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Harmless

Indianmeal moth

Plodia interpunctella
Also called Indian meal moth, pantry moth, flour moth, meal moth

Indianmeal moths do not bite or sting; the caterpillars spoil dry foods with webbing and droppings, so infested food should be thrown out.

Indianmeal moth, photo 1
Photo: Rosario Douglas, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
Sizeadults about 10 mm (3/8 inch) long with wings folded, wingspan about 16–20 mm (5/8 to 3/4 inch); caterpillars up to about 13–17 mm (1/2 to 2/3 inch)
Where in the housePantry, kitchen, garage, basement
WhenYear-round indoors; Colorado State notes adults are most often noticed from November through February.

Check these features

  1. Small moth that rests with wings folded flat along its back
  2. Inner part of each front wing pale gray-cream; outer half to two-thirds a coppery red-brown
  3. Weak, zigzag flight, often around the kitchen at night
  4. Caterpillar is whitish (sometimes pinkish or greenish) with a brown head
  5. Silky webbing and clumped food inside packages; caterpillars wander to ceiling corners and shelf undersides to spin cocoons

Bites and stings

Does not bite people.

What to do

  1. Check all dry foods for webbing, clumps or caterpillars, especially cereal, flour, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, spices, birdseed and dry pet food.
  2. Throw out infested food sealed in a bag in the outdoor trash; there is no good way to separate the insects from the food.
  3. Vacuum shelves, cracks and the corners where walls meet ceilings or shelves, then wash with warm soapy water; do not spray pesticides on food shelves.
  4. Freeze foods you want to keep and suspect are lightly infested for several days to kill hidden stages.
  5. Use pheromone moth traps to see if moths are still around; they help find a source but do not solve the problem alone.

Look-alikes

Webbing clothes mothClothes moths are plain golden-tan all over with a reddish tuft on the head, hide from light and are found near wool and closets, while Indianmeal moths have two-tone coppery wings and show up near food.
Angoumois grain mothThe grain moth is plain straw-colored without the two-tone wing pattern and is found mainly in whole grains and popcorn.

Why it came inside

It usually comes home as eggs or tiny caterpillars in an infested package of grain, nuts, dried fruit, birdseed or pet food, then spreads from package to package. Adults do not feed; the caterpillars eat the food.

Keep it out

  • Store dry foods, birdseed and pet food in glass jars or metal or heavy plastic containers with tight lids, not bags or cardboard.
  • Buy flour, nuts and other seldom-used foods in amounts you will use soon, and use older packages first.
  • Inspect packages when you bring them home and clean up spills promptly.
  • Keep pantry areas cool and dry.

What helps

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Airtight pantry containers

Glass or thick plastic containers with tight lids keep pantry pests out of flour, cereal, rice and pet food.

See options on Amazon
Pheromone moth traps

Catch male moths and show whether you have a problem. They help you monitor, but won't end an infestation on their own.

See options on Amazon
Vacuum with a hose

Lets you remove bugs, webs and egg sacs without touching them. Empty the bag or canister outside right away.

See options on Amazon

Sources

  1. Colorado State University Extension
  2. Utah State University Extension
  3. Cornell Cooperative Extension Monroe County
  4. University of Maryland Extension
  5. Mississippi State University Extension
  6. Rutgers NJAES (clothes moth comparison)

Checked October 18, 2026. Rating backed by 3 sources. How we rate danger.