Pantry Moth (Indian Meal Moth) — Identification & Control
Plodia interpunctella
About the indian meal moth (pantry moth)
Indian meal moths — almost universally called pantry moths by homeowners — are small, distinctly two-toned moths: pale grey near the body, shifting to a coppery bronze toward the wing tips, with a fluttering, low flight pattern most often noticed at night in the kitchen. The adults themselves cause no damage; the destructive work is done entirely by the larvae, which spin fine silken webbing through infested grain products as they feed.
Pantry moths are notorious for arriving already hidden inside a purchased product — a single bag of birdseed, flour, cereal, dried fruit, or pet food is enough to introduce eggs or larvae directly into your pantry. From there, larvae readily spread to nearby packaged goods, contaminating them with webbing, cast skins, and frass. Once established, an infestation typically requires discarding affected products, since the contamination is not something that can be sorted out or washed off.
Quick ID
8–10 mm with two-tone wings: pale grey near the body, coppery-bronze at the wing tips.
In the Triangle
Very common in Triangle pantries; often arrives hidden inside a single contaminated bag of birdseed or flour.
Think you have indian meal moth (pantry moth)s?
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