L-2046 2-02 Pantry and Fabric Pests in the Home Michael Merchant and Grady J. Glenn* often found on crape myrtles and other orna- ood and fabric pests can be found in nearly mental shrubs and flowers. Should they come every home. They are usually no more than indoors, carpet beetles or clothes moths may lay an occasional inconvenience. If an infesta- their eggs on woolen carpets or stored fabric Ftion develops in your home, the information in items. this publication should help you control it. Some insects feed primarily on plant materials Pests of seeds, grains and and are usually found in stored foods in kitchens and pantries. Other insects feed primarily on spices products containing animal proteins, such as The Indian meal moth is a common and dis- woolen fabrics, leather and hides, hair, feathers, tinctive pantry pest. It is the most common pest powdered milk and some pet foods. Animal of dried fruit, nuts, cereals and oilseeds. It also product pests are more likely to be found in infests powdered milk, chocolate and other can- closets and areas other than kitchens. Either kind dies, bird seed and dog food. The adult Indian of pest can be found almost anywhere in a home, meal moth has wings that are whitish-gray at the however. If you find the same kind of insect base and deep pink or copper colored on the repeatedly in a kitchen or closet it is good evi- outer two-thirds. The wingspan is about 3/4-inch. dence of a pest problem. The caterpillars, or immature stage of the Indian meal moth, are often noticed crawling up walls How did they get in my and spinning cocoons on textured walls or ceil- ings. Inside the cocoons they pupate and become house? adults. Food pests are usually brought home from the grocery or pet store. Food can become infested while in the farm or garden, or during storage or transport. While food manufacturers and grocery stores control most food pests with strict sanita- tion and the judicious use of pesticides, it is pos- sible for a few insects to make their way into your home. Insects that feed on animal products also may come into your home from the grocery store, but are more likely to enter from outdoors. Clothes moths and carpet beetles occur outdoors in bee, bird and rodent nests. Carpet beetle adults are 10mm Actual size *Extension Urban Entomologist; and Research Associate, Center for Urban and Structural Entomology; The Texas Figure 1. The Indian meal moth is the most common indoor moth pest. A&M University System. Adults are easily identified by their bi-colored wings. (Photo courtesy USDA) Another pantry moth is the Angoumois grain Flour beetles are also com- moth (AHN goom wah), which commonly mon and destructive pests. Adult infests popcorn, Indian corn decorations, and flour beetles are elongated, red- seeds in dried flower arrangements. dish brown, and 1/8 to 3/16 inch Cigarette beetles long. They feed on cereals, and drugstore beetles grains, beans, nuts, dried fruits, are the most common spices, milk chocolate, dried pests of home pantries milk and, occasionally, hides. in Texas. The larvae of They tend not to feed on whole these beetles feed on grains or intact seeds, but favor flour and other milled grain all kinds of plant mate- 4mm rial including tobacco, 3mm products. Food products infested Actual size seeds, grain, nuts, Actual size with flour beetles have a foul Figure 5. The red odor and taste. flour beetle feeds on beans, spices, cotton- Figure 2. Drugstore and cigarette pro-cessed grains, seed meal, dried fruits beetles (a and b, respectively) are nuts, fruits and and vegetables, flour, similar in appearance. Their small meat-based prod- size, rounded profile and concealed Pest of woolens, potpourri and dried ucts. Its flat shape head are characteristic. (R. White, enables it to hide in flower arrangements. USDA) hides and feathers narrow cracks and They are strong fliers Beetles in the genus Dermestes enter narrow open- and may be attracted to lights and windows. ings in food packag- are collectively known as car- Adults do not feed, but lay their eggs on food ing. (A.D. Cushman, pet, hide and larder beetles. sources. USDA). Most feed on animal proteins, Merchant beetles and saw- though some will also feed on toothed grain beetles infest high-protein plant materials. In cereal and flour products, maca- the pantry, they may be found roni and dried fruits. Adults are in powdered milk, dried meats, about 1/8 inch long, brown, or pet foods that contain fish elongated and flattened in meal or other animal byprod- shape. With a magnifying glass, ucts. they can be distinguished from Hide beetles are a serious 3mm other grain beetles by their six problem