Indian Meal Moths (Plodia Interpunctella) are thought to be the most common pest to infest domestic and commercial kitchens and dried food storage areas. They specifically target foods such as cereal, bread, pasta, rice, spices or dried fruits and nuts. These moths usually measure up to 10mm long and can be identified by their distinctive dual coloured wings which have a copper colouring, light at the front and dark at the rear. For getting rid of moths in the case of a moth infestation there are a number of sanitation measures you can use.

Firstly, it is important to check all of your foodstuffs for traces of the insect. Indian meal moth infestations cause damage to food packaging and visible webbing throughout the food. The moths may gather around windows but these will not show the extent of the problem, as eggs and larvae can exist for up to a year before hatching into moths. An infestation is likely to occur if packaging has been opened and not perfectly resealed again for a long period ; however they can also occur during the food processing plant and warehouse storage. For this reason broken packaging should not be purchased or should be returned to the store once discovered. If you are unsure about a foodstuff being infested if a trace of Indian Meal Moths has been discovered it is best to discard it. Meal moths can notoriously find their ways into very tightly secured food stores such as secured bags.

Once the problem has been identified the sanitation process can begin. Eliminate any small sources of food by cleaning thoroughly vacuuming and cleaning in and around food areas and inside the fridge. If old foods are infested the Indian Meal Moth will quickly invade the new so do not bring any new foods in until you are certain that all of the food sources containing eggs, larvae and moths have been destroyed.

It is possible to freeze foods containing traces of Indian Meal Moths to kill them, but the eggs of the insect require up to 3 weeks of a temperature of -15°C to be killed, and the foodstuff will still contain the bodies of the moths and the eggs. Moth traps with or without pheromones will kill the moths but again it is difficult to destroy the eggs and larvae. Indian Meal Moths will crawl over floors and climb up walls to make their way into cracks and crevices to create a nest. It might be necessary to bring in professional pest control experts to spray the area with an insecticide to fully destroy this pests lifecycle.

To avoid a future outbreak of Indian Meal Moths open foods must be stored in airtight clean Tupperware containers with lids. Ensure that cupboards and other storage units are tight and can be cleaned easily and keep them dry; moisture helps the development of meal moth larvae.