Over the past several months I've noticed little 'pantry' moths all over the place. I suspect that there is currently a boom in the local moth population, for reasons I have no understanding of. 'Course, this could simply be a cases of the you start noticing things once you start looking for them phenomenon.
I see the moths mostly indoors, in homes and businesses, but also out of doors, just flying about during the day and evening. They're about 7mm to 14mm long, shaped like a somewhat narrow triangle when their wings are folded. Colours range from light tawny to dark brown. They fly with a jittery, somewhat random motion; once they alight they seem to stay fixed, making them relatively easy to catch.
Given the opportunity, their larvae infest cereal, grains, and other such foods.
The triangular 'moth tent' glue traps sold for 'pantry moths' seem to attract them fairly effectively.
It's been interesting to observe this little plague - it makes me realize just how significant the problem of food spoilage by pests was in past times, and still is in most part of the world.
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