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) Cupboard Moth Trap™ – I have successfully used Cupboard Moth Traps like thes. 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!
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)Take all containers with the foodstuffs and place in the freezer for at least five days and then dispose of the foodstuff or feed it to your chickens, they love any kind of bugs.
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?
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!!
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
July 24th, 2009 at 1:10 am
I have indian meal moths in a bathroom that has been torn down to its studs to remodel. We have sprayed it numerous times with pest spray and they are still in there? Don’t know what to do, I don’t want them in my new bathroom when it is done. I also have been catching some mediterranean flour moths in sticky traps. I have to say all my food is frozen first, then stored in tight containers. I don’t even put stuff in my beautiful pantry except like canned food, paper towels, capri suns etc. These things are driving me nuts. I had them a year ago, went 9 months with no signs of moths and now both are back. My dog food gets put in the freezer, along with flour, pasta EVERYTHING!!!! I don’t know what else to do or check. I never see any cocoons, or webs or anything. Just catch the moths in the traps and occassionaly see one flying. Does anybody have any suggestions, I have little kids and don’t want to use a pest company but we are sooooo tired of this. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. Please any advice would be so appreicated.
Could they be in my ducting or vents? I vacuum and spray being my washer/dryer, refer, stove etc. also.
thanks
October 9th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I have these pests also, I opened the cat food container and they flew right at me. I put all the food in a plastic garbage bag & the next day I saw the little worms. Just today 10-11-09 one flew into my wine. I’m going to try the fly paper. something has to work. I hate them. I just hope they don’t carry any type of disease. Do they? even if u clean ur cavinets with hot soapy water they still are there. my daughter tried that. thanks, Barb Selgas
October 31st, 2009 at 1:39 am
If you are on the internet looking for a solution for this, then you have a bad case! That’s why I am here too:) I’d seen moths, at first thought they were clothes moths, then started thinking to check my dry goods for them. I’d never had that much trouble–just find the source, eliminate it, and then get rid of all the open things. But not this time!! I hadn’t been able to find anything that seemed infested, then one night saw 2 moths on my paper towels below the cabinet with the flour. Well…worth a look, and moths were on the door and edge of the cabinet. The more I cleaned out, the more there were. Still not finding where they are coming from. So it was: Everything out!! Nothing seems to have anything in it, so I pick up the package of nuts and a WORM is crawling away from it. Then I see more worms (larva, but it IS a worm!) on the package. I wipe off every single item, since I’ve finally seen the little webby things (is that where eggs are?) so I wipe it all off, then see some little 1/2 inch flattish fuzzy things (cocoon?)where the inside cabinet panels meet. Wipe those. NOTHING goes back in, and a lot of stuff is in the trash. That was three days ago, fewer moths, but they are still there. If nothing else, my kitchen will be very clean. Sorry that so many other people are “sharing” this problem. I will call an exterminator soon if this doesn’t end quickly. Can’t leave everything out of the cabinets forever. And I don’t have that much room to put it all in the fridge! Good luck!
January 6th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I have these guys. Cleaned out one cabinet, not realizing they were in my pantry too. Now, I have cleaned out the pantry, gotten rid of everything not in a can or jar, scrubbed the pantry. But, the worms are also in the corners of everything. By the ceiling, by the light fixtures, under the shelves, like someone else said, the more I look, the more I find. Pest control is coming today, hope they can get them.
January 7th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Is it unusual for Flour Moths to infest peanuts in shells? If so, how long would it take for the for larvae to hatch and become actual flying moths? It appears the peanuts in question were originally from China, classified as “Virginia Peanuts Raw in Shell”
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:56 pm
i had to laff at that aliens comment, me and my partner hav been battling this for about 9months now it has been relentless. we put everything in these containers where the lids slide down thinking they wouldnt be able to get thru, guess what? u have to have sealed lids that screw on air tight completely! so we had this container that we were leaving walnuts still in bag and some raisins still i bag and then in container, we pulled it out from the back of the pantry doing a regular clean that we do now cause we have been fighting these things for so long and my partner goes: oh no! it looks like alien! then i came online looking for some sorta solution cuase this is so outta control and i see that alien comment we laffed so hard!
