Indian Meal Moth

Parasite Profile:
Indian Meal Moth
Invader of foodstuffs, weaver of webs, master of
infiltration and general pain in the butt.
Bio: A long time adversary of food producers, pet owners and Mum’s pantry. The
Indian Meal Moth is a truly cunning pest. Although harmless to animals, the sheer
cost of replacing spoiled feed after Meal Moths have used it as their breeding ground
can really hurt your hip pocket.
Th a
nks,
s
uck
er!
The Meal Moth is equipped with the Ovipositor,
an apparatus that allows this pest to penetrate
most food packaging and lay their eggs inside.
Larvae quickly hatch from eggs soon after and
are welcomed by an all you can eat buffet, your
pet food!
Larvae then spin their cocoons,
turning your valued feed into a sticky
web filled incubator of sorts. Once the
new moth emerges from this cocoon,
this viscous cycle repeats until the
day you open your feed bag to be
greeted by a horde of fluttering moths
and their web slinging offspring.
The
Real (Scientific) Name:
Plodia interpunctella
AKA: Codling Moth, Web Moth,
Mealy Moth, Pantry Moth, Red Moth
Frequented Locations:
Found spoiling food stuffs in
Australia and overseas. Particularly
fond of grain based foods, but
will invade just about any dry pet
or human food product. Prefers
warmer, humid climates and is
particularly aggressive during
summer months.
life cycle of a
Meal Moth
I’m in...said no
meal moth ever
Ha! Nice one Frank,
these Vetafarm bags
are so annoying
lay, lay
, lay
Bye, bye
babies
AIL
pray
d Lice S
Mite aensidual Insect r
to
+R
Regula
Growth
Weapon of Choice: An impressive little attachment on
the moth’s abdomen called an “Ovipositor”. This little tool is
as ingenious as it is infuriating, acting as a needle of sorts,
allowing the Meal Moth to pierce/effectively negate the
defences of most food packaging and deposit their eggs inside
while physically being on the outside of the bag.
Counter Measures: Vetafarm have developed a new triple layer “armour”
for all food packaging. This new innovation is effectively impregnable by the
“Ovipositor” – guaranteeing 100% security against Meal Moth incursions while
intact. Once product is brought home and opened, transfer to an air tight, sealed
container is recommended. Avian Insect Liquidator can be of use in controlling Meal
Moth, although very safe, it is still recommended that food spoiled by Meal Moth be
discarded rather than sprayed and used.
Pet Risk: Nil - but causes havoc in terms of spoiling food.
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