Description

Pest Details

The Meal Moths, are cosmopolitan pests of stored products in temperate regions across the globe. These moths readily infest grain and cereal based products as well as other stored goods such as nuts, dried fruit, herbs, seeds etc. Once mated, females are attracted to food odours and lay eggs on or near a larval food source. The larvae burrow into the stored product to feed and use silk to produce a woven feeding den which expands as it feeds and grows. The silk can clog machinery and increase humidity in the store increasing the likelihood of fungal outbreaks. Fully developed larvae leave the food source to pupate in wall or floor cracks or amongst storage containers. Once adult moths appear in traps, dried goods should be checked for signs of silken aggregations and/or tubes and other areas checked for signs of pupae which are found away from the stored goods such as in corners of bags or boxes. These lures are formulated with proprietary extenders to extend their life in the field.