Indian meal moths are nocturnal insects, and are probably one of the most prevalent pantry pests in the UK. As with a lot of insec...
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Indian Meal Moths are probably the most common pantry pest found in kitchens and pantries. In private residences, Indian meal moths are usually introduced through products brought from the grocery store. Consequently, infestations are usually just in one area, but can spill over into other areas.
Infestations are most likely to occur in packages that have been opened for the removal of a portion of the contents and then left unsealed for long periods. Some of the pests may find their way into other food packages, but even those in a single package may become so numerous that large numbers may find their way into every suitable material in the home, and will eventually crawl over floors, climb up walls, and gather about windows.
If you find that you have an infestation of Indian meal moths, follow the steps below.
When packages of food are found to be infested with moths or beetles, either low or high temperatures may be used to control the infestation. Insects are cold-blooded and therefore their body temperatures closely follow that of their environment.
The most favourable temperature for the Indian meal moth and most other pantry pests is about 27°C. Above 35°C or below 15°C, reproduction and survival is greatly reduced. When temperatures are lowered, insect activity decreases until all activity stops. The quicker the drop in temperature, the quicker the kill.
Although the insects will be killed, it is important to remember that their bodies will remain in the food until they are sieved out. An exposure of 2 to 3 days to temperatures of -15°C or lower kills the more susceptible stages (larvae and adults), but eggs require longer to kill (3 weeks). An alternative is to freeze the food for a week, remove it from the freezer for a few days, and then refreeze it for another week.
Article provided by Dynamic Pest Control