The Problem With Pantry Pests In Your Oklahoma City Home

What do you know about pantry pests? Are you aware that there is a type of pest that can lay its eggs in your food? Do you know that these pests can come into your home from the outside, but may also hitchhike into your home within the food you purchase from the grocery store? We hope so. While pantry pests are not likely to make you sick, you can feel ill when you realize you've been eating insects with your meals or baked goods. Today, we're going to take a closer look at this somewhat unique pest problem and offer a few tips for prevention.

Which Pest Are Pantry Pests?

There are many pests that can get into your pantry foods. Ants and cockroaches are examples of general pests. They don't lay their eggs in your food. The pests that do are certain beetles, weevils, and moths. A few of the most commonly encounter pantry pests are saw-toothed grain beetles, flour beetles, rice weevils, and Indian meal moths.

Attractants

Do you keep track of the due dates on your food? If you don't, you could be ringing the dinner bell for pantry pests. Food that is past due has a stronger odor, and these insects are attracted to that odor. If you have pantry pests on the outside of your home, they may enter through your doors if they catch this scent.

Pro Tips

• Clearly mark due dates on your purchased products using a black magic marker. This helps to keep track of that box of cereal you thought you might eat, but never did.
• Put new items to the back. You're probably already doing this, but it is a good reminder. You want to eat the old stuff first.
• Clean the outside of containers before you put them back in your pantry or kitchen cabinets.
• Inspect your selves and clean up food debris.
• Store your food in sealed containers. When you store your foods in sealed containers, it prevents the odors from attracting pantry pests, and also keeps your food fresh for longer periods.

Entry Points

If you have pantry pests on the outside of your home, that's where you want them to stay. One way you can prevent a pantry infestation is to keep outside pests from becoming indoor pests.

Pro Tips

• Inspect all your exterior screens and fix or replace screens that are damaged.
• Inspect the weatherstripping around your exterior doors and replace old weatherstripping that has gaps.
• Inspect the door sweeps on your exterior doors. If they don't make good contact, or they are damaged, they should be replaced.
• Fill in gaps around water pipes, wire conduits, and other foundation penetrations.

Hitchhikers

It is possible to go to the store and purchase a pest infestation. Insect egg could already be in the food. While there is no way to guarantee you won't make this purchase, you can reduce your chances of having those pests breed and spread inside your pantry or kitchen.

Pro Tips

• Inspect food packages before you purchase them. If you see rips or damage, select something else.
• Check the due date on your purchases. If they're overdue, they have a greater chance of being infested.
• When you purchase pantry items, consider buying only the quantity you need. There is no need to buy a big bag of flour if you don't bake often. It will only increase the chance that the product will go bad and start attracting pests.
• Before you put items into your pantry or kitchen cabinets, transfer them to sealed containers. This allows you to inspect the products. If you see webbing or insect activity during the transfer, you'll be able to quickly dispose of the bad product—along with the pantry pests. If you don't see anything, there could still be eggs in your foods. Sealed containers will help to prevent insects in an infested item from spreading to other items in your pantry. Plus, when you open a container and find insects, you can easily dispose of the infestation without having to check every food package in your pantry and kitchen. It will also keep you from having to contact a pest professional and pay for treatment.

When Pantry Pests Appear

If you live in Oklahoma City and you find pests in your home or pantry, remember that the licensed pest professionals here at Guaranteed Pest Service of Oklahoma are standing by to assist you. We can evaluate your pest problem and guide you in selecting the right treatment to address your pantry pest issue. We use field-tested strategies and a mixture of control methods with an emphasis on natural, environmentally-friendly solutions first.

It is no fun eating bugs. At the first sign of bug problems in your Oklahoma City home, reach out to us. We're here to help.