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Pantry Pests in Delaware
Indian meal moths and flour or grain beetles in cereal, flour, pet food and birdseed.
| Peak season | Year-round |
|---|---|
| Size | 1/10 – 5/8 inch |
| Risk | Nuisance — spoils and contaminates stored food |
How to identify them
The Indian meal moth is about 5/8 inch long, and the outer half to two-thirds of each wing is reddish-copper. Its larvae are whitish, about 1/2 inch long, with a brown head, and leave silky webbing in food. Confused and red flour beetles are reddish-brown and about 1/7 inch long. The sawtoothed grain beetle is slender, dark red or brown, about 1/10 inch long, with six saw-like teeth along each side of the body behind the head.
Pantry Pests in Delaware
Delaware agencies don’t publish a pantry pest fact sheet, so this page relies on Maryland, UConn and Missouri extension guidance. Pantry pests usually come home in food packages that already hold eggs, then spread to other dry goods: grain products, cereals, spices, dry pet food and birdseed. Indoors they can breed all year, and they multiply faster when humidity is high.
When they’re active
Swipe to see all 12 months →
What you can do now
- Find the infested package and throw it out. Check pet food and birdseed too.
- Vacuum the shelves, then wash the cupboards with warm soapy water.
- Store dry food in glass jars, metal canisters or hard plastic containers, not bags or cardboard boxes.
- Freeze flour, nuts and other products you won’t use soon. Freezing also kills insects in lightly infested packages.
- Pheromone traps help monitor Indian meal moths, but they only catch males.
When to call a pro
Pantry pests rarely need a pro. Extension guidance focuses on finding and discarding the infested food, and University of Maryland Extension says not to spray food storage areas with insecticides. If insects keep showing up after a thorough cleanout, look for a missed source such as birdseed, pet food or a forgotten package.
Pantry Pests: common questions
What are the first signs of Indian meal moths?
Silky webbing in boxes of cereal or spices is often the first sign. You may also see whitish larvae about 1/2 inch long, or small moths with reddish-copper outer wings.
Can I freeze food I think is infested?
Yes. University of Missouri Extension recommends a deep freezer at zero degrees for at least four days, and UConn Extension says two or three days in a home freezer works for lightly infested packages.
Should I spray my pantry with insecticide?
No. University of Maryland Extension says not to spray food storage areas with insecticides. Throw out infested food, vacuum and wash the shelves, and store dry goods in sealed glass, metal or hard plastic containers.
Where in Delaware
Where pantry pests rank on each county’s top-pest list:
- New Castle County Not in the county top six
- Kent County Not in the county top six
- Sussex County Not in the county top six