moth crawling up a wallMoths are like the ugly step-sister of the butterfly.  With over 160,000 species of moths, you are probably most familiar with the Indian Meal Moth or the Clothes Moth.  The clothes moth effects only clothing and is a completely different pest topic than what we will be discussing today.  Today, we’re going to talk about the Indian Meal Moth which is one of the most common food pests found in homes.

Moths are attracted to light for reasons unknown.  They are known to hover around lights right outside of your home and can easily slip in when a door or window is opened.  Moths are often found dead on window sills or along baseboards under windows because they are attracted to the light coming through the window.  Adult moths have a very short lifespan which can be a good and bad thing.  Good, because they don’t stick around for long, bad because that’s a lot of clean up.

So why does your home have moths?  Not only are they coming into your home because they’re attracted to the light but they are also entering because your home provides food and shelter, a place to lay and hide their eggs, and a safe place from predators.  You may find moths in your cabinets or pantry where you store grains, cereal, or flour.  If there are pet foods or arts in crafts made out of food, these can also attract moths.  Be assured that it is fairly simple to prevent and get rid of Indian Meal Moths that may be in your home.

  • Throw out any old or moth contaminated foods
  • Make sure all food, cereal, flour, and grains especially, are tightly sealed
  • Place mothballs in areas that moths are found
  • Cedar is a good preventative because moths do not like the smell
  •  Use LED lights on the outside of your home…bugs are less attracted to them than they are to other bulbs

If you need assistance with treating Indian Meal Moths, or any pest, call Northwest Exterminating at 888.466.7849 or visit us online.

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