How Did I Get Indian Meal Moths?

Indian Meal Moth close-up

Indian meal moths are among the most common stored food pest in Michigan. They infest and lay eggs inside dry stored food like cereal and bread. When the moth’s eggs hatch, their larvae eat stored food continuously until they grow large enough to pupate. After pupating, adult moths reproduce and lay eggs, and the cycle begins again.

Unfortunately, anyone who keeps food in their home can attract Indian meal moths. In fact, you might even bring them in with you! Here are the most common ways Indian meal moth infestations happen, and how you can prevent them.

How Did Indian Meal Moths Get In My Home?

Adult Indian meal moths don’t eat, but they seek out dry foodstuff anyway. When they find a good food source, they lay rows of eggs onto or into it. When larvae hatch, they begin eating the food immediately. In the process of eating, larvae burrow into the food. Depending on where they hatched, larvae may also burrow through packaging to get to food. Once burrowed inside, larvae become difficult to see. Therein lies the problem.

Indian meal moths usually infiltrate homes inadvertently, as larvae. You bring them in when you inadvertently buy the food they’re feeding on and bring it inside. Indian meal moths can infest a wide variety of different stored and dried goods. They could feed on cereal, pasta, bread, pet food, nuts, seeds, flour, dried fruit, sugar, or even spices. After the larvae pupate, they grow into the full-grown adults you might encounter in your pantry.

When Can I Get Indian Meal Moths?

Unfortunately, there isn’t really an “off-season” for Indian meal moths. Normally, meal moths can’t grow or reproduce as quickly during cold seasons. When the moths find their way indoors, however, they may reproduce all year. Moth development and pupation speed depends partially on environmental temperature. The warmer the environment, the faster the meal moths’ life cycle completes. Adult moths seek out warm places to lay their eggs, to make sure they hatch as quickly as possible.

Indian meal moths are a particularly common and troubling pest for grocery stores. As Indian meal moths continue to reproduce, they also spread. Adults constantly seek out new food sources where they can lay eggs. In all likelihood, you picked up your moths from your local grocery store. Indian meal moths don’t necessarily inhabit pantry food exclusively. They could also hide in your pet food or bird seed. All it takes is one infested food item to kickstart a full-scale invasion. Food is like an Indian meal moth’s trojan horse.

How Can I Tell If I Have Indian Meal Moths?

How Can I Tell If I Have Indian Meal Moths?

It can be hard to tell if you have a moth infestation at first. Indian meal moth larvae tend to burrow into the food they’re eating, making them invisible from the outside. Usually, people realize they have an infestation one of two ways. Either they see the adult moths themselves… or they find an unpleasant surprise in their food. You want to avoid both of those realizations. To do that, you’ll have to take a close look at the food in your pantry.

As larvae eat, they also spin a fine silk-like substance. This silk-like substance tends to collect their waste, shed skin, and eggshells over time. It may look like a fine spider web or clear thread over the surface of your food. You may also be able to identify small signs of burrowing or chewing on pest-vulnerable food. When larvae are ready to pupate, they leave food and spin silk cocoons on walls and ceilings nearby. Finding these cocoons will tell you there’s an infestation in progress. You could also look for packaging damage.

How Can I Prevent Indian Meal Moths?

The best way to prevent Indian meal moths is to pay close attention to the food you buy. Take care to look at dry goods carefully before you bring them home with you. Remember: larvae can chew through packaging, so even goods in boxes or plastic bags aren’t necessarily safe. If you notice anything that looks like damage on food packaging, don’t buy that food! Make sure all boxes or bags you buy are airtight and sealed.

Double-check your pantry goods one last time as you’re putting them away. If you notice anything suspicious, don’t leave the food in your pantry. Instead, take it outside and throw it out immediately. If you’re worried you already have Indian meal moths, you should take an inventory of your pantries. Take all the food out of your pantry and transfer it into hard plastic containers. Wash out the inside of your pantry thoroughly with soap and hot water. If you find any larvae, throw out the infested food right away.

 

Indian meal moth infestations are easy to get and frustratingly difficult to get rid of. You might feel sure you’ve removed all the food that the moths could possibly infest… only to see a moth flying around a week later. Even worse, the longer your infestation goes on, the more expensive it becomes. Food isn’t cheap!

