No one wants to open a bag of food like cereal or flour and find insects and grubs wriggling around. Unfortunately, this can happen more often than you may think, as Indian meal moths can appear in all kinds of dry food packages after they invade your San Diego kitchen. Once you have these pests identified, it’s important to take proactive steps to try to eliminate them quickly, usually with the help of professionals.
At Green Flash Pest Control, our experts are ready to help you eliminate these nuisance pests. We never cut corners when we are working at your home. We know that you are counting on us to deliver the results that you want to see, and you can trust us to deliver.
What Are Indian Meal Moths?
What does an Indian meal moth look like? It is an easily identifiable insect with a gray and reddish brown body color on the wings and a coppery sheen on the head. The adult moths are about ½ of an inch in length with a wingspan of about ⅝ of an inch.
Compared to other types of moths, an Indian pantry moth is a little smaller. It also has a bit of an unusual color versus other kinds of moths, thanks to the coppery and reddish brown colors on the body.
If you don’t see adult moths in your San Diego kitchen, you still can look for signs of the presence of these insects. The larvae look like white worms about ½ of an inch in length with a brown head. Larvae also leave behind silk sacs in the bags of dry food that they infest and eat.
If you are still trying to figure out what you are seeing, please let our pros at Green Flash Pest Control come to your home and let you know exactly what is happening. We can give you peace of mind by discovering that you don’t have Indian meal moths or – if we do find these pesky moths – by helping you eliminate them.
Are Pantry Moths Harmful? Health Risks And Concerns
Although Indian moth larvae are a significant nuisance, they are not known to carry diseases. Still, you should avoid eating any food that they infest, as it’s highly unappealing to open a bag of flour or cereal and to see wriggling worms that are the larvae of the moth.
Because you will want to discard the infested food, it can be expensive if you have an infestation in your San Diego kitchen, as these bugs could ruin a lot of food that needs replacing.
An Effective Way To Get Rid Of Pantry Pests
Although the Indian pantry moth life cycle is only a few weeks, trying to wait them out is not a good strategy. Once they begin infesting your San Diego kitchen, it’s time to be proactive. The longer you wait, the more they will multiply. They’ll ruin more of your food and move throughout your home, creating an even bigger nuisance than they caused in the kitchen.
Our team at Green Flash Pest Control is ready to help with proven methods. Although you could try some DIY control methods that you find at your local hardware store, these items simply don’t have the guaranteed effectiveness that our pros can deliver.
Pantry Pest Prevention: Tips For A Pest-Free Kitchen
After you allow our team at Green Flash Pest Control to eliminate your Indian meal moth larvae and adult bugs, you can then take steps to keep them away from your kitchen with the following tips:
- Inspect all bags and boxes of dry food in your pantry for any holes.
- Carefully look at boxes at the grocery store for signs of holes before you buy them.
- Turn off exterior lights at night to avoid drawing these moths near your doors.
- Repair holes in screens on windows and doors to prevent Indian meal moths from entering your home.
- Use caulk to fill in gaps around your home’s foundation.
As another option, you can have our San Diego pest control professionals visit your home on a regular basis to look for signs of reinfestation. If we see such signs, we can proactively begin taking steps to eliminate them before they can regain a foothold in your kitchen.
Don’t keep fighting an uphill battle on your own trying to keep these meal moths out of your San Diego home. Instead, let the pros at Green Flash Pest Control take care of your problem effectively, allowing you to open bags of cereal and flour without wondering what exactly you’re going to find inside. Reach out to us today for a free inspection.