Indian Meal Moth Problem

[T-Bone]

Hey guys, I have been having an idian meal moth problem. The protein blend I have now is in a bag, so I had to put it in the freezer. Thats the only safe place away from the indian meal moths. I called the company that manufacturers the protein, SI03 listed on the back of the bag. They told me it would be ok in the freezer. I would like to find a 10 pound canister though, instead of a bag, so I can leave it out. It is safer in the freezer though. These bugs can literally survive on crumbs. They are a big pain in the ass. I do have a trap in my pantry and kill as many as I can per day. We had to throw out a lot of food. Anything in loose plastic wrapping. The stuff thats not infested you have to put in plastic or glass screw on containers. Anyway, if anyone knows where I can get a 10 pound canister instead of bag that would help me out. Also I read that protein could be de-natured in the freezer, but SI03 said it was ok in the freezer. Would the fridge be safer so I can continue to purchase bags?. I mean if its ok I will continue to buy bags.....

 

[CROWLER]

Walmart

 

[Neuromancer]

Walmart has EVERYTHING!!

 

[jarhead]

Ok, I'm a dumbass for asking this, I know, but what the hell is an indian meal moth(other than the self explanatory answer) and is this a regional thing or what?

 

[Brodus]

Apparently they're everywhere from Virginia to Iowa to Alaska.

http://www.west-ext.com/indian_meal_moth_picture.html

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/moths.html

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/moths.html

 

[T-Bone]

Yes they are everywhere. They are a real pain. Seems like they are going away, I only killed one so far today. I asked David Tolsen from Bulknutrition.com and he told me my protein would be fine in the freezer. So thats two people so far that said it would be fine, a manufacturer(SI03), and David Tolsen at bulk who I consider to be a supplement "Guru". I was just wondering about everyones opinion on the subject. I guess I can continue to buy 10 pound bags a put them in the freezer to keep them safe from the moths. Although it does look like the activity of the moths is slowing down there may be more generations of the larve in the cracks of the walls. I do have a pheremone(sp.?) trap out to catch the males before they mate. I have had it for about two weeks, and there is only about 10 stuck on it. According to most of the research I have done on the internet,if you keep most of your packaged foods in screw on canister type containers, the larve will not be able to get in and infest it. They also say anything that can be infested you can keep in the freezer or fridge. That will also make anything that may have eggs or larve in it safe to eat!. Might be a little extra protein in there for ya!. So I figure if I keep everything in screw on containers or in the freezer, the larve have nothing to eat, and eventually they will starve and die out. Supposedly though they can live off crumbs in the walls. I cleaned out my pantry when I first saw them and vacuumed everything out, even all the cracks. I even went out a purchased some caulk and pluged up most of the cracks. Then cleaned all the shelves in the pantry and put them back. Now I keep the pantry door closed all day, and once in a while I get a paper towel, open the pantry up and look for adults to kill even though I have the trap in there still. Its a very small pantry, almost like a closet. I live in a small one bedroom apartment. Anyway thats what I am dealing with.

 

[T-Bone]

Yes they are everywhere. They are a real pain. Seems like they are going away, I only killed one so far today. I asked David Tolsen from Bulknutrition.com and he told me my protein would be fine in the freezer. So thats two people so far that said it would be fine, a manufacturer(SI03), and David Tolsen at bulk who I consider to be a supplement "Guru". I was just wondering about everyones opinion on the subject. I guess I can continue to buy 10 pound bags a put them in the freezer to keep them safe from the moths. Although it does look like the activity of the moths is slowing down there may be more generations of the larve in the cracks of the walls. I do have a pheremone(sp.?) trap out to catch the males before they mate. I have had it for about two weeks, and there is only about 10 stuck on it. According to most of the research I have done on the internet,if you keep most of your packaged foods in screw on canister type containers, the larve will not be able to get in and infest it. They also say anything that can be infested you can keep in the freezer or fridge. That will also make anything that may have eggs or larve in it safe to eat!. Might be a little extra protein in there for ya!. So I figure if I keep everything in screw on containers or in the freezer, the larve have nothing to eat, and eventually they will starve and die out. Supposedly though they can live off crumbs in the walls. I cleaned out my pantry when I first saw them and vacuumed everything out, even all the cracks. I even went out a purchased some caulk and pluged up most of the cracks. Then cleaned all the shelves in the pantry and put them back. Now I keep the pantry door closed all day, and once in a while I get a paper towel, open the pantry up and look for adults to kill even though I have the trap in there still. Its a very small pantry, almost like a closet. I live in a small one bedroom apartment. Anyway thats what I am dealing with.

