It seems that periodically I have a sudden infestation of moths, and this is just another year of the pesky little creatures. I have previously identified them as Indian Meal Moths, but on further research, I was mistaken. (The photo is from Wikipedia). This year I looked more carefully at the habit, appearance, and morphology. And although it seems that a moth is a moth is sometimes valid, when they become an infestation, it is more important to identify the species so that remedial action can be taken. Of course I know that all moths are in the Order Lepidoptera, (Butterfly's and moths) but, despite their appearance, all moths are different. It seems as if my memory is faulty as every year that they show up I think that they have flown in from outside. Not so at all. They have been inside my home all of the time!
These are the ones that I captured and made inanimate for the photo. It turns out that they are Almond moths and have the same habits as the Indian Meal moth. The female lays her eggs in flour and wheat grains and cereals. They also like pasta! The eggs hatch in anywhere from 2 to 14 days, and the larva can take from 30 to 300 days to mature, depending on the temperature. The moths, when grown, then fly around the house. They are nocturnal and fly continuously at night, seeking light as most moths seem to do. In the daytime, they land on a wall and show signs of so sort of torpor. They are easy to catch at that point and can be moved outdoors. And while traps may seem appropriate, they really do not work well.
The only effective remediation is to locate the source of the larva and remove that material. I checked all of my cereals, pasta, and flour products and found them in a partially empty bag of flour. Needless to say, I said goodby to the flour and the moths. I just hope that I remember all of this the next time that I see more than one moth of the same type. Maybe there is a blog entry that will remind me...Good hunting!
The only effective remediation is to locate the source of the larva and remove that material. I checked all of my cereals, pasta, and flour products and found them in a partially empty bag of flour. Needless to say, I said goodby to the flour and the moths. I just hope that I remember all of this the next time that I see more than one moth of the same type. Maybe there is a blog entry that will remind me...Good hunting!
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