If you need to make absolutely sure your moths are gone, professional treatment is the way to go. Next time you have an Indian meal moth problem, give Griffin Pest Solutions a call right away. We’ll make sure your moths can’t waste any more of your time, food, or money.

The Indian Meal Moth in Michigan

Close-up of an Indian Meal Moth

At first, the Indian meal moth probably doesn’t seem like that scary a pest, all things considered. It doesn’t look big or dangerous, it’s not destroying your home, and it’s not biting you while you sleep! If that’s how you feel, then consider yourself lucky. If you’re not afraid of Indian meal moths, then you’ve probably never encountered one… in your food.

Food-infesting pests are a special kind of scary. You might accidentally eat them. It’s gross. Indian meal moths are one of the most notorious food-infesting pests in Michigan. Every year, they infest thousands of Michigan cupboards and pantries. You don’t yours to be one of those pantries, trust us. Here’s everything you need to know to make sure it won’t be.

What is an Indian Meal Moth?

Indian meal moths are a common stored food pest insect in Michigan. The name “Indian meal moth” references the fact that it frequently feeds on cornmeal (or “Indian meal”). Adult Indian meal moths are around ⅝ to ¾” long, reddish-brown or copper-colored torsos. Their wingspan is about ½” long. The wings are also copper-colored, but they have a distinctive light tan or grey-colored top section. When Indian meal moths aren’t flying, they fold their wings together along their bodies.

Indian meal moths actually spend a good deal of their lives in their larval or caterpillar form. These larvae are a very light, clear white, yellow, pink, or greenish shade, with a brown head. They start very small and grow consistently longer. Mature larvae grow to around ½ to ⅝” inches long. They often crawl along sheer walls and produce a silk which they spin into cocoons. An Indian meal moth’s entire life cycle completes in about six weeks.

What do Indian meal moths want?

What Do Indian Meal Moths Want?

Contrary to popular belief, adult Indian meal moths lack mouthparts and can’t actually eat anything. Instead, they only live long enough to reproduce and lay their hundreds of eggs. Adult meal moths lay their eggs on (or in) any number of food sources. That way when these offspring hatch, they’ll have food to eat right away. Indian meal moth larvae actually do all the eating–and damage–that you’ll want to watch out for.

Indian meal moth larvae feed on all kinds of stored dry pantry foods. They’ll eat cereal, pasta, bread, sugar, flour, cornmeal, pancake mix, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, cornmeal, and more. Larvae eat constantly until they’ve stored enough energy for adult metamorphosis. Often, they’ll eat their way inside the food they’re feeding on. When they’ve feed enough, larvae spin themselves into cocoons made of a fine silk. Pupation and metamorphosis takes around 30 days. When it’s finished, an adult moth emerges and the cycle begins again.

Where Do Indian Meal Moths Come From?

There are two common ways Indian meal moths infiltrate homes. Either they get in through regular access points, or homeowners inadvertently bring them in themselves. Like all moths, Indian meal moths are attracted to light at night. They may fly toward home lights and, in their confusion, accidentally enter homes through cracks in window and door frames. Moths often enter homes by flying through damaged window screens during the summer time.

More frequently (and upsettingly), however, Indian meal moths get inside your home by stowing away in your food. Meal moth larvae can be very difficult to see, particularly when they’re young. They often eat their way inside the food they inhabit, so they’re not visible from the outside. Many meal moths work their way inside food boxes, as well. Homeowners buy this food and bring it inside. From there, the meal moths can spread to other food sources in their pantries.

How can I prevent Indian meal moths?

How Can I Prevent Indian Meal Moths?

The best way to prevent Indian meal moths is to pay close attention to the food in your pantry. Store all your dry goods in airtight, hard plastic containers. Take cereal out of its cardboard boxes and transfer the bag into hard plastic. Keep pasta boxes inside hard plastic containers. Make sure you fasten the lids of these containers tightly whenever you’re not using them. Clean out your pantry itself frequently, as well, to prevent crumb buildup.

