Pheromones for Use in Your Home 
Pheromones for Use in Your Home 
Pheromones
for Insects that Eat Your Food -
There are several insects that eat the food you store in your
pantry. One insect is found more often than any other on stored
food and grain in the United States is the Indianmeal moth.
Pheromones for Insects
that Eat Your Clothes - If
you have ever had holes eaten in your sweaters or suits, you have
most likely dealt with the Webbing Clothes moth. See Bottom of page.
INDIANMEAL MOTH (Plodia interpunctella) 
These moths are often called
"millers" and can be seen flying around the house. This
is one of the easiest stored food insects to identify because the
adults have a colorful appearance and the larvae (which look like
yellowish-white worms) leave a silken webbing trail wherever they
crawl. Newly emerged adults have bi-colored (copper and tan)
wings and measure about 1/2" from top to bottom. The IMM
most commonly feeds on grain products including flour, cereal,
nuts, bird seed and pet food.
Trap placement and use: Although there is no exact number
of traps that you should place within your home, we can give you
some general guidelines. In general, a home should use one
trap in a small room such as a pantry. Depending upon the size of
your kitchen, you should use one or two traps to capture moths in
that room. If you have rooms where you store pet food or bird
seed you should place one trap in those areas. Traps should be
placed at eye level for easy access. Traps are effective for two
months, after this they should be replaced with new ones.
GERMAN COCKROACH (Blattella
germanica) 
This nasty little guy will eat almost anything
- even hair, eyelashes, and fingernails. This is the cockroach
most commonly found in homes and in large numbers often causes
allergies. This insect is common in areas with access to food and
water (i.e. kitchen/bathroom). The German cockroach is 1/2 inch
in length and is brown in color. The life cycle from egg to adult
takes about a month, and populations can become huge if not kept
under control. A new pheromone trap has recently become available
for this pest.
Trap use and placement: These traps should be
placed in areas where cockroaches are likely to be encountered
concentrating on the kitchen and bathroom. The traps work best
when placed along the edges of the floor and in corners within 10
feet (3m) of a water supply. They also should be placed in
cabinets, especially the one under the sink.
Although pheromone traps are non-toxic, they should always be
placed out of reach of children because glue on little fingers
could create a mess. Soap and water will remove this glue.
RED AND CONFUSED FLOUR BEETLES (Tribolium spp.)
These insects, also called bran bugs are common
pests of flour. They may infest any product made with grain, but
they cannot infest sound (undamaged) grain. Flour beetles require
about a month to complete their life cycle. Adults may live up to
three years.
WEBBING CLOTHES MOTH (Tineola bisselliella) 
With the decreased use of pesticides on
textiles, the incidence of clothing and rugs damaged by the
Webbing Clothes moth has increased significantly in recent years.
Fabrics injured by clothes moths have holes eaten through them by
small, white larvae. Materials left undisturbed for some time or
stored in dark places (such as a closet, attic, or drawer) are
most severely injured by these insects. The adults are small and
champagne-colored. They can often be seen running over the
surface of the infested goods when exposed to light or flying
somewhat aimlessly about the houses or closets. Clothing moth
larvae (immatures) feed on wool, hair, feathers, furs,
upholstered furniture, occasionally on dead insects, dry dead
animals, animal and fish meals, milk powders such as casein, and
nearly all animal products such as boar bristles, dried hair and
leather. Adults do not eat.
Trap use and placement: These traps should be used in
areas where moths are likely to be found (see above). One trap
per closet or room is sufficient. Traps should be placed at eye
level or higher. Lures should be replaced every two months. Traps
should be replaced when full of insects.
Learn about controlling insects without pesticides
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