Flour Moths
Indian meal moths (also called pantry moths or flour moths) larvae hatch in stored dry goods… flour, grains, seeds, cereal, chocolate, cake mixes, rice, nuts, dried fruit, dog food, birdseed, even tea, herbs and spices.
Adult flour moth & Pupa (left)-Alameda County Community Developement Agency, Adult Moth (right)-USDA Grain Marketing & Production Research Center
Description
Adult flour moths are approx. 2cm, brownish grey with a powdery substance on the wings. The larvae are very tiny and look like very small maggots. They are usually yellow or white with brown heads and measure around 1.5cm. Mediterranean flour moths resemble the indian flour moth and are very similar in appearance and their diet is basically the same. Indications you have them are finding the contents of cereal boxes clinging to the sides of the box in a mass of fine webs… or you find small, brownish moths flitting around inside your cupboard… or tiny cocoons and larvae in your dry goods like flour, pasta or beans.
Flour moth larvae (left)-USDA Grain Marketing & Production Research Center, Adult and larva (right)-Clemson University
Habitat and Lifecycle
Flour moths occur worldwide and are a particular pest in grain and flour mills. They can infest your pantry in no time if care is not taken. Control is extremely difficult. Female flour moths can lay 150-600 eggs at a time. They can hatch within 3 days at temperatures higher than 20 C (80 F) Eggs are laid in flour products and larvae feed and spin small loose webs. After feeding larvae pupate in the grains and emerge into adults. The lifecycle can be continuous year round.
Adults and larva-University of Missouri
Diet and Damage
Indian meal moths infest flour, bran, grains, all types of meal, cereals, pet food, livestock feed and other foodstuffs containing flour and grains. Adults do not feed and live only long enough to mate and reproduce. If you see any of them flying around a pet store, don’t even think of buying pet foods there and inform the owner. Once you have introduced them in your home, getting rid of them is extremely difficult.
Control Indian meal moths (a.k.a. “pantry moths” or “flour moths”)
1) Take all containers with the foodstuffs and place in the freezer for at least five days and then dispose of the foodstuff.
2) Clean out all your pantries and wipe very well with hot soapy water.
3) Line all the cracks and crevices inside the pantry with a sticky substance such as tanglefoot.
4) With a q-tip remove and destroy every larvae, egg and pupae that you find.
5) Use containers with tight fitting lids.
6) In summer months, store your cereals, grains and flour in the fridge to prevent an overpopulation.
7) 
I have successfully used Cupboard Moth Traps like the one pictured here (click the picture to order some). They work wherever food is stored. You put the cardboard traps in cabinets and pantries with food; they’re non-toxic and free of pesticides. The pheromone lure lasts for about 3 months. When the trap is covered with dead moths you just replace the trap with a new one. For light infestation you can also refresh the pheromone lure. They work great!
July 1st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
I’ve been working on ridding the pantry of these creatures for about a year. I cleaned out everything last year, threw out grain, flour cereal, etc and guess what? You’ve got it, they’re back. Those little moth traps are good, but the moths just keep coming. This weekend, I’ll try to conquer them again.
One thing you can say, if you have these little moths, you’re never alone. Well, I’d actually rather be alone
April 9th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Help - we’ve had them for awhile and thought they were clothes moths but then we found them in a box of cereal. We cleaned out the pantry. That is where the cereal was. I mean threw things away, vaccumed, scrubbed, and even painted the pantry. Wiped all cans down, everything. Now the moths are back and they are all over the house. Not just in the kitchen. Bedrooms, bathrooms, hallway, everywhere. We are going to wage war this weekend but I have a couple questions. Do they nest in plants or anywhere there isn’t food? We can’t find any nests besides what we already cleaned out of the pantry so I don’t know where to find them. Also, we have two dogs. I am afraid to leave their food out for them now. Any idea’s. They don’t eat at set times. They just eat at any hour of the day. Can they get into boxes like Kraft Mac N Cheez or does it have to be sealed in a plastice bag in order for us to keep it. I am going to throw away food but not sure what all I need to get rid of. I am going to clean everyroom from top to bottom, and I am shopping tonight for plastic containers for cereal, various noodles, bread box etc…I am going to vaccum carpets and furniture. What am I missing??? Is there anything else I need to do? Do they nest in bedsheets or curtains? I plan on scrubbing all the kitchen cabinets but I am kinda concerned about the other rooms in the house. What else do I need to look for. Would it be better to just call in a bug guy and have them take care of it? How expensive? Thanks in advance for any help. All bugged out!!!!
April 5th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Last week I scrubbed out my pantry and washed every bottle & tin. I took out the shelves and washed behind and alongside them. Guess What? today I opened the pantry door and there were three flour moths! Is there any essential oil that can keep them away? I only put packaged foods like sugar in the pantry. Everything else gets frozen for 3 days (at least) and then put into airtight containers. That works very well as any eggs will be killed. My theory is that every grain product has the eggs in the package already & as I live in a warm climate they hatch out if not frozen & killed. I keep my spare grains & lentils in a spare fridge - after they have been frozen.
March 10th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Ours came in from sesame seeds purchased in bulk. We’ve had them for over a year. When we catch one we feed it to our goldfish. Everything needs to be in a sealed container/jar. When you come home from the grocery everything needs to be repackaged into tupperware or glass jars with rubber rings. If a box is just on a counter or in a cupboard they will get in. You’ll need to wash out all your cabinets and buy some flypaper to hang up.
We are still working on getting rid of them.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 am
Wow has anyone seen Aliens. I just found a colony living in a large canister of oatmeal. Thank God I didn’t open it. I stopped at the last second for no apparent reason. It had this nest looking thing in the top of it. It reminded me exactly of that movie. It seems the adults come out in the dark. I was wondering where the moths were coming from. Every time I turned out the lights to watch a movie I’d suddenly see 3 or 4 moths flying around. So I’d definitely say that I think they’re nocturnal cause I’d never see them during the day.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
yes they are hard to get rid of they more than likely came in from pet food you can get ri of them clean out you cupbords get a strong pest aside sorry its cheaper than paing some one to do it you can bomb too. look on walls to all over youe house too some look likr little maggots crawling up the walls really sweattie you can do it some stores are very nasty corner stores you would be suprised if they don’t look clean dont go and stop going to the stores you are going too god knows how long pet food ar any thing has been there . don’t shop at dirty stacked up garbagge store good luck email me if you need mor help hang in there i know what your going through.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:36 am
We just moved into a new apt in May, and have had wormy pasta and couscous and hordes of moths since. I think we are bringing them home in grains from the organic grocery store nearby. I am throwing out every speck of food in the pantry and getting out the hot, soapy water. Thank you.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Savina
Cabinet types have no bearing on these guys. You bought something that had lavae in it. Possibly pet food as that is the most common product that they love. Look for other dry goods if that isn’t the culprit. ie oatmeal, cereal grains etc.
regards Cahri
June 23rd, 2006 at 2:56 pm
i have so many in my pantry alot are double ended im having pest control come to my house in four days.WHAT CAN I DO?