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

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

OH BLECK!!!

So sorry for you Angela.
Hope you get rid of them and FAST.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I have had them eat through aluminum packaging. The only sure stopper is glass and metal with a good seal. Freezing flours is good, but in my big freezer they are always hard to find- no bugs tho.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks for the info.....BUT, if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing, that trap would put me right over the edge. Are those moths that got stuck to that board, or am I now just seeing them everywhere?

Don't they have any that are little boxes, or little moth houses? I think I'm gonna pass out now!

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....

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

OH BLECK!!!

So sorry for you Angela.
Hope you get rid of them and FAST.

Me too!

[rklein01 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rklein01]

We had a bout with them last year, and while it took a while, they're all gone for now.

1. Throw out all those open packages!

2. Never buy bulk food items (people food as well as pet food). Health food store bins are the worst culprits!

3. Store pet food in Air Tight Pet Food Storage Containers


4. Store people food in zip-lock or other airtight containers

5. Put Pantry Pest Traps on every shelf


Good luck!

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks!!!!! The Pantry Pest Trap looks perfect. I am going to order them from Amazon. Don't think I can find any where I live.

I'll let you know how it goes!

BTW....I threw out everything but the dog, and DH. Who knows, by the end of the night, they may be gone, too.

We had a bout with them last year, and while it took a while, they're all gone for now.

1. Throw out all those open packages!

2. Never buy bulk food items (people food as well as pet food). Health food store bins are the worst culprits!

3. Store pet food in Air Tight Pet Food Storage Containers


4. Store people food in zip-lock or other airtight containers

5. Put Pantry Pest Traps on every shelf


Good luck!

[EvelynK72 Member Find all posts View Profile Close EvelynK72]

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.

Angela,

I think Big Frank may be on to something here, although the problem might not have originated from the dog food company itself. You might consider the place where you purchased your dog food. We once had a terrible infestation due to contaminated bird feed. We used to buy our bird feed in bulk as part of a fund raiser for the Audobon Society, then store it in a workroom off the garage. The whole workroom filled with those darned moths. Now I purchase one bag of bird feed at a time and store it in a metal garbage can outside (with a chain and clasp over the lid to prevent the raccoon, squirrel, etc. from getting to the feed).

We also had them one year in the kitchen pantry. I was surprised to read that the moths can get through Tupperware lids, since that is what I used after I cleaned out the pantry.

Good luck to you!

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

So sorry to hear about your infestation Angela.

We had the same problem a few years ago and have overcome it successfully by following a few steps when purchasing then storing food.

- In the store, check the cellophane package for tiny holes before buying. Any holes don't buy the product. If you buy bulk from the health food store, check the top inside of the bin for any evidence of bugs/moths etc. Once again don't buy if you see any signs of infestation.

- All newly purchased food (grains, flour etc) is placed in the freezer overnight (I don't have the freezer space to leave them there long term). I understand that this kills any bugs lurking there and "pops" any eggs already in the product.

- Remove packets from freezer the next day. There will be moisture/condensation on the outside of the packet so place the packet on a towel for the day and allow to dry-out thoroughly through the day.

- Store in an airtight container in the cupboard.

I have used this method for years and not had an infestation since. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Frank...I somehow missed this post. I threw the bag out already, but I will still call the company. Too late to retrieve any lot #'s, etc.

Unfortunately, I never even gave that a thought.

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.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

We buy most of our pet supplies from Petco, so that's where it came from. It was a 5 lb bag of dry dog food. Maybe I should let them know, as well.

They can even get through Tupperware lids.....That's pretty scary.

Angela,

I think Big Frank may be on to something here, although the problem might not have originated from the dog food company itself. You might consider the place where you purchased your dog food. We once had a terrible infestation due to contaminated bird feed. We used to buy our bird feed in bulk as part of a fund raiser for the Audobon Society, then store it in a workroom off the garage. The whole workroom filled with those darned moths. Now I purchase one bag of bird feed at a time and store it in a metal garbage can outside (with a chain and clasp over the lid to prevent the raccoon, squirrel, etc. from getting to the feed).

We also had them one year in the kitchen pantry. I was surprised to read that the moths can get through Tupperware lids, since that is what I used after I cleaned out the pantry.

Good luck to you!

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks Carol, that's some very good advice. I'll give it a try.

So sorry to hear about your infestation Angela.

We had the same problem a few years ago and have overcome it successfully by following a few steps when purchasing then storing food.

- In the store, check the cellophane package for tiny holes before buying. Any holes don't buy the product. If you buy bulk from the health food store, check the top inside of the bin for any evidence of bugs/moths etc. Once again don't buy if you see any signs of infestation.

- All newly purchased food (grains, flour etc) is placed in the freezer overnight (I don't have the freezer space to leave them there long term). I understand that this kills any bugs lurking there and "pops" any eggs already in the product.

- Remove packets from freezer the next day. There will be moisture/condensation on the outside of the packet so place the packet on a towel for the day and allow to dry-out thoroughly through the day.

- Store in an airtight container in the cupboard.

I have used this method for years and not had an infestation since. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Uh...and Angela? Have a nice glass of wine right about now.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Uh...and Angela? Have a nice glass of wine right about now.

Great suggestion!! I can so use a nice glass of wine, right now.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

So sorry to hear about your infestation Angela.

We had the same problem a few years ago and have overcome it successfully by following a few steps when purchasing then storing food.

- In the store, check the cellophane package for tiny holes before buying. Any holes don't buy the product. If you buy bulk from the health food store, check the top inside of the bin for any evidence of bugs/moths etc. Once again don't buy if you see any signs of infestation.

- All newly purchased food (grains, flour etc) is placed in the freezer overnight (I don't have the freezer space to leave them there long term). I understand that this kills any bugs lurking there and "pops" any eggs already in the product.

- Remove packets from freezer the next day. There will be moisture/condensation on the outside of the packet so place the packet on a towel for the day and allow to dry-out thoroughly through the day.

- Store in an airtight container in the cupboard.

I have used this method for years and not had an infestation since. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

To add to that -

Don't buy anything out of a bulk bin, whether grocery store or health food market. Bulk bins are a major factor in the propagation of Indian meal moths.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Steve, have you noticed too that the bulk grains often smell rancid anyway even in the health food store?

Angela, I am sorry that you had to deal with this today but hope you had that glass of wine to relax. No bugs in wine.