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YIKES!!! I have an infestation of Indian Meal Moths....

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  • YIKES!!! I have an infestation of Indian Meal Moths....

    Last night I noticed that the dry dog food had little white worms, crawling all over it.

    Yes, I screamed and dropped the food all over the floor......Anyway, after further investigation, I realized that they were in fact, throughout the entire cabinet.

    We threw everything out, and vacuumed and cleaned the entire cabinet. However, I have now noticed that I see tiny moths in the kitchen. After doing some research on-line, I realize that we have an infestation of Indian Meal Moths.

    OK.....I am totally freaking out. It says that they can be very difficult to get rid of. I am going to throw away every dry good that we own, and continue to clean, vacuum, and look for further signs of these horrible little creatures.

    I just called DH at work, and asked him to pick-up some traps. Ugh......I just wanted cry!

    Indian meal moth

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    The Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella) is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is a common grain-feeding pest found around the world. Annoying household pests, they are often found feeding on cereals and dry grain products.


    Identification

    The outer 2/3 of the forewings are bronze or copper in color while the upper third are yellowish-gray, with a dark band at the interface between the two. The wingspan is 16-20 mm.

    The larva is off-white with a brown head and about 12 mm long when mature.

    They are commonly called "flour moths" or "pantry moths."

    A similar species is the Almond moth.


    Pest Control

    After larvae or moths have been found, it is important to throw out all grains (cereal, bread, pasta, rice), spices (salt, etc.), dried fruits (raisins), and any other food source that is not in a very tightly sealed container. The moths are able to get into surprisingly tight spots, including sealed bags and Tupperware containers. They are also notoriously difficult to get rid of.

    Some people place questionable items in the freezer or refrigerator during the cleanout phase.

    Nontoxic traps are also available to cut down on the movement of adult moths. For example, one type of trap is a triangular box with a lure inside and sticky walls. Moths are attracted inside by the lure and then stuck inside the box. Moths often do not even need a lure, common glue traps work well to reduce the number of adults.
    Angela

    If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

    BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.

  • #2
    Pat
    *** My Website ***

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    • #3
      Ugh. Poor you.

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      • #4
        We've had periodic Indian meal moths episodes for several years now. It's always worse in the summertime, and it's really nothing to freak about.

        There is a pretty simple solution. Make sure that everything that they can host in gets used up within one or two months.

        The eggs are already contained in products you bring home from the store. Products such as pasta, starch, rice, flour, grains, cereals, etc. are all possible sources. A couple of days ago I threw out a completely unopened box of lasagna noodles because the larvae were inside the sealed package.

        The infestation occurs when products sit in your cupboards long enough for the critters to go through several life cycles. Eggs hatch and form larvae. The larvae form cocoons and become adults. The adults mate and lay new eggs.

        You'll never get rid of the infestation by cleaning. You can't ensure that the products you bring home from the store (or the stuff that friends might give you) is free of eggs. You beat the cycle by not allowing stuff to sit around long enough to develop an infestation.

        If you do need to store stuff longer then keep it in a tight zip lock bag. That's what we do with susceptible items that we need to store. That way, if the product does have eggs when we bring it home. the infestation is isolated to that bag and we can throw it out. Otherwise the Ziplock bag protects the stuff that is inside the bag.

        We have found that the plastic wrap that manufacturers use for many products is not a good barriers. The larvae apparently can eat through that plastic. We've not had a problem with Ziplock bags, though.
        “Maybe you shouldn't dress like that.”

        “This is a blouse and skirt. I don't know what you're talking about.”

        “You shouldn't wear that body.”

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        • #5
          I feel your disgust. I had an infestation some time ago (not sure what variety) and now everything is kept in tightly sealed containers here. They may have come in with something you bought. The experience has made me carefully check rice before cooking.

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          • #6
            I have the willies.....

            I have thrown every dry good away. 5 large garbage bags full, and still going at it. Just taking a break......My cabinets have never been so empty, since the day they were put in. I guess it's a good time to do a re-lining, and get better organized.




            Originally posted by tonyg View Post
            I feel your disgust. I had an infestation some time ago (not sure what variety) and now everything is kept in tightly sealed containers here. They may have come in with something you bought. The experience has made me carefully check rice before cooking.
            Angela

            If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

            BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.

