Exterminators in Wall, NJ
Challenge
Recently, I went on a service call to assist a homeowner in Wall Township, NJ, who was a Cowleys home protection plan (HPP) customer. HPP customers can contact us any time for a wide range of pest infestations covered under the plan as well as receive periodic inspections and preventative exterior treatments throughout the year.
Here, as soon as I started my inspection, I saw that this homeowner had a so-called pantry pest infestation of in his kitchen, specifically, an infestation of Indian meal moths. Indian Meal Moths are one of a number of food storage pests, and in-home infestations are primarily found inside food cabinets. These insects feed on plant-based foods, especially grain products such as bread, pasta, rice, and flour. They also feed on spices, dried fruit, and nuts. The larvae, not the adults, are the ones that actually contaminate the food by forming an extensive web-type of material throughout any infested food items. The larval stage lasts from about two to fourteen days, depending on temperature and other conditions. In their final instar stage, the larvae can travel great distances and spin a cocoon web in which it pupates before becoming an adult moth.
Solution
To effectively treat any food storage pests is necessary to determine the contaminated food source. Even though these pests are able to chew through cardboard, they are more commonly found in discarded opened food packages. We notice that more elderly customers, such as this homeowner, tend to eat less, which allows the grain products to sit around longer, making them more prone to an infestation. All foods, including grains, have a limited shelf life and it is important to periodically discard those foods in the kitchen that have been sitting around. Labeling the date of purchase on the storage container is always a good idea. After determining which foods are contaminated, I then need to determine the level of infestation. To do this, I set-up several Indian Meal Moth lure devices that are designed specifically to capture Indian meal moths.
I emptied the cabinets where the food was stored and applied a light liquid solution along the cracks and crevices. The solution is non-repellent, which means the moths are unable to detect its presence. This allows them to cross over its placements and come into contact with the product, instead of avoiding the area outright. The moths will transfer the application to one another. Very soon, as we like to say, it’s lights out! Finally, I inspected all of the ceiling and wall junctures in the surrounding rooms for cocoons and treated accordingly. I scheduled a follow-up inspection to make sure the home is pest-free, and determine if any additional treatments are needed.
