Background Information
The three main nuisance moths in Colorado include the Indian meal moth, clothes moth, and the miller moth. The Indian meal moth is dirty grayish brown with rusty brown bronze wings, and they are 3/8 inches long. These moths commonly infest pantry items such as nuts, herbs and grains. It is the caterpillar stage of this moth that feeds on the pantry items. It is the most common nuisance moth in Colorado. Damage from Indian meal moths is found in infested stored goods and without eradication or a change in storing food habits they can re-infest other goods. Clothes moths are rare in Colorado but when they do show up, they are typically infesting woolen goods. The moths are light in color and have a wingspan of ½ an inch. They are reddish in color with fluffy hairs on top of their heads. Miller moths, also known as the army cutworm, arrive to the front range during late spring (May-June) on their annual migration from the eastern plains to the mountain tops. They vary in color, usually gray or brown, with two light spots on each wing. These moths do not cause damage unless they are in high numbers, but are a common nuisance in homes, businesses and cars.
Treatments for Moths
Treatment begins with proper identification of the pest moth, so that the service technician knows where to look to find the harborage location. Indian meal moth treatments begin with going through all the stored items in the pantry, including pet foods. Contaminated foods need to be thrown away and suspect foods that can be frozen should be for a few days before going back into the pantry. Further organization of the pantry might include sealed containers to prevent future re-infestations. In addition, a light spot treatment will be performed targeting the webbing and adult moths. It is common to install a temporary insect light with a pheromone to attract and kill the adult moths. The pest control service will include a follow-up visit in 7-10 days to ensure the infestation has been eliminated. Clothes moth treatments are similar but instead of looking at the pantry we will look at woolen goods throughout the home or business. A spot treatment will be used to target adults and fly lights temporarily to attract adults with a pheromone. Contaminated items should be tossed, fumigated, or frozen to kill the moths. Follow-up treatments are also done in 7-10 days to make sure the infestation has been eliminated. Miller moth treatments are geared towards reducing the high number of moths. In most situations with low moth presence, no treatment would be recommended. With high infestations a combination of exterior crack and crevice treatment with interior spot treatment around windows and doors does well to reduce the current population. Customer can also help themselves by filling a sink with soapy water and putting a light over it at night. This will work as a trap to capture and kill all the moths.
Service Expectations
Both NOCO Pest and Wildlife Control moth services come with a 30-day interior warranty. With an average infestation it is common to eliminate the moths within 2 weeks. High populations might take longer, but the service technician will advise you of the appropriate expectations for your specific situation. The most important thing to do is to prevent the infestation from occurring again. This can be accomplished by storing pantry items in sealed containers along with pet food. Miller moth services will be a reduction only service and if you have a severe infestation, exclusion might be a good idea because they are finding space to gain interior access.