If you’re worried you have pantry moths, take all the food out of your pantry. Thoroughly scrub down the shelves and walls of the pantry. Look for cocoons, silk, or other signs of moths. Then, examine the food itself for silk or signs of damage. Pull apart bread or other foods larvae or eggs could hide in. Throw out all the food that Indian meal moths could have infested. Both at home and when you’re shopping, watch out for food with broken packaging.

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If you’re worried you might have an Indian meal moth infestation, don’t panic! Just clear your pantry and give Griffin a call right away. No matter how big or entrenched your infestation may be, we will root it out and eliminate it permanently. Call us, and we’ll make sure you can get back to enjoying your food bug-free.

4 Infestations You Should Deal With Fast

4 Pest Infestations You Should Deal With Right Away

There’s no such thing as a pleasant pest infestation. While all pest infestations are inconvenient, however, some are worse than others. Significantly worse.

These are four examples of the worst kind of pest infestation. Dealing with one of these infestations for any length of time gets expensive, stressful, and frustrating. These are the pests you should call in the cavalry about the moment you notice they’ve made their home in yours:

Termites

Termites can do a lot of damage to your home's woodDid you know that termites never sleep? In fact, they never rest at all. When they have access to food, a termite colony feeds 24/7. That means if they’re chomping down on the wood in or around your home, they’re never going to stop. Termites feed by breaking wood down into cellulose, boring holes through it in the process. These termite “tunnels” can eventually compromise the structural integrity of whatever wood they’re built into.

It’s simple: the sooner you identify and treat your termite infestation, the less damage they’ll inflict on your home. Ideally, you want to stop them before they do any damage whatsoever. Damage to wooden structures can be very expensive or even impossible to replace! The best way to handle termites is to prevent them from ever getting into your home. Failing that, however, you’ll need professional help to drive them out completely and effectively.

Rodents

Rats and mice may cause electrical fires when they bite through wiringNobody wants mice or rats scurrying around unattended in their house. They’re creepy, dirty, and distressing. The real reason you deal with rodent infestations quickly, however, is that they’re surprisingly dangerous. Rats and mice need to chew on something constantly to keep their teeth sharp. That means they’ll chew on anything they can find. Unfortunately, what they can find is usually something you really don’t want them putting in their mouths.

Electrical cords and wires, for instance, happen to be the perfect chew toys. At least until they start a fire. Rats and mice start a surprising number of house fires after chewing on cords or wires. They can also chew through structures, making your home vulnerable to other pest infestations. Then there’s the hygiene problem. Rodents leave behind grime and waste wherever they go, they’re often infested with fleas, and they spread human-transmittable diseases. The minute you think you have a rodent infestation, you should do something about it.

Moths

Pantry moths ruin stored food products, and clothing moths can eat through your clothingThere are two main “categories” of pest moth: pantry infesters and fabric infesters. You want to deal with both of them right away. Pantry moths lay eggs in dry foods stored in your pantry. When these eggs hatch, the larvae feed on this food until they’re old enough to pupate. Then they grow up, mate, and lay eggs… on another nearby food source. Fabric moths do the same thing, except they eat your clothes instead of your food.

All this happens on a larger scale and faster than you might think. Most pest moths complete their entire life cycle within 60-90 days. They also lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Add all that up and it’s an infestation that spreads quickly and does a lot of damage. Plus, moth damage is just nasty. You don’t want to bite into bread and find caterpillars inside it.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs don't inflict major structural damage or transmit diseases, but the psychological damage they can do shouldn't be underestimatedThis one seems particularly obvious. Bed bugs bite you so they can suck on your blood. While you’re asleep. It’s all very upsetting. As if that wasn’t bad enough, bed bugs reproduce, lay eggs, and spread. Bed bug lay eggs in and around beds. When those eggs hatch, the young will feed on the bed’s occupants, too. The longer bed bug infestations last, the harder it will be to reliably eliminate them all effectively.

Compared to the other pests on this list, bed bugs don’t inflict major damage. There’s no evidence that they transmit diseases to humans. They don’t harm structures or property. The damage they do usually isn’t significant at all, in fact. But there is the psychological trauma. Bed bugs are extremely upsetting pests to have and deal with. No one deserves to have to feel paranoid about just getting in bed. The faster you deal with them, the sooner you can get back to having a good night’s sleep.

