I received a picture the other day of a pest to identify. This, by itself, is nothing out of the ordinary: I get many texts and emailed pictures for ID. Not to sound too egotistical, but I’m pretty good at it. I joke that my superpower is getting a correct identification from a fuzzy cell phone picture. This was a nice clear picture and I had it right away.
What was a bit different about this situation was where it was found. I’m very used to dealing with stored product pests in the food processing industry. Even retail: I see lots of Indian meal moths, warehouse beetles, sawtoothed grain beetles, cigarette beetles, and more in pet food stores, grocery stores, farm stores, etc. This was a residence, a home.
Going through the research, I found that there is almost nothing on Indian meal moths in residential accounts. This does not mean they don’t occur there. I’ve run into it quite a bit, though much less so than food processing. This is a really important time to think about these pests in residential settings. People have plenty of food products in their homes that Indian meal moths (and other stored product pests) can and will feed on. Everything from dry goods like cereal and pasta to chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, candies, and so much more.
Let’s cover some fun facts on IMM:
There are parasitic wasps that attack IMM – I once had an IMM infestation so bad there were more wasps in the sticky traps than moths.
They aren’t all that cold tolerant – below 53oF (12oC) they can’t complete development.
They will feed on (almost) anything – there hasn’t been a comprehensive study on all the potential food products but the number of food products they can feed on is extensive. I once reared these on ground coffee, I’ve seen wheat bins completely infested, and once dealt with a candy product (that I would have sworn had no nutritional value) that was infested with IMM.
Love can be their downfall – mating disruption treatments work. And they work really well.
Adult moths don’t matter – well, they do lay eggs, but it is the larvae that are doing all the feeding damage.
Larvae spin webs – and it is a messy webbing that is gummed up with food particles and droppings so you can often tell an infestation without actually seeing the insects themselves.
I mentioned it was important to think of these pests now. Many of us have a lot more food for the winter holidays. Some of us are pulling out food that we had stashed away last year. While there may be the frantic cleaning before guests come over, there will be a lot of food particles that get pushed into corners or under appliances. It's the perfect storm for IMM to find a nice home for the holidays.
Since Indian meal moths have a native outdoor population, it’s not unlikely that one can get in and start the infestation process. And since it takes about a month to go from egg to adult, there have been a few months for those populations to build and spread throughout other foods.
Another thing compounding residential situations is where those holiday stashes are located. All that extra food doesn’t fit in the kitchen pantry anymore. It’s being stored in basements, in closets, in spare bedrooms, even in garages. All places that are not ideal for food storage and places that, quite honestly, get forgotten about. (I admit I found a bag of jelly beans that was two years old because I hid it. I then forgot where I hid it.) Since many people are working from home much more, food is being eaten in the home more and in different areas of the home. I guiltily admit I eat in my home office and I should vacuum the floor more!
Indian meal moths aren't just a commercial problem. It’s not just IMM; many of the stored product pests are taking advantage of extra food stashes. What should we do about this? Drop me a note about your conditions, and let's work together!
Lagniappe
*Yep, even chimnies. IMM will feed on dead animals, nests, acorn stashes, and so much more that has crawled into your chimney.
Ubran pest consulting
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