Finding bugs wriggling around in your pantry is always an unpleasant experience, but it’s also not an uncommon one. As a matter of fact, one of the most common household problems is finding insects infesting your stored foods. These are commonly known as “pantry pests”.
In an effort to get rid of them, some people might turn to spraying pesticides, but that isn’t recommended. Any bugs within food packaging will not be affected, and populations will not dwindle until the source of the infestation is found and dealt with. Furthermore, any foods that come in contact with the pesticide can also end up poisoning you or your loved ones.
It’s best to call a professional to get rid of these pests effectively and efficiently. In addition, there are many other ways to prevent them from coming back. This article will discuss those methods.
How do I know if my pantry has pests?
The first thing you need to do is inspect all of your pantry items for signs of insect damage. Look at the exterior of each item and check inside for anything unusual. If you find something, take note.
WHAT CAUSES PANTRY BUGS?
Wherever there’s food, there will be bugs trying to find a way to get to it. In fact, most dried food products can be infested by insects, such as cereal products, flour and other grains, dried fruits and tea, seeds and nuts, powdered milk, chocolate, pet food, and more.
Unfortunately, your pantry is the one place that is filled with these kinds of food items.
Products that have been left in storage for a long time are also more likely to get infested. But that doesn’t mean any recently acquired food will be pest-free either. Even if it hasn’t been opened yet, these bugs have the ability to crawl their way through folds or seams or chew their way through the packaging.
Anything placed within cellophane, foil, paper, plastic or thin cardboard will not be safe from these pesky pests!
However, just because you’ve found some unwanted visitors in your food doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve been negligent in your pantry cleaning. While it’s true some may find their way inside from outdoors, oftentimes, a stored food product will have already been infested upon production, during the delivery, or at the grocery store.
All stages of a pantry pest’s life cycle can be found in infested foods, with their eggs being tiny and barely noticeable and their adult stage being when they’re most likely to be seen by homeowners. In addition, the larvae stage is often overlooked, but this is where the majority of the damage occurs.
The best way to prevent an infestation is to keep your pantry clean and free of clutter. This includes keeping all food stored away from sources of moisture like windowsills, door frames, shelves, cupboards, etc., and making sure no food is exposed to direct sunlight.
WHAT ARE THESE LITTLE BUGS IN MY PANTRY?
While ants are what comes to most people’s minds, there are plenty of other bugs who can and will infest a pantry. A few common examples include:
• INDIAN MEAL MOTHS
Indian meal moths are considered one of the most common pantry pests. Measuring about 1/3 to 1/2 inches long, they have a distinct reddish-brown coloring on their forewings with a coppery luster, and a pale gray or tan near the base of their wings. Any eggs laid will hatch within days.
While adults can be found flying around homes, their larvae will be found doing the most damage by feeding on your food products. Because they spin a web as they grow, they will often leave silk trails as they crawl.
When matured, the larvae will move far from the original food source before pupating.
• PANTRY BEETLES
Unlike a pantry moth, which only consists of one major species, there exists several species of pantry beetles, all of which can attack various foods in both their larval and adult stages.
Sawtoothed grain beetles and merchant grain beetles are around 1/10 inches in length. They are slender, flat, and are colored a brownish-red or black. They can be identified by the six saw-like teeth on each side of the thorax (the section between their head and abdomen).
Warehouse and cabinet beetles are shaped like an elongated oval and can grow up to 1/8 to 3/16 inches in length. They are either mottled with yellowish-brown markings or a solid black. Alongside dried foodstuff, they will also eat dead insects, animals, and other products of animal origin such as wool clothing.
Cigarette beetles are oval, brown, and can grow to be 1/8 inches in length. Their heads are also bent down, giving a humped appearance. They can often be found flying around windows. While their diet is similar to other pantry pests, they have a preference for dried plant products, as well as cured tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars.
Flour beetles are reddish-brown and shaped like elongated ovals. They can grow to be 3/16 inches in length.
Spider beetles are reddish brown and are around 3/16 inches in length, with long legs and a spider-like appearance. They typically prefer to forage at night or in dark or damp locations and will readily eat food spoiled by moisture.
• WEEVILS
Maize, rice, and granary weevils are less than 3/16 inches long. They are dark brown, slender, have a long snout protruding from their heads, and have four orangish spots on their wing covers. They only eat whole seeds or grains and will often leave round exit holes in kernels.
Bean weevils grow up to 1/8 inches long, are broadly ovular, and are mottled in light and dark brown. They feed on dried beans and peas.
CAN PANTRY BUGS HARM YOU?
Indian meal moth larvae leave an excess of excrement and webbing, while some beetle larvae will secrete substances that can give food a displeasing odor or taste. The hairs of cabinet and warehouse beetles can also cause irritation in the mouth, throat, and stomach when ingested.
While this may be the case, ingesting the contaminated food or the pests themselves won’t cause serious harm or illness. However, it can still have a negative psychological effect on anyone who not only found insects in their pantry, but also realized the possibility of having eaten one or more. Depending on the size of the infestation, replacing food products and cleaning out the pantry can also take significant time and money from the homeowner.
If you suspect your home has been invaded by insect pests, contact a pest control professional immediately to prevent further damage.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE PANTRY BUGS?
These signs may indicate you have a pantry pest problem:
• Finding Indian meal moths flying around kitchen and other rooms • Finding caterpillars on the walls or ceilings in rooms next to the infestation source • Finding caterpillars and silk trails in and around food products • Finding beetles in food products, on the counter, around windows, or in cupboards
HOW DO I PREVENT PANTRY BUGS?
To help avoid pantry pest issues, the following steps should be taken:
• Buy dried foods in quantities small enough to be used in 2-4 months • Inspect food packaging for freshness, openings, or evidence of insects and holes before buying • Use older products before newer ones • Use opened products before unopened ones • Put pest-free foods in tightly sealed glass, metal, or heavy plastic containers • Place pest-free foods in the freezer for four days to kill any eggs • Immediately clean up spilled foods and thoroughly clean cracks and corners • Check and clean areas where pet food and birdseed are stored
HOW DO I GET RID OF PANTRY BUGS?
Tired of finding insects in your food?
The simplest way to get rid of them is to carefully inspect all your food packages and throw away any that have been infested. After disposing the products, thoroughly wash the shelves and cupboards with soap and water and vacuum them.
Due to their abilities to survive many weeks without food, it isn’t unusual to continue seeing bugs after the infested food has been thrown out.
However, effectively getting rid of an infestation can take continuous and persistent effort, especially if the pests have been there for a while. The unfortunate fact is, by the time you noticed them, they would’ve already spread to other food packages.
If the number of pests hasn’t dwindled, then it might be time to hire a licensed pest control professional to identify any other infestation sources and propose a proper treatment plan.
