[Carolyn Gayle]

I just bought some Trichogramma wasps to try to control pantry moths that had infested my mud room (probably due to bird seed and such). They arrived in 2 days on Wednesday, I kept them in my fridge for 2 days and put them out yesterday afternoon, one square in my mud room, one in my kitchen and 1 in the hall by the mud room. How do I tell if they are alive and doing their job? I have not seen any tiny wasps. I do see the dots on the squares. Thanks.

[Eric Vinje]

Carolyn –

Those dots on the squares are parasitized moth eggs with developing trichogramma inside. The trichogramma wasps will emerge from the eggs too seek out and destroy the immature pantry moth. The dots on the squares will remain after the trichogramma hatch. However, if you look closely — using a magnifying glass or lens — you will see a tiny exit hole in each egg where the tiny trichogramma emerged.

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