Photo Album: Dog Food Causes Indian Meal Moth Infestation in Sea Girt, NJ
Throughout the Kitchen
As soon as we stepped foot into the kitchen, we found Indian meal moths and their larvae in the corners of the kitchen, throughout the pantries, and even in some of the food in the pantries!
Indian Meal Moths
Indian meal moths, also known as pantry pests, are the most common pests to infest pantries and food storage facilities. These troublesome insects cost food processing businesses thousands of dollars in discarded products yearly. They're attracted to light and feed on dried fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, chocolate, candies, birdseed, dog food, and powdered milk.
Came from the Dog Food
Turns out that there was dog food that had spilled over in the kitchen and it was left there for quite some time. We cleaned it up for the homeowner and informed her that every single contaminated food item must be disposed of properly ASAP. The owner agreed and we disposed of them for her.
Treatment for Indian Meal Moths
Once that was finished, we treated all the cracks and crevices throughout the pantries and the kitchen with an aerosol application. This application rapidly exterminates the Indian meal moths.
Catches the Adult Indian Meal Moths
Next, we installed several pheromone traps to catch the adult Indian meal moths that were flying around. These devices have a unique pheromone in them that lures the Indian meal moths to their demise. Lastly, we scheduled several follow-up inspections to monitor the infestation and replace the devices until the Indian meal moths are no longer infesting the home.