So: we’ve made the case as to why you should deal with these pests as soon as you find them. But how do you do that? Easy: just call Griffin Pest Control and schedule an appointment. We’re ready to help you quickly and effectively, so you don’t have to deal with any of these problems. Next time you have a pest infestation, call right away. You’ll be glad you did!

Holiday Humbugs to Watch Out For This Winter

Holiday Humbugs to Watch Out For

The Holidays are a unique time of year. You travel to places you don’t usually visit, do things you don’t usually do, with people you don’t usually see. All this new activity can feel refreshing and exciting, but it can also come with new concerns and stresses.

Yes, there are the obvious Holiday stressors–family fights, obnoxious in-laws, cramped living quarters–but there are less-obvious concerns to keep in mind, too. Chief among them: pests. Believe it or not, even the most wonderful time of year isn’t safe from everyone’s least favorite (well, almost everyone’s least favorite) house guests. Lots of pests take the hustle and bustle of the Holidays as the perfect opportunity to invite themselves over.

Here’s how they do it, and how to keep them out:

Bed Bugs

Holiday bed bugsBed bugs hide in dark, confined places and remain perfectly still for hours on end. These dark, confined spaces aren’t just beds, either. Bed bugs often hide in suitcase, bags, and other common travel gear. If travelers fail to notice the bed bugs when they pack, then the pest can easily spread to each location visited. Your mom brings her own pillow over because yours are “too hard”, and all of a sudden you have bed bugs in your home for the Holidays. Thanks a lot, Karen.

The best way to prevent bed bugs is to carefully inspect stuff moving into and out of your home. Run clothing, sheets, bags, and other cloth items through the dryer (on the highest heat setting) for about 20 minutes before unpacking them. While you’re away, keep your clothing sealed in plastic travel bags when you’re not wearing it. Keep your travel bags closed tight and elevated anytime you’re not going through them.

Moths

holiday mothsThere are two types of common pest moths: pantry-infesting moths and fabric-infesting moths. Unfortunately, both can be a problem during the holiday season. If fabric moths infest cloth decorations, they might be reproducing year-round. When you take your decorations out of storage for the holidays, you unleash them into your home like a tomb raider uncovering an ancient civilization’s curse. Clean all your decorations before you unpack them to save yourself a major headache.

Pantry-infesting moths are a little easier to figure out. These pests love sugary carbs. Holiday baking leads to big holiday baking messes. Big holiday baking messes lead to spilled flour, misplaced sugar, and excess crumbs. Accessible food… leads to moths all-too happy to eat that food. Clean your kitchen and keep your pantry tidy to ensure that Santa is the only home invader eating the cookies you leave out this Holiday season.

Spiders

holiday spidersRemember when we covered how spiders survive winter last month? Well, it turns out Christmas trees are a great place for spiders to build their aforementioned winter shelters. They make their way through pine branches until they find a sturdy spot. Then, they build a casing of webbing for themselves using the branches as support.

When spiders start to feel warm, they make their way out of their shelters to start eating and mating. Imagine a spider’s surprise when burrow out of their webs, only to find they’ve been transported into a person’s home? Inspect your Christmas tree carefully before you bring it inside. Consider using a handheld shopvac to vacuum up any cobwebs hanging near the tree’s trunk. Spiders can build their webs just about anywhere, so be thorough.

Mice

holiday miceUnfortunately, “not a creature was stirring–not even a mouse” is not always true of the night before Christmas. The Holiday season tends to be prime time for rodential raiders. Mice have an extremely powerful sense of smell. Not only can they sense food through tiny cracks in walls, they can sense specific information about that food. If they “smell” food that’s ripe for stealing, you’ll wind up with more house guests than you can handle!

Mice are attracted to food they can steal, moisture they can access when they need it, and warmth. They sneak through small cracks in the wall in pursue of food smells. There are ways to ward them off, however. First, store all your food in airtight containers when you’re not eating it. Next, check your plumbing for leaks mice could use as tiny water fountains. Finally, update weatherproofing, particularly around doors and windows. Mice are tenacious and stubborn, but they’re not Santa Claus; they can’t magically access your home.

 

Stressful as they can be, the holidays are ultimately supposed to be a joyful, refreshing time of year. Pests are neither joy-inducing nor refreshing, so they’ve got no business bugging you this Holiday season.

