Advice
Pantry moths and food moths: how to identify and get rid of them
Pantry moths, also called food moths, kitchen moths or larder moths, are small moths whose larvae eat dry food such as flour, rice, cereals, nuts and dried fruit. In UK kitchens they are usually the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), which the Natural History Museum calls a common pest of stored foods, or the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella). You get rid of them by finding the infested packet, clearing out and cleaning the cupboard, and storing food in sealed glass jars or sturdy tins from then on: the larvae can bite through thin plastic packaging.
In this article
Key facts
- The moth does not eat your food; the larva does. It is a white to yellowish caterpillar with a brown head, about 12 mm long when fully grown.
- A female Indian meal moth can lay up to 400 tiny eggs on or near food.
- At 18 to 30 °C one full cycle from egg to moth takes about 25 to 60 days.
- Silky webbing in a packet is usually the first sign of pantry moths.
- In the UK, Indian meal moths cannot survive the winter outdoors, but they keep breeding in heated homes.
Straight to the solution: the pantry moth traps or go directly to the Super Ninja Food Moth Trap.
What are pantry moths?
Pantry moths are moths from the snout moth family (Pyralidae) that lay their eggs in dry food, which the larvae then eat. The two you are most likely to meet are the Indian meal moth and the Mediterranean flour moth; you do get them in the UK, all year round in a warm kitchen. The adult moths do not eat your food at all: they live only a short time and are busy mating and laying eggs.
Is it a pantry moth or a clothes moth?
You can tell a pantry moth from a clothes moth by where you see it: a moth near the food cupboard is almost always a pantry moth, a smaller golden moth in the wardrobe is a clothes moth. Each needs its own approach and its own trap.
| Pantry moth (Indian meal moth) | Clothes moth | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Plodia interpunctella | Tineola bisselliella |
| Wingspan | 10 to 15 mm | 12 to 17 mm, body only 5 to 8 mm long |
| Colour | forewings pale yellowish at the base, reddish to purplish brown at the tips | plain golden, no pattern |
| Where you see it | kitchen, food cupboard, near pet food | wardrobe, bedroom, near rugs |
| What the larva eats | flour, cereals, nuts, seeds, dried fruit | wool, cashmere, silk, fur, feathers |
Moths in the wardrobe? Read how to identify and get rid of clothes moths. Not sure which moth you have? See which moth do I have.
What do pantry moths look like?
You recognise the Indian meal moth by its two coloured forewings: pale yellowish buff near the body and reddish to purplish brown towards the tips. In some light they can look almost black. The Mediterranean flour moth is a plain, mottled grey. At rest both fold their wings over the body like a roof, and they mostly fly in the evening, which is why you often notice them late.
Do pantry moth larvae look like maggots?
Yes, pantry moth larvae look a lot like small maggots: white to yellowish or pinkish caterpillars with a brown head, up to about 12 mm long. Unlike maggots they have legs and leave silk behind them. If you see them climbing the cupboard wall or crossing the ceiling, they have finished eating and are looking for a crack to pupate in. Throw away the packet they came from and check the rest of the cupboard.
What is the webbing of the Indian meal moth?
The webbing is silk spun by the larvae as they feed, and the Natural History Museum calls it usually the first sign of an infestation. You find it as fine threads in a packet, on the surface of flour or cereal, or as clumps of food stuck together. The silk collects droppings and shed skins, which is why infested food is no longer fit to eat.
How do pantry moths get into your kitchen?
Pantry moths almost always come in with something you bought that already contained eggs or larvae. The eggs are minute and laid in cracks on or near food, so you cannot see them in the shop. In a warm cupboard they hatch, and the larvae can bite through paper, cellophane and thin plastic to reach other packets. Pet food, bird seed and dried flowers can be the source too, so check new food when you get home and use up old stock first.
How long is the pantry moth life cycle?
