Indian Meal Moths

The Indian meal Moth (Plodia Interpunctella) is often referred to as the pantry moth or flour moth. The larvae stage of the lifecycle are commonly known as ‘waxworms’ and are a common grain-feeding pest found throughout the world. This type of moths’ larvae feeds on cereals, nuts, seeds and other dried foods. Food moth infestations usually originate from contaminated food products. 

Adult Indian meal moths are roughly 8-10mm in length and typically have a wingspan of 16-20mm. The outer half of their wings are dark grey or bronze in colour, while the upper are yellowy in colour with a dark band between. The larvae are a creamy, white colour with brown head and can grow up to 12mm in length. Indian meal moths are more active at night but will fly towards any lights that may be on.

 

The entire life cycle of the Indian meal moth can take anywhere between 28 and 300 days, with temperature being the main factor.

Females may lay 60-400 eggs at any one time and they will always do so on food. Generally the eggs are less than 0.5mm, not very sticky and hatch into larvae within 2-14 days.

Depending on temperature the larval stage can last anywhere between 2 and 410 weeks and can infest a wide range of dry foods such as cereal, bread, pasta and rice etc. The infested food will usually be webbed together with the silk they produce at this stage of the life cycle. Once favourable conditions have been found and they are at a suitable size, they will develop into the pupae stage of the life cycle where they will remain for 15-20 days before emerging as an adult moth. Then the cycle starts over again and again and again…

 

Food Moth Infestation
 

Identifying Indian meal moths should be relatively easy as they have a rather unique appearance. Like all food moths they feed on stored, dried foods. So it’s always wise to look inside food containers, often the larvae will be present in the food. They don’t cause damage in a conventional way like carpet moths, but what they will do is contaminate any foods they are found in. 

Treatment and prevention of a food moth problem

 

Food Moth Control Kits