These pests are back today!. The little fuckers really piss me off!. I may get another trap for my pantry!. I saw a lot of them in my pantry today but they didn't make it into the trap!. The pheremone traps supposedly last 16 weeks. I don't know about that..If these bastards can live on crumbs in the walls I don't know what I am gonna do. I may get a pest control guy over here, but I don't know if it will make a real difference. There is no way he could possibly get all the cracks in the walls. Several generations can live in one place, so it would take a while before they all hatched and died anyway. They are not in my food and nothing is contaiminated that I can find. The adults don't even containminate food, they are just around to mate, then the females look for a place to have the kids, probally in some small crack somewhere with one tiny crum of food to live off of. For all I know the person that lived in this apartment before could have been a real slob and there is no way of getting rid of all their crumbs!. Anyone elese ever have a problem with these bitches??!?!?

 

[Brodus]

I have a recurring problem with grain weevils. I've done everything, and yet, every so often they appear and eat through a box of pasta. I think once they are in the walls of a house/building, it's very hard to prevent their eventual appearance.

 

[T-Bone]

I have a recurring problem with grain weevils. I've done everything, and yet, every so often they appear and eat through a box of pasta. I think once they are in the walls of a house/building, it's very hard to prevent their eventual appearance.

Good to hear others actually have similar problems. I got some glass jars with screw on tops, try that brodus and they won't be able to chew threw it. I am glad also I found all the whey inc, because I can get 10 pounds in canisters instead of bags. I'm not sure about grain weevils but the larve from these guys can't get through the hard plastic of protein containers.

 

[Cuffs]

Just think of the insects as extra added protein...for free! :whip:

 

[Brodus]

Just think of the insects as extra added protein...for free! :whip:

Oh, I'm not so grossed out by them, since I read they are just a nuisance pest, not a carrier of diseasem etc. But try explaining that to your girlfriend when you're boiling pasta and a bunch of larva come squirming to the top!

 

[T-Bone]

Oh, I'm not so grossed out by them, since I read they are just a nuisance pest, not a carrier of diseasem etc. But try explaining that to your girlfriend when you're boiling pasta and a bunch of larva come squirming to the top!

Thats goes the same for indian meal moths. The don't carry any disease or anything. Although I haven't had that experience of boiling pasta with larve in it!.

 

[Clintdogg]

that is gross man, i couldnt deal with all that. ive never seen one and i live in maryland, hopefully i never will.

 

[T-Bone]

Indian meal moths are in every part of the country.

 

[jweave23]

call the Orkin man!!

What did your landlord say about it? Maybe you should fumigate the place if possible?

 

[T-Bone]

call the Orkin man!!

What did your landlord say about it? Maybe you should fumigate the place if possible?

No the landlord said since there I brought them in from an outside source, basically it is my problem. I made the stupid mistake of telling him where I first found the larve, which was in a big bulk bag of chinchilla food from a farm supply store. I got it there because it was cheap. Anyway I got rid of that bag a long time ago. He probally wouldn't have paid for anything anyway since there are no moths in the other apartments. I did enough research on here to be able to spray myself and not pay a pest control operator. It would cost me $170 for the pest control people to come and spray, when I can purchase a case of some spray online for around $50, and I can get traps locally for $10. They traps I get locally only kill the males though, but I can get one online that kills both. I don't really want to spray until the summer so I can open up my windows so it doesn't stink and I dont have to breath it in. Besides the infestation in confined to my small closet sized pantry area. As long as I clean it out once in a while and kill any adults that I see I will be fine for now. Hey brodus, check out the link below. I haven't ordered from them yet, spent a little extra and got a trap locally but I will probally purchase from these guys soon enough. Doing your own pest control is fun!

http://http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/