What does the webbing of the Indian meal moth look like?

The appearance of small moths in the pantry is usually the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella) or a closely related species.

These moths themselves do not bite or transmit diseases, but they are a clear sign that stored food has been infested by pests.

Life cycle of the Indian meal moth — the female moth lays 100–300 eggs on the food; they hatch into larvae (maggot-like, white to pinkish) in about 3–5 days, and the larvae spin silk webbing in the food while feeding and growing.

The larval stage lasts about 2–6 weeks (depending on temperature and food quality); then the larvae crawl out of the food source to find a crevice to pupate — you may see white cocoons in the corners of the ceiling or on walls.

After emerging, adults live only 1–2 weeks, do not feed (their mouthparts are degenerate), and their sole purpose is to mate and lay eggs.

Steps to deal with pantry moths: find and discard all infested food (inspect all opened cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruit, spices, and pet food); thoroughly vacuum the pantry; discard the vacuum bag; inspect and seal all crevices in the pantry (larvae will crawl into cracks to pupate).