The Indian meal moth lives in warehouses, in raw materials especially those brought in from overseas. It is the principal pest in the dried fruit & nut industry. In food premises they can often be a sign of badly rotated stock or old stock being brought into the premises. They like to eat all sorts of grain, fruit & vegetables, confectionary, pet food, bird seed etc. The larvae will eat through paper, cardboard, foil & most packaging materials. They can be mistaken for the common clothes moth; they tend to fly in a zigzag pattern around rooms, especially kitchens & pantries. They fly mainly at night & are attracted by light source. On occasion some adult moths do fly into premises through open doors or windows; they mainly however get in through packaged good & groceries. Many places can become infected by the Indian meal moth including restaurants, grocery stores, homes & pet stores. A question frequently asked is what are the dangers of ingesting infested food products? Given that the Indian meal moth doesn’t come into contact with disease containing surfaces & therefore do not transmit disease, there is no harm to be had to people or pets on this matter.
