You might choose to prepare a hot cereal breakfast, and then you see a moth flying out of the cereal box. Indian meal moths are common pantry pests that grow from their most destructive state, larvae, to harmless adult moths. It might not be a bad day if you discover a few moths in your house, but seeing your favorite breakfast cereal full of grit and worms is unappetizing. The good news is that to effectively remove these pests from your house, hire Action Pest Control and get the best experts in pest control in Indianapolis. This post will discuss all you need to know about Indian meal moths and how to get rid of them.
What Are Pantry Moths?
The initial step in pest control is identifying the pest. In this case, we will look at the common characteristics of Indian meal moths.
- The adult Indian meal moth grows to half an inch, with long antennae and a wingspan of ¾ inch.
- The adult’s wings have a distinct pattern – two halves which are light brown and dark brown, with dark streaks).
- When the wings of the adult are at rest, they form a triangular shape that looks like a roof shape.
- The caterpillar, which is the larvae stage of an Indian meal moth, is the most damaging stage.
- The larvae are usually ½ of an inch and appear cream, with colored heads that can be green, brown, pink, or dark brown.
- The larvae also leave feces, webbing, egg shells, and cast skins in the food.
If you find worms in your cereals or adult moths that you are not entirely sure what they are, contact Action Pest Control and get the best Indian meal moth control.
How Pantry Moths Find Their Way Into Our Food
Most infestations of pantry moths usually start when we unknowingly bring home dried fruits that contain eggs and caterpillars. If you have a kitchen with unsealed containers and spilled food, you will attract female moths, which will find a good nesting ground to reproduce. The larvae will chew through thin plastic containers and spread to other packaging materials, leading to Indian meal moth health risks. So, when preparing breakfast, snacks, or food that requires dried foods, take some time to inspect the content; you may serve yourself food that contains moth eggs and worms.
How Do Pantry Moths Sneak Into Houses?
The common entry points of pantry moths are the doors and windows. But most pantry moths come from food that was contaminated in the grocery store, packaging plant, or processing plant. So, it's impossible to know if a box contains them when shopping. In addition, other species of moths can find their way to your house through home decorations like flowers or wreaths.
How To Get Rid Of An Entire Pantry Moth Infestation
To eliminate an infestation, you cannot use Indian meal moth traps or Indian meal moth repellant. If you want to carry out an Indian meal moth eradication program successfully, consult the experts at Action Pest Control. Pantry caterpillars are not easy to find, so even if you use temporary methods to remove moths, you cannot deal with the root of the matter effectively. Always get the pest control process done by professionals.
Indian meal moths are harmless pests when they are adults but do the most damage when they are larvae. They get to the house from packaged dry foods or home decorations. If you want to remove Indian meal moths from your house, you will need to contact a professional team from Action Pest Control to inspect your house, provide a treatment plan, and advise you on ways to prevent moths from nesting in your pantry. Contact our office today for more details.