milk, cornmeal, flour, raisins, prunes, nuts, chocolate, candies, health food and seeds, bird seed, dog and cat food, fish food, graham crackers, dried red peppers, pastas, etc. Therefore, maybe they might possibly be in the dried fruits on the trees, but they usually are an indoor storage pest. They do seem to be everywhere and are a constant problem in warehouses that store not only the raw grain, but the processed products. So, you are constantly bringing them home from the grocery. Many times there are eggs in the cracks of the cartons of cereals, pet food bags, pastas, and all those types of products. Try to check for any signs of an infestation on the packaging before purchase. Perhaps buying smaller size packages so you use the products faster will also reduce the number of insects you see. The best way to control them is putting everything WITHOUT the packaging into tightly sealed glass, metal or hard plastic containers the minute you get them home. If you find an infestation, you can put the package in the freezer (0 degrees F) for a few days to kill off all the insects. Or for heat treatment put it in a microwave oven for five minutes or in a shallow pan in the oven at 140°F for one hour or 120°F for two hours. A thorough cleaning of the cupboards on a regular schedule, especially the cracks and crevices with a vacuum followed with soapy water will keep the population down. You are also wise to use the sticky traps. They really do help. Make sure to replace them when they expire. Since you have such a warm climate, these critters are going to be more of problem as there are no freezing temps to minimize the population. The life cycle depends on temperature, taking two to six months in temperate zones and three to four weeks in warm climates. Here in the north where we have freezing temps, some of the critters are killed in storage. Hope the removal of the cupboards was for renovation not just to rid the house of Indian meal moths...that could be very expensive! :-) Best wishes in riding the place of them!

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peggysue - Sydney, Australia
by: Anonymous

I too, have heaps of these little blighters!! I was wondering if they might also be attracted to the fruit in palm trees, as I have heaps of these trees in my garden, and the moths appear in the spring when there is also fruit on the trees.? I use the moth traps in the pantry and also on top of kitchen cupboards etc, where I catch lots of adults. I have not only thrown out heaps of food, but try to keep most packages in airtight containers. A couple of years ago, I also had my kitchen totally renovated, allcupboards and pantry trown out, but, back they came. Is there no keeping them away?

indian meal moths
by: Moni

Anonymous - Yucky
As I mention in the comments below yours, the best control is using the pheromone sticky traps.

You can get them at Gardens Alive or check with your local Pest Control company to buy them. They are very effective for collecting the flying moths.
NOTE - before using the pheromone traps, get rid of all the dog and mouse food and anything else that has the worms or pupa on them. As I mentioned, you can put those in the freezer to kill the ones in those items. After doing that and a COMPLETE cleaning of the areas where those products were....and clean out (dispose of or freeze for 2 weeks )then put in glass or hard plastic containers all of your boxed cereals, chips, crackers, flours, nuts, seeds, etc. THEN, put out the pheromone traps.
Sounds like you have a big infestation that has accumulated over time...it will take time and diligence to get rid of them.

Yucky Moths
by: Anonymous

I've been having trouble with these moths for months! I assume it is the moths you are talking about but I have pictures of them in various stages of development.
They are active day and night, but possibly more so when I turn the lights off. At first they were in my closet so I filled it with cedar and they left my closet a little bit but are now everywhere, including my mouse and dog food.

I probably kill 5-10 adults and as many babies a day in my one room alone, but it doesnt seem to be making a dent. Is there something I could spray in my room to kill the babies and the adults?

Hate them!
by: Anonymous

OMG! We had these last year...and they are back again. We hired an exterminator last year and they went away, but apparently not totally. I have no clue what kind of moth. I have not been able to id it either. We never found the "source" either. So frusterating. Those stupid things will make you crazy. Hire an exterminator!

Indian meal moth
by: Moni

CZANO
If you have Indian meal moths in your house and the source of food is near the cardboard boxes then the larva will crawl in the holes to pupate. Please check for food source and eliminate it. You can also get Pantry Pest phermone sticky traps to collect the adult Indian meal moths to help reduce the infestation. Check with your local pest control company for the traps.
Do you have dog food or other food products near this cardboard?

Moth infestation
by: CZANO

I have also been finding hundreds of moths of the identical proportions for about 6 mos. I have just recently learned that they are (the Larva) inside any type of corrigated cardboard. Once they hatch they fly around from room even through dust vents and re-populate other areas. Mostly they have been located in the cardboard, like any boxes that you might have, look at the edge with the holes. If any of the openings are covered it has larva inside the cardboard. peel the cardboard apart to see for yourself.

Photo of moth
by: Moni

Jeremy,

Indian meal moths are usually an indoor or stored grain pest. So I do not think it is the same moth. Little brown moths can look similar and may be related. Can you get a closeup photo of your moth?? Then, perhaps with info on where you live, where the moth is seen, how big it is, what other plants or conditions are around, we can help you identify your moth.
Send us the photo and info.
Thanks

Moths too
by: Jeremy

I have been finding large amounts of moths around our back door. At first, I thought they were Indian meal moths.. but they're not. I work for a small local pest control company and deal with those on a regular basis. I checked outside and found thousands of them hanging around our linden tree. They are very small, brownish in color, very few dark spots on the wings. I've been trying identify this moth for over 2 weeks now, and I'm not having any luck. From your photo, it looks almost identical. If your not finding them in any of your dry, wheat or grain type stored foods, its not an indian meal moth. The indian meal moth is commonly brought home from the grocery store, so check those unopened items as well. I always check the pancake mix first, they love it.

