Worms in Guinea Pig Food Are Indian Meal Moth Larvae

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We recently heard from a reader in Fort Worth, Texas. She found some small worm-like organisms in a bag of guinea pig food and hopes that we will be able to identify them. She sent us a few photographs of the creatures. The first photo shows a small specimen practically camouflaged among the guinea pig food pellets. We almost didn’t see it! It is a small pale pink creature right in the middle of the photo, where food pellets have been cleared away:

We are confident that this is a pantry moth larva, also known as an Indian meal moth larva. Indian meal moth larvae are about half an inch long, and usually off-white, often with a pink hue! As their name “pantry moth larvae” hints, these are fairly common pests that people deal with in their pantries or wherever they store dried goods. So far this seems like a great match for what our reader is dealing with. Let’s take a closer look:

Yes, this is definitely an Indian meal moth larva! These larvae feed on all sorts of dried foods such as cereals, flours, nuts, herbs, and even pet food like guinea pig food! These larvae can become quite a nuisance if they infest an entire pantry. We recommend that our reader throw out the bag of guinea pig food to keep these larvae out of the rest of her pantry. If she suspects the larvae might have already gotten into other food items, she can search for signs of them by looking for the webbing they leave behind, or actual larvae. Anything infested should be thrown out immediately. Also, she shouldn’t worry if her guinea pig might have accidentally eaten a larvae or two, they are harmless!
To sum up, one of our readers came across a few small larvae in some guinea pig food. These creatures are Indian meal moth larvae, which are common household pests!

 

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Worms in Guinea Pig Food Are Indian Meal Moth Larvae
Article Name
Worms in Guinea Pig Food Are Indian Meal Moth Larvae
Description
One of our readers came across a few small larvae in some guinea pig food. These creatures are Indian meal moth larvae, which are common household pests!
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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