Moths

Indianmeal moths live up to their nickname (pantry moth) by making themselves at home in your pantry and infesting a variety of foods such as cereal, bread, pasta, rice, flour, spices, nuts, and more. They have also been found in dried plant and flower arrangements. As one of the most common stored-food pests in homes and grocery stores, Indianmeal moths can quickly contaminate the food in your pantry. While they aren’t dangerous and won’t hurt you, it is unsettling to worry about flying pests in your stored food or other goods.

How to Identify Indianmeal Pantry Moths

Adult Indianmeal moths are identified by a distinctive reddish-orange and bronze patterning on the bottom half of their wings. At rest, they are about 3/8 of an inch long and have a wingspan of 5/8 of an inch. Pantry moths are generally more active at night and, like most other moth species, are attracted to light despite choosing to rest on walls, ceilings, boxes, and poorly lit areas.

Adult pantry moths aren’t necessarily a threat to your food; it’s actually the larvae. When the pantry moth begins its life as a larva, it is a surface feeder that covers its food with a webbing made of silk. This webbing accumulates fecal pellets and cast skins in the food products they contaminate, which is why all food products that have been breached need to be completely thrown out. Larvae can even chew through cardboard and thin plastic packaging, so even unopened foods may fall victim to these pantry invaders.

Prevent Indianmeal Moths in Your Arizona Home

If your pantry has been infiltrated by Indianmeal moths, remember to check on packages of food that have been stored for an extended period of time or that are loosely packaged. Clearing all contents that have been breached, thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing every shelf, and vacuuming any crumbs that remain is crucial to eliminating this moth’s food source and minimize the attraction to return to your pantry. Don’t forget to pay close attention to any nooks or crannies where food and crumbs can become trapped and hidden, as this will continue to attract pests.

You can also prevent a pantry moth infestation by:

Storing dry pantry foods in tightly sealed containers.
Never combining new dry food with old dry food unless both are pest-free.
Always cleaning old containers before refilling them with fresh food.

Call Burns Pest for Pantry Moth Control in Arizona and Las Vegas

Whether in your home or workplace, a visit from pantry moths can quickly wreak financial havoc if you’re constantly replacing food following an infestation. Thankfully, the professionals at Burns Pest Elimination provide quality pest control solutions to those in the Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson, and Las Vegas metro areas. Keep Indianmeal moths out of the kitchen and request your free pest control quote today!

We provide moth control at the following locations:

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