WHERE DO MEAL MOTHS COME FROM?
Indian meal moths can be introduced through food or can come into homes from the outside. They pass through four stages during their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The female moth lays 200 to 300 eggs (in a 1-18 day period) directly onto food. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed for 6 to 8 weeks. They weave together silk and frass (droppings) to create a tunnel-like protective case. The meal moth larvae stay in or close to this case while they feed. Just before they turn into pupae, the larvae crawl a considerable distance away from their food source.
WHERE DO MEAL MOTHS LIVE?
Indian meal moths can be found in a wide range of climates and live in stored food products, including grains, seeds, dried fruit, pet food and spices. Infestations often start in dry pet food and bird seed. People often store large quantities of these foods in unattended locations, where infestations may go unnoticed for days.
CAN MEAL MOTHS GET IN MY HOUSE?
Indian meal moths may hitchhike into your house via stored food products. They can also come in from the outside. You may see pinkish-white caterpillars (larvae) crawling across your counters, walls or ceilings. You may also see a few adult brown moths flying in your kitchen or adjacent rooms.
CAN MEAL MOTHS CAUSE DAMAGE?
Meal moth larvae can damage grains and other foods stored in your pantry, mostly by spinning large amounts of silk, which collects fecal pellets, discarded skin and egg shells in food. Indian meal moths damage more food by contaminating it than by eating it. Adult meal moths don’t feed, but if you see winged moths in your pantry, you’ll know you have a meal moth infestation.
