Indian meal moth

The larvae can make their way into food containers through very tiny openings, or even chew through bags. Thus it is best to keep food in tightly sealed containers. Infested food is inedible and must be destroyed, for it is full of excrement, silk threads and empty cocoons left by the larvae. It is essential that all surfaces in contact with the larvae be thoroughly cleaned. If possible, place foodstuffs that may be infested in the freezer for a week, to destroy all eggs, caterpillars and chrysalids.

The presence of these moths in a building is a sign of infestation. They can be trapped indoors with pheromone traps or simply sticky traps. Adults fly outdoors in summer and are attracted by light. They can be kept out by screens.

The insect’s name comes from the fact that it was discovered in corn meal, also known as Indian meal. “Indian” in this case refers to American Indians, who traditionally ate a lot of corn.