Menu
Expat.com

After recent rain i started seeing some worms in the kitchen

Post new topic

gabrio

hi there,

After the recent rain (this week November 1th 2013), I have noticed that one of the walls in my kitchen had some wet stain with patches, which I guess is "normal" for Maltese walls... ok fine, a bit annoying but I can live with that and it will eventually dry out. approximately 50 cm x 30 cm.

The most annoying thing that happened is that since this recent rain and the wet wall, we started to find small worms (the white ones) in our kitchen, in particular near the refrigerator.

the house itself is a decent nice building, the flat has been freshly painted this summer, all new appliances, everything new.

only annoying this is that there's this construction site nearby (very common in Sliema) so I thought, after rain + construction site nearby = worms, possible explanation??

this is in Balluta Bay.

if anyone has seen worms please share, I will call pest control people or something soon, It's really annoying especially in the kitchen and I cannot keep killing them on regular basis. I think I already killed like 10 since Thursday!

thanks
Gabrio

tearnet

Are they worms or maggots?
If maggots and near the fridge it could be rotting food either under or in the fridge.

Toon

never seen worms  - more likely to be rotting food somehwere and like others have suggested likely to be maggots

gabrio

toonarmy9752 wrote:

never seen worms  - more likely to be rotting food somehwere and like others have suggested likely to be maggots


oh well they started coming just after the rain. we don't have any spoiled food and everything is very clean inside the fridge.

here's a picture, now this just appeared after I killed 3 earlier. even if it was food I don't think they could be so many. check this out, he even flexed to be more pretty now!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/289 … 153229.jpg

I am starting not to like Malta....

tearnet

gabrio wrote:
toonarmy9752 wrote:

never seen worms  - more likely to be rotting food somehwere and like others have suggested likely to be maggots


oh well they started coming just after the rain. we don't have any spoiled food and everything is very clean inside the fridge.

here's a picture, now this just appeared after I killed 3 earlier. even if it was food I don't think they could be so many. check this out, he even flexed to be more pretty now!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/289 … 153229.jpg

I am starting not to like Malta....


They look like maggots but could be  thin caterpillars!

gabrio

tearnet wrote:
gabrio wrote:
toonarmy9752 wrote:

never seen worms  - more likely to be rotting food somehwere and like others have suggested likely to be maggots


oh well they started coming just after the rain. we don't have any spoiled food and everything is very clean inside the fridge.

here's a picture, now this just appeared after I killed 3 earlier. even if it was food I don't think they could be so many. check this out, he even flexed to be more pretty now!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/289 … 153229.jpg

I am starting not to like Malta....


They look like maggots but could be  thin caterpillars!


LOL but not fun, lets see if we can get some people to dismantle the fridge and do a proper cleanup and cover the holes.

My bets are for the nearby construction site, rained a lot, earth got flooded and brought up worms and now they are exploring.

thanks for opinions anyway
have a good sunday

gabrio

JayJay1970

Hey Gabrio this is definitely a type of beetle larvae and would be either 1 of 2 types it would either be a meal feeder eating things like bran, cereal or dried food possibly even dry dog food or the second type a wire worm which would eat plant roots and you would find it living on any type of plant.

It's more likely to be the first type because even if the ground got flooded the wireworms would generally just sit on the surface until it could go back underground to the roots it feeds on whereas the meal type live in the aforementioned foodstuffs until they pupate where they would then tend to wander ( before pupation)I would check every cereal, flour dogfood etc you have to see if there is an infestation  and this should get rid of them.

Either way they are no threat to human health on their own but you wouldn't want to eat the foodstuff they have been living in.

Hope this helps Jay . A passionate but amateur entomologist.

gabrio

JayJay1970 wrote:

Hey Gabrio this is definitely a type of beetle larvae and would be either 1 of 2 types it would either be a meal feeder eating things like bran, cereal or dried food possibly even dry dog food or the second type a wire worm which would eat plant roots and you would find it living on any type of plant.

It's more likely to be the first type because even if the ground got flooded the wireworms would generally just sit on the surface until it could go back underground to the roots it feeds on whereas the meal type live in the aforementioned foodstuffs until they pupate where they would then tend to wander ( before pupation)I would check every cereal, flour dogfood etc you have to see if there is an infestation  and this should get rid of them.

Either way they are no threat to human health on their own but you wouldn't want to eat the foodstuff they have been living in.

Hope this helps Jay . A passionate but amateur entomologist.


Cheers for the info.
Gab

biddy

Over the past month or more we have had an infestation of pale green caterpillars, with black spots on either side of their bodies, crawling up the exterior walls of our block of apartments. They are determined and have reached our third floor balcony where some have pupated(?). We wonder if they are the off-spring of the myriad of white butterflies who have been flying around the fields of wild flowers below.

Corrin

we had these in a flat in the UK (well very similar). I suggest you check your cupboards for cereal or oatcakes, oats, bran etc which they might be living in. Keep an eye out for the moths they turn into to. In the end we found a packet of pine nuts in a rarely used cupboard which they had hatched out of and then eaten and infested our kitchen. GRIM!

gabrio

thanks guys it looks like we got rid of them after isolating all food (cereals, oats, cous cous, etc) in plastic bags, had few flies for the following days, probably they were turning into that and now no more.

brayster99

thats a Pantry moth and a pain the **** to get rid of. They'll be back. Seal up with vigour. They love any carb based food or nuts etc. and dont think that because you haven't open the packet they cant get in. Those little feckers will get in everywhere, easily getting inside sealed containers. You've gotta to be super obsessive compulsive about sealing your food up now.

They leave pheromone trails for their friends to find you. When you move out, don't take any food with you.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Pantry-Moths

Articles to help you in your expat project in Malta

  • How to drive in Malta
    How to drive in Malta

    Malta is a relatively small island measuring only 27km long and 14,5km wide, so it seems on paper to be very ...

  • Finding work in Gozo
    Finding work in Gozo

    If you are planning to live in Malta, why not settle and work in Gozo? Although it is quieter than the main island ...

  • Resident and work permit for Malta
    Resident and work permit for Malta

    Getting a resident card and a work permit in Malta is an essential step for any expat. Living in Malta does ...

  • Accidents and emergencies in Malta
    Accidents and emergencies in Malta

    A stay abroad is usually associated with great memories. However, it could happen that an accident or emergency ...

  • Accommodation in Malta
    Accommodation in Malta

    As an expat in Malta, one of the first steps is to find accommodation. Malta has a quickly and continuously ...

  • Phones and internet in Malta
    Phones and internet in Malta

    Despite being a small archipelago, Malta hosts a very advanced telecommunications network. If you are ...

  • Finding work in Malta
    Finding work in Malta

    Malta is world famous for its postcard-worthy beaches and beautiful landscapes. Indeed, this tiny island nation ...

  • Pregnancy in Malta
    Pregnancy in Malta

    As an expat in Malta, you will experience some important life events, such as pregnancy. As an expectant mother, ...

All of Malta's guide articles