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            • #7
              Steve....

              There is a pretty simple solution. Make sure that everything that they can host in gets used up within one or two months.
              Will do, from now on.....For sure!!!!

              You'll never get rid of the infestation by cleaning.
              I know that you're right. But somehow, it's making me feel better.
              Angela

              If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

              BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.

              Comment


              • #8
                We beat back an infestation in our old apartment. Part of the problem there was that the pantry in that apartment was the warmest spot in the house, with heating pipes right in there!

                Another suggestion, Ang, is to store dry goods in Ziploc bags IN THE FREEZER. This sounds crazy, but it's one way to make sure everything will stay "unoccupied." We keep susceptible flour, especially whole wheat flour, right in the freezer. That way you can keep it longer without worrying. It's good for the flour, too.

                Also...we don't buy pasta in boxes, period. Only pasta in those cellophane bags. Much tighter, no problems.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by wackymother View Post
                  We beat back an infestation in our old apartment. Part of the problem there was that the pantry in that apartment was the warmest spot in the house, with heating pipes right in there!

                  Another suggestion, Ang, is to store dry goods in Ziploc bags IN THE FREEZER. This sounds crazy, but it's one way to make sure everything will stay "unoccupied." We keep susceptible flour, especially whole wheat flour, right in the freezer. That way you can keep it longer without worrying. It's good for the flour, too.

                  Also...we don't buy pasta in boxes, period. Only pasta in those cellophane bags. Much tighter, no problems.
                  We've found that the larvae can get through cellophane. Ziplocks work well, though.

                  BTW, the larvea can also get through a tightly knotted plastic bag. If it doesn't have a hermetic seal, they will get in or out.
                  “Maybe you shouldn't dress like that.”

                  “This is a blouse and skirt. I don't know what you're talking about.”

                  “You shouldn't wear that body.”

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by T. R. Oglodyte View Post
                    We've found that the larvae can get through cellophane. Ziplocks work well, though.
                    It's not really cellophane, it's that crunchy plastic. It definitely slows them down more than a cardboard box, in any case!

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                    • #11
                      Angela call up the dog food company to inform them of what happened. They need to keep track of it. Keep the info on the bag to give to them, They will most likely replace the item. We one time had a small black bug infestation that came from rice and floor. Even with cleaning out and spraying insecticide, It took a few years to finally get rid of them. Now we refrig all rice and floor.
                      Timeshareforums Shirts and Mugs on sale now! http://www.cafepress.com/ts4ms

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                      • #12
                        How badly did you guys have this problem?....The more that I look, the more I am seeing. Now, I see there were a few larvae, on the ceiling. And, I saw a few of the actual tiny months, flying around, in my kitchen.

                        I vacuumed them off the ceiling, and also was able to catch the moths that I saw with my vacuum, but this isn't looking good.
                        Angela

                        If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

                        BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by ArtsieAng View Post
                          How badly did you guys have this problem?....The more that I look, the more I am seeing. Now, I see there were a few larvae, on the ceiling. And, I saw a few of the actual tiny months, flying around, in my kitchen.

                          I vacuumed them off the ceiling, and also was able to catch the moths that I saw with my vacuum, but this isn't looking good.
                          It was bad for a while. (Although the ceiling seems like a funny place for them, since there's no food up there.) Then winter comes and it gets better. Or maybe it got better because every single flour-based product in the house was shoved into the freezer!

                          We got pheromone traps, which are disgusting but they did
                          really help. Also they don't have any chemicals, so they're safe near food. You can't use too many of them because the pheromones interfere with each other and you don't catch as many moths. So you have to fight the impulse to put them every two inches on your counter, in your cabinets, on your ceiling....

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                          • #14
                            My DH just came home after looking in our local hardware store....No traps!!!

                            He's gonna go to a couple of other places. Thanks!!!
                            Angela

                            If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

                            BTW, I'm still keeping track of how many times you annoy me.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              The traps are hard to find. I had to buy them online. Here they are.

                              Cupboard Moth Trap™


                              You don't have a pest-control contract, do you? I was so desperate that I was considering having a serious pest-control company come in to spray the place. But then the pesticides would be right by food....

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