Finding the mealy moth
by: Lorra

The meal moth will get into anything even remotely connected to seeds or grains. Including, but not limited to; pasta, crackers, cereal, nuts – even in the shell, raisins (trust me, I know), cake mixes, popcorn, etc. Also check any dried flower arrangements. Heating items to 180 degrees in the oven will kill all eggs, larva and moths. Glass jars with a tight rubber seal, or very rigid, air tight plastic is safe for storage. They can go through plastic wrap and bags.

I truly believe that the flour sifter was invented so Grandma could sift them out of the flour she kept stored in that old wooden flour bin. However, do remember that they cause no harm if ingested and even add a bit of protein to the diet.

Indian meal moth
by: Moni

Ed, tho your photo is not clear nor color bright, I do believe this pest is the Indian meal moth. Moths are nocturnal meaning they come out at night so they would not be attracted to light.
Indian meal moth larvae are the real pest stage. They feed on food stuff in the home. The eggs probably came in on some food you brought into the house...anything from crackers, flours, birdseed, or any of the grains like rice, oats, wheat, etc.
The best control method is to use phermone traps that have a sticky coating. These can be purchased from places like Gardens Alive, tho some local pest control companies carry them. You hang the traps in the pantry or kitchen and collect the moths so they do not lay eggs on any other food products.
It will take a while to have all the current larvae go thru their stages and turn into moths to be caught in the traps. If you can find the source of the infestation, you will get rid of the pests sooner. Go thru all of your food stuffs including dog food, birdseed, etc (indian meal moths do not feed on clothing items) and look for whitish/tan worms about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long...they may be pupating and then you will see netting around the worm.
It is best to put all clean food stuffs in insect proof containers....glass jars work great....then you can watch to see if there is a pest already in the food and with a tight lid, the critter can not contaminate any thing else.
Once you find the infested food throw it out. If you have food nearby that might be infested but you are not sure about. You can save it by putting it in the freezer to kill the pest. However, if the pest is in the egg or pupa stage they will continue to live....so bring the container out of the freezer for two weeks to let the critter continue to develop then put it back into the freezer to kill that stage. You can alternate containers in the freezer if need be.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.

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Submitted by: Moni

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Ed, tho your photo is not clear nor color bright, I do believe this pest is the Indian meal moth. Moths are nocturnal meaning they come out at night so they would not be attracted to light. Indian meal moth larvae are the real pest stage. They feed on food stuff in the home. The eggs probably came in on some food you brought into the house...anything from crackers, flours, birdseed, or any of the grains like rice, oats, wheat, etc. The best control method is to use phermone traps that have a sticky coating. These can be purchased from places like Gardens Alive, tho some local pest control companies carry them. You hang the traps in the pantry or kitchen and collect the moths so they do not lay eggs on any other food products. It will take a while to have all the current larvae go thru their stages and turn into moths to be caught in the traps. If you can find the source of the infestation, you will get rid of the pests sooner. Go thru all of your food stuffs including dog food, birdseed, etc (indian meal moths do not feed on clothing items) and look for whitish/tan worms about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long...they may be pupating and then you will see netting around the worm. It is best to put all clean food stuffs in insect proof containers....glass jars work great....then you can watch to see if there is a pest already in the food and with a tight lid, the critter can not contaminate any thing else. Once you find the infested food throw it out. If you have food nearby that might be infested but you are not sure about. You can save it by putting it in the freezer to kill the pest. However, if the pest is in the egg or pupa stage they will continue to live....so bring the container out of the freezer for two weeks to let the critter continue to develop then put it back into the freezer to kill that stage. You can alternate containers in the freezer if need be. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.

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Indian Meal Moth?
by: Anonymous

It may well be the Indian Meal Moth. Try this link for pictures etc.:

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/pantrypests304.shtml

Check your flour, dried fruit, etc. These problem children will hide in the bottom flaps of brown paper bags, popcorn ceilings, along lips of pans, they will eat through store packaging, find their way inside normal screw top lids etc. I'm still fighting a more than 2 year old battle. I'm ahead, but I haven't won. ;-(

Hope this helps!

Ut O
by: Grammadot

My first thought was you better check on your stored woolens, and furs. I think his/her name is Trouble. Upholstered furniture and pet hair in hidden corners can be breeding places. A looong time ago moth babies ate the feather clothing off a carnival doll stored in my closet! Wool, felt and silks are pretty safe in tightly closed plastic bags with some moth crystals added. Clothing moths do not eat and are not attracted to lights.

brown moth
by: Anonymous

Hi, try and get a macro on it, I might be able to tell you? Bryan

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Small brown Moth (Indian meal moth)