Tropical Warehouse Moth/Dried Currant Moth (Ephestia cautella)

The tropical warehouse moth occurs both in tropical and temperate regions and commonly attacks grains, nuts, dried fruits and a great variety of other stored products. The adult moths dart about as they fly, and are mostly seen at dawn and dusk.

Identification:
Adult moth, brown-grey forewings with a darker band running across the middle and far edges. The wings also have a fringe of fine hairs. The wingspan is approximately 15 - 20 mm and when at rest its length is between 10 - 12 mm. The larvae are yellow-white in colour, up to 14 mm in length and have a brown head and a dark spot at the base of the back hairs.

Biology:
Females lay between 100 - 200 eggs among or in the infested goods. The eggs hatch in around 4 - 8 days and begin to spin webbing immediately. The larva pupates in a cocoon either within or around the infested material. Normally about 80 days is required from egg to adult however the life cycle can be completed in as few as 60 days.

Control:
Infestations in domestic or food storage situations can usually be traced back to a cereal or dried pet food source. Since these moths can infest so many types of food products, inspect thoroughly. There may be several infested products, discard any food that is infested. Infested areas should be thoroughly vacuumed paying particular attention to cracks and crevices, contents of the vacuum cleaner should be disposed of in an outside bin. Store new food products in sealed glass or plastic containers. After cleaning, treat the infested areas using a residual insecticide labeled for crawling/flying insects to ensure that all adult moth and larvae have been killed.

Products to control Tropical Warehouse Moth/Dried Currant Moth: