Are you familiar with Indian meal moths? They’re a type of pest found in storage products and can pose an issue to food items. You’ll commonly find them in your pantry, as they’re attracted to things such as spices and different grains, such as cereal. They’re
similar to cockroaches because they look for pet food as well.
If you find the thought of moths in or around your food to be more than a little offputting, you’re not alone. Thankfully, you can take steps to prevent these pests from infiltrating your food in the first place. And if you still find you have an infestation, you can hire a
professional pest removal service to help keep your house insect-free.
Are Indian Meal Moths Harmful?
Indian meal moths can cause issues for you, your family, and your pets since they feast on pet food. Indian meal moth eggs are common in your pantry items, especially grains. After they infiltrate your food, they’ll lay these eggs. Once they hatch, the Indian meal moth larvae will use your pantry items as a continuous buffet, eating as they grow and develop into moths.
But are they dangerous? Not directly. They don’t sting and you don’t have to worry about them biting you. They’re also not known to carry or transmit any harmful diseases. However, if you find them in your food, you need to throw out these items.
Otherwise, you run the risk of eating an Indian meal moth’s skin, web, or fecal matter. This can quickly get expensive and leads to food waste.
As with any pest, prevention is key, and a professional pest removal service can help you in this department.
How to Get Rid of Indian Meal Moths
The best Indian meal moth prevention starts with protecting certain food items. If a particular type of food, especially spices, is where you’re commonly finding these pesky
pantry moths, then freeze these products.
You should also avoid buying food in bulk unless you eat it quickly. Otherwise, it has time to sit in your pantry and attract bugs. If you do have foods that you eat slowly, always store them in a container that is closed tightly. Any products that sit in your pantry for more than six months run the risk of an
Indian meal moth infestation.
What Happens If You Eat Indian Meal Moths?
As mentioned, Indian meal moths aren’t known to cause any issues to humans. However, you may not want to eat their eggs or excrement as you’re enjoying a bowl of cereal.
Although it won’t necessarily be harmful to your health, it’s still offputting, knowing you’re eating insect larvae or eggs. But Indian meal moths don’t transmit diseases or create toxins. They also don’t transmit any known pathogens or parasites.
Keep Indian Meal Moths Away
Now that you know how to prevent Indian meal moths, it’s important to stay on top of these prevention methods to keep them from infesting your pantry items. You can invest in preventative pest removal services, as these professionals can keep all kinds of pests from infesting your home in the first place.
Serene Property Services can help. We offer pest removal for all your needs and service all of Sussex County, NJ, along with Warwick, NY.
Contact us today to learn more about what we offer.