in museums. They Actual size saw-like teeth on the margins of attack leather goods, trophy Figure 6. Carpet bee- the segment behind the head. heads, hides, skins, and dried tles feed on woolen Adults of these beetles do not 2.5mm sweaters, rugs, feath- fish. In the home they also feed fly, but their flattened bodies Actual size ers and furs. Adult on pet food, bacon, cheese and make it easy for them to enter Figure 3. The saw- carpet beetles are toothed grain beetle feathers. common outdoors food packages. and can enter homes is a common pest in Household infestations often Rice weevils and granary grain-based processed through doors, win- can be traced to bird or rodent dows or attics. weevils are pests of whole foods. It can be iden- tified, with the aid of carcasses in attics, old bee nests, grain or processed grain foods a magnifying lens, by or accumulations of dead insects such as macaroni. These wee- the saw-like teeth on in windows or light fixtures. When fully grown, vils are cylindrical, about 1/6 the edge of the shield these larvae sometimes bore into wood or other inch long, and have prominent behind the head. (A. D. Cushman, USDA) hard substances to pupate, leaving 1/8-inch-wide snouts. Larvae are pale, c- holes. shaped and legless. Adults of both species are reddish- Adult hide beetles are relatively large, 1/4 to brown to black, but the rice 3/8 inch long. They are dark brown to black, weevil may have four pale with various markings. The larvae are cigar- red or yellow markings on shaped and covered with fine hairs that give the wing covers. These bee- them a fuzzy appearance. Hide and larder bee- tles rarely penetrate tles in the genus Dermestes can be recognized by a pair of large, curved “horns” on the last body 4mm unopened food packages. Actual size Rice weevil adults can fly segment. Figure 4. Weevils have and are attracted to lights. Beetles of the genus Anthrenus and the genus prominent snouts and are Granary weevils do not fly, Attagenus are smaller than Dermestes beetles and usually found in whole but enter homes in infested grains. (Photo courtesy are colorfully marked. Anthrenus and Attagenus USDA) food. beetles are 1/8 to 3/16 inch long and round or oval. Larvae are light tan to Distinguishing between clothes moths brownish and about the size and pantry-infesting moths and shape of small rice ker- nels. Larvae are ringed with Clothes moths and pantry moths can be dis- circular tufts of hairs, giving tinguished by their appearance and behavior. them a banded appearance. I Clothes moths are smaller than pantry Like hide beetles, infesta- moths, have narrower wings, and are more tions of carpet beetles may secretive. start in bird nests or accu- I Clothes moths avoid light and are weak mulations of dead insects in fliers, preferring to run when disturbed. light fixtures. Once estab- I Cloths moths have unmarked wings with lished inside a home these 3 beetles can cause consider- a span of about /8 inch (10 to 14 mm), and able damage to woolen arti- shiny gold scales on their bodies. With a cles, furs, feathers, hair magnifying glass you can see that the head brushes and other valuable has a fluffy pompadour of reddish-gold possessions. hairs. Warehouse beetles, of the I Clothes moths are not commonly seen genus Trogoderma, look because they are active mostly at night. 5mm The larvae rarely leave their food source. Actual size much like black carpet bee- Figure 7. Immature carpet tles but have light brownish I Pantry moths, such as the Indian meal beetles are cigar-shaped bands on the wing covers. moth, are larger, with wingspans of 1/2 with a banded appearance. They may be found feeding They feed on both animal inch or more. They may be seen actively on dead insects in lights, and plant products. Both flying during the day. They are usually on window ledges, or in Trogoderma and Anthrenus found near stored food and are more closets (C. Feller, USDA). beetle larvae have barbed likely to be seen crawling up walls and hairs on their bodies that on ceilings. can irritate the digestive tract if the beetles are accidentally ingested. Clothes moths feed on silk, wool, fur, feath- ers and hair. Rugs and clothing that contain these substances can be seriously damaged. They also Controlling pantry pests feed on powdered milk and products containing Non-chemical control. The first step in con- meat or fish meal, such as pet food. Synthetic or trolling pantry pests is to locate and eliminate cotton fabrics are attacked only if they are soiled, infested foods. Removing an infested package of or interwoven with natural animal fiber materi- flour, macaroni or cake mix is often all that is als.