Moths
Risk Levels
| Invasiveness | |||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
| Health Concern | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Damage | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
Moths |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Risk Levels
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moths that are found in a home are generally one of two basic kinds; either a food eating moth or a fabric eating moth. A food eating moth, which is the most common, will most likely be found in your pantry. A fabric eating moth will most likely be found in your closet.
Food eating moths come in a variety of types, but all of them can generally be found be in a pantry, kitchen cabinets, near pet food, or near a garbage can. They especially like to eat various grains, cereals, flour, pastas, powdered milk, bird seed, and other similar foods.
The most common type of food moth is the Indian Meal Moth, which is also sometimes referred to as the North American High-Flyer. It is also the most destructive. The larvae are often referred to as “waxworms”, and these moths are also sometimes called flour moths or pantry moths. A female Indian Meal Moth can lay up to 300 eggs at one time. As adults, they grow to be about half an inch long.
Fabric moths include species like the Webbing Moth and the Casemaking Moth. Both of these moths are only about one fourth of an inch long, do not like to be seen, and rarely are. Generally, the only way you will know that these moths are present is when you see holes in your fabric.
To prevent clothing moths, clean qoolen garments regularly according to labeled instructions. Moths are more likely to feed on items that have been stained by body oils or food. When storing clothes, store them in airtight containers and vacuum storage areas regularly to reduce the likihood of an infestation occuring. If you are using chemical products like mothballs, take care to keep them away from children and pets, and only use them in airtigh containers.
Food moths, more often than not, come into the home in packaged foods. Do not purchase broken packages of food, as these are more likely to be infested. If you are unsure about an item, place it in a sealed plastic bag for at least a month. If you find moths accumulating in the bag, discard the item. Be sure to clean cabinets regularly, and place loose food items in airtight sealed containers.
One of the most effective control methods for both types of moths is trapping using pheromone lures. These lures mimic the sex hormone of a specific species. Therefore, it is very important that the insects are properly identified by a trained professional. Tri-County can help you find the source of infestation, identify the pest, and then eliminate it with a combination of traps and reduced-risk insecticides.