Indian Meal Moths?

Question

I have tried all the tried and true... cleaned cupboards, put all grains in freezer, things in airtight containers however I have a bird.... I keep his food in the refrigerator, vacuum daily, put out three or four of those traps and collect at least 15 a day. I am getting desperate.. I have tried all the things except getting rid of the bird and that is not an option. Help..... I am desperate. I know it comes from the birdseed but I freeze it first and then have to put some in his cage.. and the rest is in the refrigerator.. Is there any other magic way to get rid of them... Does an exterminator work or will they come back?

Answer 1

As a moth, Indian Meal Moths goes through complete metamorphosis including egg, larvae (crawling stage), pupae (cocoon) and adult (flying moth). Therefore, if the infested food product is discovered and removed, and no other food source exists, the life cycle of the moth may be interrupted.

If an infestation exists, sanitation i.e. removal of all infested food product, is key to managing this pest. Thus, the first step in managing an Indian Meal Moth problem is inspecting for and then removing infested food product.

The list of products to check includes milled foods such as flour, pasta, cereals, cornmeal, spices and most commonly, dry pet foods including (especially) bird seed. Other sources to check include dried fruits, dried flowers, nuts, rodenticide baits, food brought in by mice, rats or squirrels and even decorative wall hangings containing food products such as beans or spices. Be sure to check areas other than the kitchen or pantry where these items may be stored. Think about the nuts that have been left out in the living room in case company comes or some food product that you may have left up in the attic and forgotten about. Also, be sure to move appliances away from the wall to see if any food is hidden behind or underneath.

A caller helped to point out how important it is to locate the source of the problem. She cleaned and searched and searched but could not locate the source and thus continued to have a problem. Finally, one day, in her continuing effort to find the answer, she searched through a storage area that had a bag containing other shopping bags that she recycled and there, located a significant number of insects. After remove this source, the problem subsided.

The bottom line: keep looking for an infested food source somewhere - don't give up!

Once the suspect food or foods have been identified and removed, thoroughly vacuum the corners of all cabinet shelves or any area adjacent to the food storage area using the crevice tool attachment to remove any insects living in those areas. As a precaution, throw out the vacuum bag.