If you own birds you have probably encountered these annoying moths at one time or another. Sometimes referred to as seed moths, pantry moths, or flour moths, they are Indian meal moths and Mediterranean flour moths. In the summer they tend to be more abundant because the higher temperatures speed up their life cycle. You may find evidence of them in the form of little off-white larvae, their webs, or the moths.
Bird seed, peanuts, and grains are a prime food source for these insects, but because it is also feed for animals, pesticides cannot be used to control them. The good news: all stages of these moths are harmless. There are preventative measures you can take to keep them from infiltrating your home:
• Check any seed beforehand for webs or pests.
• Do not leave seed in hot areas like your car, hot sheds, garages, etc.
• Freeze your seed for at least 1-2 days. (They don’t handle lower temperatures well; this should kill off anything that may be present.)
• Store seed in airtight containers.
If you currently have moths, here are some steps to help manage them:
1. Freeze the current bag of food for 1-2 days.
2. Place moth traps to trap and dispose of the adults.
(Be careful your birds cannot fly into, or reach, any sticky traps that are in the house. Glass bottle traps are also available that utilize bait and a moat area.) Or, arm yourself with a hand vacuum and suck up any in sight.
3. After the 1-2 days, move the frozen seed into the refrigerator
and use from there.
If the food becomes too infested, sometimes it may be best to dispose of it since it is likely the main food source.