Indian Meal Moths

Indian Meal Moths Can be found in these food products

Most people have seen Indian meal moths at one time or another and the majority of times they are introduced to the home through store bought products. I know personally on a few occasions I have bought home weevils in packets of rice, flour and even pre made pancake mix.

The sight of these small white bugs can be quite distressing and the initial thought that all of your products could be infested often brings about quite a hectic cleaning frenzy!

Looking back I can remember my own experiences with weevils, and believe me they were not pleasant. One night I was making rice and as the rice begun to boil I noticed small grain like insects rise to the surface, I looked closer and yep, they were weevils. Out went the rice & the pot along side it.

Yes! Throwing out the pot might have been extreme but come on, who wants to cook in a pot that had bugs in it, right? The remaining rice in the packet was discarded and I begun to go through my cupboards and discarding everything else that was open and could have become infested.

Another time I remember buying 2 packets of pancake mix from the store, you know the ones, add water, shake and pour, lucky for me that I don’t like this method and I poured the contents of the pancake mix into a bowl. As I did there were things moving in the mix. Again I looked closer and to my disgust it too was infested with weevils.

Let me state that not all infestations begin in the home, in fact the majority of weevil infestations begin at the processing plant, where the grain products are stored, packed and distributed to the shops.

Let’s get into some facts...

Indian meal moths are also known as Weevils, Flour Moths, pantry moths or Kitchen Moths. They are small and are most commonly found in grains. Pantry moths do not only feed on grains, they can also be found in  biscuits, cereal, seeds, pet food, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, sweets, bird seed, rodent baits and other dried foods.

Keep your food stored in sealed containers!

I bet by now you want to know how to  know to find any sign of Indian meal moths in your pantry, well this process is actually quite easily once you know what you are looking for. Pantry month larvae leave a silky mat in areas they eat. You may notice a silky thread in your cupboards or around food containers or in food. You may see small larvae in your food, and for most people this is the most common indication that there is an issue with Indian meal moths. Also you might see small moths around the kitchen or in other areas of the home.

There are things that YOU can do to prevent an Indian meal moth infestation. These simple yet effective tools will help reduce your chances of a pantry moth infestation.

·         Store all grains, flours etc in airtight containers with a tight fitting lid.

·         Place some bay leaves on the shelves in your pantry.

·         Regularly rotate food & don't leave it sitting for long periods of time

·         Examine food packages prior to buying.

·         Don't buy broken packaging.

·         Purchase less commonly used products in smaller quantities

·         Pheromone traps can be bought from the supermarket which have sticky surface. The traps attract male                   

          moths which get stuck on the trap.

·         Avoid leaving any food open and around that may be eaten by the moths.

·         Keep kitchen appliances clean & free of food debris.

If you find you have stumbled across Indian meal moths, either in a produce you have just brought home or an infestation that begun in your home, Sydney’s Best Pest Control suggest you:

             ·         Call the company and inform them, so that they can rectify the problem, in most cases companies will refund the                              

                       money you have paid for the item and may even offer some extra cash on top as a form of compensation.

·         Discard all packaged food

·         Remove everything stored in the cupboard.

·         Remove shelves if possible & wipe down all surfaces with a vinegar solution.

·         Check & wipe down all nooks & crannies.

·         Vacuum the area thoroughly.

·         Discard the vacuum bag.

·         Move & clean inside, under & behind any kitchen appliances.

If the above steps do not eradicate the infestation please call us back and we will organise a technician to come out to inspect and recommend an appropriate plan of action.