Identify Your Pest Flying insects Indian meal moth
Indian meal moth
Plodia interpunctella · Also called: Pantry moth, Indianmeal moth
The Indian meal moth is the small pantry moth most often found flying in kitchens or crawling out of cereal, flour, nuts or pet food. Its larvae spin silk webbing through dry food, which is often the first sign people notice.
Size 8 to 10 mm long at rest
Colour Pale grey near the body, coppery reddish brown at the tips
Key feature Two-toned front wings: pale inner third, coppery outer two-thirds
Season Year round indoors in heated homes and stores
Where Pantries, cupboards, pet food bins, birdseed and stored dry goods
What it looks like
Adult moths are about 8 to 10 mm long with wings folded. Look at the front wings. The part closest to the head is pale grey or tan, and the outer two-thirds is a coppery, reddish brown. This two-toned look is the clearest clue. Adults fly in a zigzag path, mostly in the evening, and rest on kitchen walls and ceilings.
The larvae cause the damage. They are off-white caterpillars, up to about 12 mm long, with a brown head. They leave silk webbing, clumped food and tiny droppings in the products they feed on. When ready to spin a cocoon, many crawl up walls to where the wall meets the ceiling.
Often confused with
Webbing clothes moth
Mediterranean flour moth
Signs to look for
Moths in the kitchen
Webbing in food
Larvae on walls and ceilings
Cocoons in cupboards
Droppings in packages
Risks and damage
Indian meal moths do not bite, sting or spread disease. The harm is to food. Larvae spoil dry goods with silk, droppings and shed skins, so infested products should be thrown out. Flimsy packaging will not stop them, so one infested box can soon lead to others on the same shelf. For stores, warehouses and pet food sellers, the losses can add up.
In Alberta
Indian meal moths are found in homes, grocery stores and warehouses across Alberta, and heated buildings let them breed all year. Many home problems start with one infested package from a store, or with birdseed or pet food kept in a pantry or garage.
The name has nothing to do with India. Indian meal is an old North American word for cornmeal, and an 1856 report by New York entomologist Asa Fitch named the moth after larvae found in stored cornmeal.
How to keep them out
Use sealed containers
Check food when you buy it
Freeze bulk items
Rotate and clean shelves
When it is time to bring in a professional
Call a professional if moths keep appearing after you have thrown out infested food and cleaned the pantry. The same goes if you run a store, bakery, warehouse or pet supply business. Moths may be coming from a hidden source you have not found. Technica’s licensed technicians can help find it and set up monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to eat food that had pantry moths in it?
Throw it out to be safe. The larvae leave droppings, silk and skins in the food. Eating a small amount by accident is generally not considered harmful, but the food is spoiled and can spread moths to other items.
Where do pantry moths come from?
Most arrive as eggs or larvae in food from a store, bulk bin or warehouse. Birdseed, pet food and dried decorations such as ornamental corn can also bring them in. They then spread from package to package.
Why are there small worms on my ceiling?
They are likely Indian meal moth larvae that have left their food to find a place to spin a cocoon. They often climb to where the walls meet the ceiling. It means infested food is nearby and needs to be found.