Indianmeal moths

At Canton Termite and Pest Control, we will occasionally receive calls from customers who report spotting small moths flying around their home. While they are often mistaken for clothes moths, these moths can sometimes be the destructive Indianmeal moth. While the adult moths pose little or no threat, the larvae of this species can consume and contaminate a variety of food sources in your home.

Indianmeal moths are fairly small, with a wingspan of around 16mm. Their wings are grey in color, but are characterized by a brownish-orange pattern on the back half of the wings. The larvae of the species resemble small worms and are cream colored.

Indianmeal moths often enter homes as larvae. They infest dry food sources such as pet food, cornmeal, bread, rice, and flour. In most cases, the larvae will infest a food source at a food distributor or grocery store, and then will be brought into the home by the homeowner. Once inside, they will spread and infest other food sources around the home.

The adult moths can often be found around the home around nighttime. The adults are nocturnal, and like many moths they are photosensitive. This can lead them to spread far from the original infestation while following light sources in the home, which can make it hard to identify the cause of the infestation.

When the larvae feed, they leave behind silk webbing as well as fecal matter. This leads to the entire food source being contaminated. Due to their diverse diet, the larvae can quickly ruin a variety of foods in your pantry or storage cabinets.

If you are dealing with an Indianmeal moth infestation inside your home, the most important step to eliminating the problem is identifying the source of the infestation. Typically this will be a particular food source around the home that the larvae are feeding on and living around. Finding and removing any contaminated food sources helps to eliminate the population from your home.

It can also be helpful to identify and seal any cracks or gaps in your cabinets, pantries, or food storage areas that could have allowed the moths to spread around the home. Since pet foods are the most commonly infested food source, it is important make sure that they are sealed and kept moth free.