Residential Pest Solutions: 4 Steps to Controlling Indian Meal Moth
The Indian Meal Moth (IMM) Plodia interpunctella is one of the most common stored products pest infesting homes. The moth is a general feeder on grain products, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, dried dog food, bird feed, powdered milk, whole wheat, corn meal, candies, etc.
Residential customers will generally get infestations in the pantry and other areas where susceptible foods are stored. It is very common in a home for an infestation to originate from bird, seed, dog food, dried flower arrangements or a stash of nuts in an attic from a squirrel. The infested product will be either brought into the home by the homeowner from a store or the moths can fly in from the outside. The moth will be found inside food packages, along the edges of ceilings, on package seams, in shelving around foods and in cracks and crevices in its various life stages.
Recommended Control Steps:
Residential customers will generally get infestations in the pantry and other areas where susceptible foods are stored. It is very common in a home for an infestation to originate from bird, seed, dog food, dried flower arrangements or a stash of nuts in an attic from a squirrel. The infested product will be either brought into the home by the homeowner from a store or the moths can fly in from the outside. The moth will be found inside food packages, along the edges of ceilings, on package seams, in shelving around foods and in cracks and crevices in its various life stages.
Recommended Control Steps:
- Identify the source of infestation along with any other foodstuff at risk.
- Discard the infested material. Foods that are not infested should be stored in plastic or glass containers with tight lids.
- Inspect for pupal cases and spot treat with labelled insecticides to kill adult moths as they emerge. This step may be skipped as long as steps 2 & 4 are followed.
- Install the appropriate number of Exosex® SPTabs and dispensers based on the square footage of the house and the extent of the infestation. In many cases one tablet in the vicinity of the pantry will be adequate. One tablet will treat 225 square feet. Exosex® SPTabs is a unique mating disruption Technology. It controls IMM and other stored product moths with a single solution. IMM is the most commonly found but the others can also occur.
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