Pantry Moths

Key Takeaways

• Pantry moths are usually Indian meal moths (Plodia interpunctella), which are found across Australia.
• The larvae, sometimes called moth worms or maggots, do the damage, and they can chew through plastic.
• Finding an adult moth is often a sign of infested food somewhere in your home.
• Check and clean every container, because pheromone traps catch only males.
• Pantry moth activity peaks from January to March.

What Are Pantry Moths?

Pantry moths are household pests that can ruin and contaminate foodstuffs. Pantry moths do not harm animals or humans, but they do cause problems with food in storage. Generally, pantry moths are also known as Indian meal moths, and they are invasive across Australia.

Alternative common names are flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth and the raisin moth are commonly confused with the Indian meal moth due to their similar food sources and appearance.

What Do Pantry Moths Look Like?

The adult pantry moth is up to 10 mm long, with a wingspan of around 20 mm. The rear half of the wing is reddish-brown or grey, which gives the moth a two-tone look.

• Length: up to 10 mm.
• Wingspan: about 20 mm.
• Wings: the rear half is reddish-brown or grey.
• Flight: a zig zag pattern around kitchens and homes.

Pantry Moth Larvae: Moth Worms and Maggots

The pantry moth larvae look like small, thin grubs, which is why people call them moth worms or pantry moth maggots. They have a dark head and a pale body, typically white or yellow, and they grow to about 14 mm.

Only the larvae feed. They chew through cardboard and plastic, and they crawl around the threads of jars, so even sealed containers may be infested. Webbing in food is another sign.

Baby Pantry Moths and Small Moths in the Pantry

• Baby pantry moths are the tiny caterpillars that hatch from eggs laid on or near stored food.
• Females lay up to 300 eggs at a time, and the eggs hatch in 2 to 14 days.
• Small moths flying in the pantry are the adults. They are attracted to light and fly mostly at night.
• Seeing one adult can mean larvae are feeding in food nearby.

Where Do They Attack?

Small moths fly around kitchens or homes in a zig zag pattern. They attack a wide range of products including grains, candies, cereal, chocolate, beans, spices, nuts, dry animal food, flour, birdseed and dried fruit. Indian meal moth is the most common pantry moth.

Properly identifying your pest will help you target your efforts. Consider contacting Control Pest Management for help in correctly identifying a pest. The biggest threat the pantry moths pose is infestation and spoiling food, which creates waste and increases living costs for the homeowner.

Types of Pantry Moths

There are four types of pantry moths that can be found in the kitchen. These include white-shouldered, Mediterranean, Indian and brown house moths. Where there is a supply of food, an infestation can develop and larvae will soon become a serious problem.

Moth	Size	What to know
Indian meal moth	Up to 10 mm, wingspan about 20 mm	Most common pantry moth. Also called the flour moth. Larvae grow to about 14 mm
Mediterranean pantry moth	6 to 12 mm, wingspread about 23 mm	Light grey with two dark zig zag lines. Flour is a favourite food
Brown house moth	8 to 14 mm, wingspan 15 to 26 mm	Bronze brown with dark flecks. Larvae are about 6 mm
White-shouldered house moth	Similar to the brown house moth	Larvae are creamy white. Females lay up to 200 eggs, which hatch in 1 to 2 weeks

Pantry Moth Life Cycle

Adult pantry moths live for only one to two weeks, and they lay their eggs during that time. The caterpillars’ main goal is to eat and grow, so they can wreak havoc in your food supplies. Finding an adult moth may be a sign that there are infested items somewhere in the home.

Fact	Detail
Egg-laying	Up to 300 eggs at a time on or near food
Hatching	2 to 14 days
Adult lifespan	1 to 2 weeks
Full life cycle	30 to 300 days
Generations	Up to 9 a year

Pantry Moths in Australia: When Are They Active?

Pantry moths can be found in homes across Australia, and activity peaks from January to March. Warm weather speeds up their life cycle, so a small problem in summer can grow quickly.

How to Control Pantry Moths

Controlling the moths can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Here are some steps that can help.

• Check every container, including sealed ones, for larvae, webbing and cocoons.
• Clean out the entire pantry with soap and water to remove eggs that may be present.
• Discard all contaminated food away from the house.
• Keep food in thick storage containers, such as thick plastic or glass containers.
• Use pheromone moth traps to monitor activity. They catch males only, so they will not remove an infestation.
• Monitor the kitchen closely to catch any future infestations.

Need Help with Pantry Moths?

Contact Control Pest Management so our professional team can make short work of any infestation you may have. Our technicians are licensed, fully insured and police checked, and our treatments are suitable for children and pets. See our pantry moth removal on the Gold Coast, or request a free quote. Call 1300 357 246.