The Indian meal moth, also commonly called the pantry moth, is a pest often found inside Frisco homes, usually because they hitched a ride in on your groceries. No matter what you call them, they are a pest you certainly do not want in your home. This pest is often found in storage warehouses, grocery stores, or even granaries. Once infesting a location such as this, the Indian meal moth has no problem coming into your home. This moth can also enter your Frisco home in more traditional ways, flying right in from the outdoors. No matter how they got in, the main concern you likely have is: how do I get them out?
At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we know just how challenging these moths can be to exterminate. The good news for Frisco homeowners is, you don’t have to take this stress on alone. We have your back, with comprehensive treatment plans to rid your home of pests once and for all.
What Do Indian Meal Moths Look Like?
Chances are if you have found a moth in your pantry or dry food storage areas, it is likely a pantry, or Indian meal, moth. This moth will appear a light grey color, with reddish-brown patterned wingtips. If they weren’t infesting your food, they might even be pretty. These pests have a wingspan of about 3/4 of an inch, with a body ranging around 3/8 to 1/2 an inch in length. Male adults will have a two-color wing pattern, which includes shades of yellow, white, and reddish-brown.
However, the Indian meal moth larvae do not yet have wings. They appear more like small maggots or caterpillars. The larvae are a white color, looking much like a skinny and small maggot. The larvae may also have shades of pink or green in them, depending on what they are feeding on at the time.
How Do Pantry Moths Sneak Into Houses?
Like most pests, the pantry moth can sneak into your Frisco home in a number of ways. From small cracks and crevices in your home to poorly sealed windows and doors, many pests can come into your home in the most traditional of ways: from the outdoors. Pantry moths feed off of the dry goods in your home, and they are coming in to share your food stores. Because they enjoy the foods humans also eat, they commonly munch on dry snacks, seeds, grains, or starches. They enjoy chocolate, dried fruit, herbs, and spices.
If they didn’t come in from outdoors, it is likely the pest hitched a ride in on the foods you brought into the home. Concealed in packaging, the larvae may have gone unnoticed in quality control. From the farms that send the grains to the companies that clean and package them to the warehouses that store them and the grocery stores that sell them, there are countless points of contact in which the pantry moth may have entered the process. Once you unknowingly bring such a product into the home, you too can end up with an infestation of pantry moths. The larvae will grow to full-sized moths and reproduce, causing a continued issue for your Frisco home and its inhabitants.
Is Pantry Moth-Infested Food Dangerous To Eat?
In the end, the pantry moth is largely just a gross nuisance. No one wants to see a pest of any kind in their food. However, the moth itself cannot truly make you sick, even if you eat the contaminated food. Consuming the moth, eggs, or its silky web is unlikely to cause much harm, other than the unappealing factor. The moths do not bite or sting, either. They do not cause a serious health risk, but contaminated food can be discarded to be safe.
How Do I Get Rid Of Indian Meal Moths In My Frisco Home?
Because they are difficult to detect, short of thoroughly inspecting each and every food product you bring into the house, it is best to trust the removal of pantry moths to the professionals. At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we have comprehensive treatment plans to keep your foods safe from all pests, including the Indian meal moth. We will inspect your home, inside and out, to create a plan that is tailored to your specific needs. From there, we will follow up on our initial treatment plan with routine visits to be sure your Frisco home remains pest-free for the long run.
Call our professionals today to take this arduous task off of your plate, and put it in the hands of the experts.