If you need some help kick your pests to the curb this winter, give Griffin Pest Solutions a call any time. We may not be Santa, but we can spread a different kind of Holiday cheer. A distinctly more John McClane type of holiday cheer. Now you have no pests. Ho Ho Ho.

How Can I Tell If I Have a Pest Infestation?

Signs You Have a Pest Infestation

Every pest infestation leaves behind some sign of the pest’s presence. Look for grime or other buildups on walls, smeared droppings, or bite damage on fabric and paper. See if you can smell strange odors in your basement, attic, or crawlspace. Check pest-prone areas consistently to look for changes.

If you can learn to identify pest infestations quickly, you can take action to remove them sooner. The sooner you can remove pest infestations, the lower the chance that they’ll do permanent damage… or spread. If you’re worried you have a pest infestation, look for any of the following four signs. The sooner you find evidence like this, the sooner you can take the next steps:

Old wall with smudged buildup in the lower corner - Signs you have a pest infestation

Grimy Buildup

Whatever pest infestation you have, they’re making a mess somewhere. Bugs, rodents, spiders, and beetles all prefer dark, enclosed, humid places, so start your search in the basement or attic. Look high-and-low, in corners, under furniture, along the edges of the walls, and near window frames. You might find grease stains, crumbs or other food remains, dirt smudges or even discarded hair.

Rodents, in particular, tend to familiarize themselves with set routes and then stick to them, so look for trails of grease or grime where their bodies may have rubbed off against the walls. If your floors or sills are dusty, look for trails left behind by pests moving around. Early signs like these are often subtle, so look closely, be patient, and believe yourself. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Clump of rat hair - signs you have a pest infestation

Droppings

It turns outs pests don’t practice great hygiene. There’s a reason they’re called “pests”, after all, and it isn’t because they’re fun to have around. Pests leave behind their waste just like everything else. Look for small droppings around the same pest-attractive areas you search for less conclusive evidence.

The type of dropping you may find will help you determine the kind of infestation you have. Rodent droppings are spindly or conical and solid. They’ll be small and may not look or smell like much of anything. Insect droppings are even smaller, but may also include shed or discarded skin, wings, or body parts. It’s tough to be a bug. Obviously, spiders make webs to catch prey. They tend to know their stuff when it comes to pest-catching, so anywhere you find webs, look for ways other pests may be getting in nearby.

Woman wearing clothes pin on her nose so she won't have to smell - signs you have a pest infestation

Smells

Pests can produce a wide variety of smells, and pretty much all of them are unpleasant. All kinds of pests, including ants, beetles, rodents, or other bugs often carry off food to enjoy in a secluded place. The problem is, sometimes they don’t finish their meal and it begins to rot. If you smell rotting food and you can’t find it, it could be that a pest carried a piece of fruit into your walls.

Pests may also bite through food packaging in an attempt to get at its contents, breaking an airtight seal and exposing perishable foods. If you smell particularly foul odors, it’s possible that your pests are dying in their hiding places or walls and then rotting. Of course, their droppings often smell, too. If you’ve got a strange scent in your house that you can’t quite place, and it’s definitely not pleasant, an infestation could be the problem.

Torn fabric - signs you have a pest infestation

Fabric Damage

Unfortunately, moths aren’t the only pests who damage fabric and clothing. Different kinds of beetles, ants, rodents and bugs also feed on or at least chew through vulnerable fabric. Look for small holes or tears on clothing, drapes, carpeting, furniture, and any other fabric-based stuff you may have. It may not seem particularly appealing to us, but pests don’t mind the taste of underwear one bit.

When we say “fabric damage,” we don’t just mean bite marks, either. Like anything else they’re around, pests can make fabric dirty. Look for smudges of dirt, grease, grime, or droppings on your fabric. These dirty patches may be very small, but they could get big too. Look at freshly washed and dried clothing especially. See if your fresh laundry gets dirty or damaged before you even have a chance to wear it.

 

If you find any of these four signs during your inspection, give us a call. We’ll use the info you helpfully provide to figure exactly what kinds of pest infestation you’re dealing with, where they’re coming from, and how we can keep them out. We know we can take care of your problem quickly and effectively, because we’ve done it countless times before. Happy hunting!