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Last year around August I found these things in a plastic container of bird food my cousin sent with a cockateil he was giving to me to take care of. After that I found in every box of cereal, bag of rice, and in my pots and pans making nests. Every time I went to went to make rice for dinner for my family the worms would float to the top and I personally haven’t been able to eat rice since. These bugs are disgusting. This is the second in 12 months I will have to throw away 100’s of dollars of food, that my family can’t reallt afford to get rid of. I’m going to clean the cupboards, cabinets, etc but I’m also gonna try the lures mentioned in the top part of this page. I’ll let you know if it works. I really just don’t know what else to do.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Kristin,
I tried everything too, but mark my words, these traps work! Been free of them for years now. Good luck!
March 25th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
We have been invaded! I am worried that they will start eating clothing, too? does anyone know if they do? They are flying all over the kitchen and making us nuts.. but then, some are appearing upstairs in the bedrooms and bathroom, so I am afriad they might be nesting in non-food areas… is that typical, too?
I have thrown out everything and this weekend will do the major scrub.. going to try the peppermint oil treatment, too, to see if that works after cleaning, but am concerned about those who have escaped to other parts of the house where there is no food.. Any suggestions?
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 am
We bought some small triangular traps from Lowe’s that are working great. Also all the food going into airtight containers helps too. We still have some stragglers flying around but the numbers are dwindling drastically. Thanks for the advice!
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:10 am
They will go into the peg holes of your cupboards and will nest in starofoam
and papertowels! I have been moth free for 3 days! Use pharamoane traps! They will help u now and let u know in future if they are back!
June 8th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
OMG!!! I’m glad I found this Forum. Only, one person said where she bought these traps. What are the names on them? Anyone????? I had this problem, last year, & got rid of cake mixes, mac & cheese, cereal, oatmeal [they love that], etc. Yes, I found some under labels on unopened cans & under lids, etc. I thought I had gotten rid of them! Well, they came back a couple months ago & yes, they are in every room in the house. I found a couple cocoons with the worms in them on my Spring jacket that I have been wearing. Oh, they are, so, disgusting!!! I have a cat, so, am going to check his dry food. Hope they have not invaded that…..poor kitty! Thanks for all the tips. I will be checking here, again!
June 8th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
I got my sticky traps from my neighbor who works for terminex. If you call them in your town just tell them you need sticky (pheromone) sorry spelling —traps for these flour moths or whatever they are called and they should be able to sell you some. it works. we put I think 3 or 4 of them out and it did the trick. don’t give up too early though cause it did take a week or so if I remember right.
June 8th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Thanks for the info, Tracy! Will try this!
June 8th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
I battle these guys every may/june is when they come back until about November. I seal everything, wipe off all cans of foood before it comes into my pantry, store nothing that is not in containers, freeze my dog food, bisquit, flour, rice everything before I seal it in a air tight container and it still doesn’t matter. They are somewhere I don’t know, have never found a source or infested food item, so don’t know? I will say yes you can get the lures at lots of places even Bimart, they are just flour/pantry moth traps but the one problem with that and I had an entomologist tell me this is that they can smell that pheromone miles away and in the warm weather you can lure them in from the outside so I wonder if maybe that is why I see them around May/june and they are gone around November. I have used these traps for the last couple of years but am thinking of getting rid of them completely and see what happens. I did put one outside once just to see and I did catch them outside so just and FYI to people. Good luck cause I know what it is like to struggle with these gross little things.
July 20th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I tried the glue traps with phermones, and they catch a lot of moths. However, since they catch only male moths (since the traps use females’ phermones), any remaining ones still reproduce with the females. In most species, males want to reproduce with many females. I bought my traps at Home Depot. I am going to try peppermint oil tonight. Another Website mentioned leaving a plate of olive oil to catch them. I may also try that (not near the peppermint, of course).
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
i FIND IT very amazing or interesting that my infestation took place in two opened bags of brown rice and yet the white rice was left alone. Could it be that the bugs did not sense any nutrition in the white rice??? hummm. I’d like some comments.
joedupont@juno.com
September 4th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
found them nesting under my toaster! just below the crumb tray. DISGUSTING! threw it all out. hope they disappear.