The warehouse moth (Ephestia elutella) also known commonly as the cacao or tobacco moth is a major pest and can cause considerable nuisance within both domestic and commercial properties. Similar to other species of stored product moth larvae they can quickly infest areas and undertake serious damage to food stock including cereals, fruits and other similar food products.
As the name suggests this moth is a nuisance and often found in warehouses and their nimble flexibility allows them to locate and infest only small amounts of food; the larvae of the moth can penetrate packaging which can lead to significant issues if left undetected. The signs of Warehouse moth infestation are silk webs over the infested products, as well as damaged nuts and grains. The presence of the adult moths, which can usually be spotted at night, as well as the larvae that feed on the products, which can be spotted inside or crawling around the stored products.
Indian meal moth pheromone whilst not specifically designed for warehouse moths has proven to work and to be as effective enough for users to use as both a monitoring device and device to catch emerging adult moths. As with all pheromone pads, control of large or established populations will not suffice and larger treatment plans must be undertaken.
Treatment of warehouse moth is generally straightforward and can be as simple as locating and removing the source of the infestation, in domestic dwellings this can be as simple as an open packet of food at the back of the cupboard; the larvae are generally easy to spot with their associated webbing that can cover food objects. Insecticide sprays are an important method in the control of warehouse moths and should be used to control active moths before they can reproduce or re-infest other locations.