There are many pests that are found only in one or two places in the world by your Broken Arrow pest control company. Then there are some that are so prolific, that they are found around the world. Enter the Indian meal moth. What is an Indian meal moth? It is a moth that loves cereals. It loves them so much, that it infests grains in shipments moving around the world. It was once only found in Europe, but because of the shipping demands we have placed on grain, the Indian meal moth has been shipped around the world, including near your Broken Arrow pest control company. This means that you can find this moth on every inhabited continent, munching away on our food supplies.
The name of this moth comes from an early American entomologist named Asa Fitch. She named the moth as such because, when she found this moth, it was infesting cornmeal from India.
Surprisingly, this moth, in its adult stage, doesn’t actually feed on cereals. It lays 100-400 eggs in a place where plenty of food is found (grains and cereals), and when they hatch, the larvae stage of this pest ravish all the grains in its path. As it feeds, it creates a tunnel like web of silk and frass. Frass is a fancy word for moth excrement. It can eat this way for up to 18 days, and them pupates. Your Broken Arrow pest control company will have more information.
The Indian meal moth reproduces very rapidly. This can cause sever damage of the dog food isle at the local grocery store, destroy an entire boat load of wheat or other grains, or shut down an entire storage facility. These insects eat, for example, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, graham crackers, powdered milk, flour, biscuits, chocolate, dog food, candy, dried red peppers, dog food, and even bird seed, just to name a few.
If you’ve found yourself with an Indian meal moth infestation, don’t be held hostage by these destructive moths, call a Broken Arrow pest control company today. If you are having an issue with them, feel free to Contact Us here at TermMax Pest Control. We’re here to help!
