Quick facts
- Common species
- Indian meal moth, flour beetles, biscuit (drugstore) beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles and grain weevils
- Foods affected
- Flour, cereals, rice, pasta, dried fruit, nuts, spices, chocolate, bird seed and pet food
- How they arrive
- Usually in a packet that was already infested at the shop or warehouse
- Signs
- Webbing, clumped food, tiny holes in packets, small moths or beetles in cupboards
- Time to clear
- Usually quick once every infested item is found and removed
How to identify pantry pests
The Indian meal moth is small, around 10 mm, with wings that are pale at the base and copper-coloured towards the tips. Its larvae are cream caterpillars that leave silky webbing in food. Flour beetles are tiny reddish-brown beetles found in flour and baking mixes. Biscuit beetles are rounded, brown and about 3 mm long, and drill neat holes in packaging. Grain weevils have a distinctive long snout and are found in rice, wheat and other whole grains.
Signs in your kitchen
- Small moths flying out of cupboards or resting on the ceiling in the evening
- Silky threads or clumps in cereals, flour, nuts or dried fruit
- Tiny beetles in the flour, spices or bottom of the cupboard
- Small round holes in cardboard or paper packaging
- Pupae or larvae in the corners and hinges of cupboard doors
What to do first
- Empty the affected cupboard completely
- Check every dry food item, including unopened packets, spices, pet food and bird seed
- Throw away anything with webbing, larvae, beetles or holes, sealed in a bag
- Vacuum the shelves, corners, hinges and shelf-peg holes, then wipe them down
- Store new dry food in airtight glass, metal or hard plastic containers
When to call a professional
If insects keep coming back after a thorough clear-out, the source may be somewhere you have not found, such as a forgotten bag of bird seed, pet food in a garage or food spilt behind a kitchen unit. Food businesses, shops and warehouses need professional treatment and records. We inspect, find the source, apply targeted treatments to cracks and voids, and can fit pheromone monitoring traps.
Prevention
- Buy dry goods in quantities you will use within a few weeks
- Decant flour, cereals, rice and pasta into sealed containers
- Rotate stock so older items are used first
- Keep pet food and bird seed in sealed bins, away from the kitchen if possible
Pantry pest control across Southwark and London
We deal with pantry pest problems in homes and businesses across South London. We cover South London, Central London (the City, the West End and Westminster), East London out to Stratford and Newham, and nearby parts of Kent, from our base at South Dock Marina in SE16. A standard visit is £90, and you can book online or call 020 8050 2022.
- Southwark
- Bermondsey
- Peckham
- Camberwell
- Rotherhithe
- Lambeth
- Brixton
- Lewisham
- Greenwich
- Bromley
- Bexley
- Kent
- Central London
- City of London
- Westminster
- East London
- Tower Hamlets
- Hackney
- Newham
- All areas
Pantry pest control: questions and answers
Where do pantry moths come from?
Usually from a product that was already infested when you bought it. Once inside, they spread to other open packets.
Is it safe to eat food with weevils in?
It is best to throw it away. Insects are not usually harmful, but infested food is spoiled and can cause irritation.
Are pantry moths the same as clothes moths?
No. Pantry moths feed on dry food; clothes moths feed on wool, silk and other natural fibres. The treatment is different.
Do pheromone traps get rid of pantry moths?
They catch male moths and show you where activity is, but they will not clear an infestation on their own. Removing the infested food is the key step.
Related pages
This page is general information, last reviewed on 19 October 2026. It is not a substitute for an on-site inspection.