A number of pesky intruders can make their way into your kitchen, which can leave you wondering how to get rid of ants, keep out mice, or stop mold mites. If you’ve ever opened up a box of cereal or sack of flour or scooped some kibble out of a bag for your dog and noticed a silky web or some worms milling about inside, you may be encountering an especially off-putting pest: pantry moths, which are also known as Indian meal moths.
Unfortunately, pantry moths are unwelcome guests you could unknowingly bring home from the grocery store. They lay eggs in food (yes, we know it’s horrifying to think about) and are exceptionally tough to get rid of once you have an infestation, according to the pest control experts we consulted.
“Pantry moths can lay hundreds of eggs at a time and will quickly proliferate and infest areas they’ve invaded,” Kyle Selbach, the director of operations of All U Need Pest Control who is also on the board of the Florida Pest Management Association, explains. “Larvae chew through cardboard and plastic storage and can quickly take over your pantry.”
While pantry moths don’t carry disease, finding their webs in your dry goods or knowing they’ve laid hundreds of eggs in your food is pretty unappetizing to say the least. Finding them also means you’ll have to toss out a lot of expensive groceries.
Ahead, pest control experts share everything you need to know about pantry moths, from signs you have an infestation to how to get rid of pantry moths once and for all. Here’s what you need to know about pantry moths, a common kitchen pest.
What Are Pantry Moths?
Pantry moths or Indian meal moths are small insects with wings that are rusty brown or almost bronze in color. “There are many different types of pantry moths, but most look like large pieces of brown rice with dusty wings,” Selbach says. Their larvae usually look like a small, cream-colored worm, although they can have yellowish-green or pinkish markings, with a dark brown head, according to the Colorado State University Extension.
These winged bugs love to lay their eggs in pantry items such as flour, grains, cereals, dried fruits, and pasta to give the newly hatched larvae a ready-to-eat food source, Daniel Kiefer, Ph.D, an entomologist and the technical director at American Pest in Washington, D.C., explains. That means you might spot grown-up moths or baby larvae inside food packaging or in your cabinets or drawers, depending on where they are in the life cycle. Pantry moth larvae are most often found in infested food, James Agardy, technical and training manager at Viking Pest Control, says, but they will also crawl around cabinets and on surfaces when they’re trying to find a spot to pupate (or cocoon) and transform into the adult moth.
Signs of a Pantry Moth Infestation
The most obvious indicator of a pantry moth problem is seeing adult moths flying around your pantry or kitchen, Scot Hodges, VP of professional development and technical services at Arrow Exterminators, says. You might also spot cocoons in the corners of your pantry or cabinets or in bags of food.
“During the larval stage, these pests often climb walls in preparation for the pupal stage, leaving behind small cocoons that look like lint balls,” Hodges says. “Initially, these cocoons may be hard to see, but as their numbers increase, they become more noticeable.”
Holes in your food storage containers, including boxes and plastic bags, are a red flag you have pantry moths, Selbach says.
Can Pantry Moths Make You Sick?
Pantry moths won’t bite or cause any illnesses, but they can get into your food and, when that happens, experts say you should toss it. In addition to their presence in pantry goods, pantry moths also spin large amounts of silk, which then collect egg shells, discarded skins from molting, and fecal matter, Kiefer says.
“While one contaminated bag of flour might not be that big of a deal, once Indian meal moths invade your pantry, they’ll lay eggs in any of the food items they can gain access to,” Kiefer says.
How Do Pantry Moths Get Into Your Home?
Pantry moths technically can enter through openings such as doors and windows, but that’s rare, Selbach says. Instead, their larvae feed on grains and other pantry items, so the food itself is the most common way they enter, he says.
While some think that bulk items are most susceptible to pantry moths, Selbach says it’s hard to say for certain because it takes “just one gap in the supply chain quality control for pantry moths to spread.”
“The rule of thumb is that the thicker and heavier duty the packaging, the better,” he says.
Also be cautious of bird food bags because they are typically made of thin plastic or cardboard, and are susceptible to pantry pests because of the packaging.
“Chances are, if you can smell the aroma from outside of the bag, then pests can too, and they will investigate,” Selbach says.
How to Prevent Pantry Moths
Keeping stock of what’s in your pantry is key. Experts recommend checking and inspecting your dry goods, along with these simple strategies.
Invest in Airtight Containers
Decanting pantry staples—items like grains, nuts, pasta, flour—into airtight containers is easy to write off as something reserved for those who are super organized. But, beyond aesthetics and helping keep your groceries last longer, sealing up your dry goods in containers is a good line of defense to keep pantry moths from spreading.
Look Out for Evidence of Moths
By using heavy-duty food storage containers with airtight lids, you force yourself to take the dry goods out of the factory packaging, which gives you the opportunity to sift through and look for any red flags that may indicate it is contaminated, Selbach says.
Wings, eggs, or frass are all things to look out for, he says. Frass is an insect excrement that almost looks like sawdust and is a common by-product of bugs such as termites, carpenter ants, and pantry moths.
Check Containers Before Refilling
When using food storage containers, be extra careful when adding a new batch of food items into them. “I would recommend keeping them separate until you verify that the new food is free of any pantry moth larvae,” Selbach advises. “If you don’t check then you risk contaminating the entire container.”
Avoid Flimsy Packaging
Don’t store foods in plastic bags or cardboard boxes because the insects can chew through, according to the University of Maryland Extension. Also, make sure you’re not leaving any loose grains out in your cabinets and food storage areas, Agardy says.
Use the Freezer
Since pests multiply faster in humidity, you can stash products like nuts and flours in a freezer to prevent infestation, the University of Maryland Extension says.
Clean Up Crumbs
Hard-to-reach areas that accumulate food debris, like under the stove, should be cleaned often. If your dogs or cats are messy eaters, you should make sure to look for loose kibble that gets spread around and dispose of it right away.
How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths
Prevention is the best method for controlling pantry moths. But if you do find yourself with an infestation, it’s time to spring into action. Just don’t reach for pesticides. Experts recommend against spraying food storage areas with them for safety reasons..
Eliminate Food Sources
Discard any food items that are open outside of an airtight container or with signs of moths, says Rocky Beninato, founder and licensed exterminator at Quality Affordable Pest Control, which is based in Toronto and the surrounding areas. Be sure to take it outside to the garbage immediately and don’t leave affected items in a trash can indoors.
Deep Clean the Pantry
Empty your entire pantry and use a vacuum attachment to remove any dust and webbing. Then, use a disinfecting cleaner, bleach solution, or soap and hot water to clean the pantry, making sure you reach all corners and nooks where eggs or caterpillars could be lurking, Beninato says.
Consider Hiring a Pro
In severe infestations, you may need to hire a pest control specialist, which can cost around $600. Hold off on purchasing new dry goods or pantry items until you’re sure the infestation is gone, Beninato says.