Moths and beetles in the pantry?
There are several species of pantry moths that can infest your home, but the one most frequently encountered is the Indian meal moth. It is small and colorful. The wings are gray toward the body and have dark bands near the tip.
They will feed on a wide variety of dried foods, including cereals, flour, cornmeal, crackers, cake mixes, pasta, dried pet foods, candy, powdered milk, chocolate candy and many other foodstuffs.
The best control is to hang one Flour Moth Pheromone Trap in the area they are infesting. This will attract and catch the male moths and stop the breeding process. Then inspect all open dried foods and toss anything that is infested. Place all non-infested foods in sealed containers or refrigerate them.
Completely clean the pantry where the foods are stored to get any larvae that may be crawling around. Then lightly dust the shelves with food-grade diatomaceous earth before putting the foods back.
Flour beetles are small, brownish in color and elongate in shape. They feed on barley, beet pulp, breakfast cereals, grains, nuts, wheat, wheat bran, milk chocolate, dried milk and, occasionally, hides. Good sanitation is key to controlling these beetles.
