Moths

Indian Meal Moths

Biology: The adult females lay 100 to 400 eggs at night on the larval food over a 1-18 day period.  Larval development requires 13 to 288 days.  The average life cycle, egg to egg, requires 25-135 days.  The adults are more active at dusk and are attracted to light.

Habits: Indian meal moths are one of the most common stored product pests found in homes, food processing plants, grain storage and processing facilities.  The larvae prefer to feed on coarsely ground flour and meal but commonly feed on whole grains, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, beans, crackers, biscuits, dry dog food, bird seed, and red peppers.

The larvae produce a silk webbing over the surface of the materials upon which they are feeding.  The webbing contains large ammounts of their frass (feces). This is why it is very important to throw away any infested food!  You do not want to ingest this.  If you suspect a problem we recommend discarding any infested food and storing all other food in sealed containers.