Mediterranean Flour Moth
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| Mediterranean flour moth | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Ephestia kuehniella |
The Mediterranean flour moth or Mill Moth (Ephestia kuehniella, also Anagasta kuehniella) is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is a common grain-feeding pest found around the world. They are often found feeding on flour, cereals and dry grain products in food storage areas.
[edit] Identification
The adult moth is pale gray and up to 12 mm long, with a dark bands. The wingspan is between 16-20 mm. The larva is off-white with a darker head and about 12 mm long when mature.
They are commonly called "flour moths" or "pantry moths." The Mediterranean flour moth is slightly larger than the Indian meal moth.
[edit] Pest control
As with most grain or flour feeding pests the most affective method of control is to adopt basic good sanitary practices.
One way to keep the moths away is to place Bay Leaves in the food containers along with the original grains.[citation needed] Though products already affected should still be thrown away.
It’s essential to ensure that food storage areas are kept clean and tidy and that no residues are left over. In addition it’s imperative that food – especially grain, sugar and flour – is kept in plastic or metal storage containers with tight fitting lids, this will stop flour moths and other pests from getting at their contents.
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