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View Full Version : Identifying a new pest in our house


jryck3
Sep 4, 2012, 01:03 PM
I am trying to identify a new pest in my home - it's a white larvae, about maybe a half inch long: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l9yvtzauqx8nydi/alien.jpg

I live in Atlanta, just inside the city. The condo was redone in 2008, as the old structure was stripped down to the foundation and rebuilt. The weather has just started cooling off for the fall here and yesterday I found a bunch of larvae, mostly on the ceiling in the hallway as well as the hallway closet upstairs. The upstairs has doors that open outside. My home is very clean and dry. There is no food, birdseed, dog food, etc. stored upstairs.

I used a toothpick to knock them off the ceiling into the dish and its seems almost like they have a web type substance that made them dangle from the ceiling before I got them into the container.

More pictures of these little guys:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fugdw1rjg56ogbf/image002.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yzus4pl6cvqk3zj/image004.jpg

Thank you,
Jeff

(I don't know much, but my hunch is *maybe* an Indian Meal Moth: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/entomology/identifying-pinkish-white-larvae-home-131340.html)

gnahcd
Sep 5, 2012, 12:30 AM
You could be looking at a case-making clothes moth. Check your woolens. There are other species of case making moths, and bagworms that make similar cases but are not as bad a pest. I would have thought that clothes moths would be more closely associated with your sweaters or rugs, though, so you might have something else. You should check with your local agriculture dept or museum. I don't think it is an Indian meal moth.