The pantry moth goes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa and moth, and how fast depends mainly on temperature. These are the laboratory figures for the Indian meal moth from the Natural History Museum:
| Stage | At 20 °C | At 25 °C |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 7 to 8 days | 4 to 5 days |
| Larva | about 35 days | about 16 days |
| Pupa | 15 to 20 days | 8 to 11 days |
In good conditions one cycle takes about 25 to 60 days, so there can be two to eight generations a year. When it is cold or food runs out, larvae can pause their development for a long time. The Dutch pest knowledge centre KAD notes that below 13 to 15 °C larval development almost stops.
Are pantry moths harmful, and can you still eat the food?
Pantry moths do not bite or sting, and the adult moths do not eat your food. The damage is the food itself: larvae leave webbing, droppings and shed skins in it, and sometimes mould follows. Throw away anything with webbing, clumps or larvae in it. If you are unsure about a sealed packet, put it in the freezer first.
How do you get rid of pantry moths?
You get rid of pantry moths by removing the source and cleaning the cupboard; a spray is not needed:
- Empty the food cupboard completely and shake every packet, including sealed ones.
- Throw away anything with webbing, clumps or larvae, tied up well and straight into the outside bin.
- Freeze anything you are unsure about: at least 5 days at minus 12 °C, right through to the middle of the packet (KAD).
- Vacuum shelves, joints, corners and the holes for the shelf pins and wipe them down; that is where the pupae hide.
- Put food back in jars or tins that close tightly, with older stock at the front.
- Hang a pheromone trap in the cupboard to see whether any moths are still flying about.
How to do all of this in one afternoon is in moths in your kitchen cupboard: what to do now. The Natural History Museum advises leaving serious outbreaks that need insecticide to a qualified pest controller.
Do home remedies get rid of pantry moths?
Only the practical home remedies work: throwing food away, freezing, cleaning and sealed storage. Bay leaves and cloves are often recommended, but no research is known that shows they keep pantry moths away.
| Remedy | What it does | What is known |
|---|---|---|
| Freezing | kills eggs and larvae in the food | 5 days at minus 12 °C, right through to the middle (KAD) |
| Heating in the oven | kills all stages | 30 minutes at 60 °C, right through to the middle (KAD) |
| Vinegar and water | cleans the shelves after vacuuming | no research known on any effect on moths |
| Bay leaves, cloves | add a scent to the cupboard | no research known |
| Mothballs, moth paper | meant for clothes moths | not made for pantry moths and do not belong near food (Milieu Centraal, Netherlands) |
What does a pantry moth trap do?
A pantry moth trap uses the scent of the female moths to attract the adult males and catches them on a sticky layer. That shows you whether, where and how many pantry moths are flying about. The trap does not catch females, eggs or larvae, so it does not solve an infestation on its own: the steps above are still needed, and afterwards the trap tells you whether they worked. The Super Ninja Food Moth Trap is made for the Indian meal moth and the Mediterranean flour moth, for indoor use only. The pheromone stays active for 3 months; replace the trap after that, or sooner if it is full. Start with one trap per food cupboard and place it where you see the moths. See all moth traps as well.
Do pantry moths go away on their own?
No, pantry moths do not go away on their own while there is still an infested packet in the cupboard. Once you have cleared it out, allow a few weeks to a few months: pupae hidden in a crack still hatch after cleaning, and cold larvae can take much longer to develop. The odd moth in the first weeks is not a new infestation. When the pheromone trap catches nothing for weeks on end, they are gone. Leave it in place anyway: new shopping can always bring moths back in.
How do you keep pantry moths away?
You keep pantry moths away by not bringing them in and by giving them no chance in the cupboard:
- Check new food when you get home and put it behind the old.
- Keep flour, rice, cereals, nuts and pet food in jars or tins that close tightly.
- Do not keep food for too long, and store it cool and dry where you can.
- Clean up spills straight away, including in joints and corners.
- Leave a trap in the cupboard, so you spot new moths early.
Read more: Moths in your kitchen cupboard: what to do now? · Which moth do I have? · 7 places in your home where pests love to hide
Sources
- Natural History Museum, London: Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) identification guide.
- Kennis- en Adviescentrum Dierplagen (KAD, Dutch knowledge centre for animal pests), knowledge base: Indian meal moth and stored product moths (Ephestia and Cadra).
- Milieu Centraal (Netherlands): pests in the food cupboard.
