Get Rid of Pantry Pests in Your Kitchen
Some of the tiniest bugs that invade a home keep themselves well-hidden, until you open that bag of flour, box of cereal or carton of oatmeal, only to discover that something has been dining on your food before you – pantry pests love living in your kitchen!
Proper food storage is important when trying to deter these insects, but often bulk food purchases, warehouse buying clubs or stock-up store specials can introduce undesirables into your home. Pantry pests usually don’t arrive in your kitchen by crawling through cracks around doors and windows, like other home invading pests. Instead, they can travel long distances by hiding inside containers of dried food; which can originate at a packing plant, a warehouse storage area, a delivery truck, or even a local grocery store.
Nothing is more disgusting than preparing a favorite recipe and getting ingredients out of the pantry to carefully mix or blend together, only to discover tiny crawling things, little pellets, or winged visitors. Some pantry pests are so small, they are difficult to discover if you aren’t careful and inspect your containers on a regular basis.
Common pantry pests in Michigan include the Indian Meal Moth, Grain Beetles, Flour Beetles, Mealworms, and Weevils. Some of them actually burrow into individual pieces of food to deposit eggs.
Getting rid of pantry pests requires some diligent work, starting with disposing food items that are infected. Thoroughly wash all storage containers, as well as the shelves and walls of the pantry area. Instead of keeping flour, sugar, rice, and other ingredients in the paper bags or sacks from the store, consider using plastic or glass containers that can be sealed tightly.
There are advanced steps that can be taken to clean or fumigate the kitchen area. A professional pest control specialist will be able to help identify the pantry pests you discover in your home, and can offer advice on how to eliminate them and prevent new guests from visiting the pantry again. Call Pest Patrol to get rid of pantry pests before they eat too much in your kitchen!