Moths, beetles, ants, weevils and cockroaches all find their way into kitchens when they’re searching for food. Pantries provide these pests with particularly easy access to human food. Most people store a variety of dried food products in their pantry, typically in bags and boxes with small openings. These pests will inevitably wander into kitchens, but you can take steps to prevent an infestation. Here’s how.
Store Food Properly
Most of the dried goods we buy are conveniently packaged in bags and boxes. This makes them easy to use over time, but it can also leave openings for pests. After you open dried goods, especially if you’ll be using them over a long period of time, store them in airtight containers. Between uses, make sure the containers are fully sealed. This is the best way to keep pests out of your food.
Clean Pantry Shelves
Even if you’re careful, crumbs and spills inevitably happen within your pantry. You may not even notice when it happens, but pests do. Clean off your shelves every once in a while to make sure you’re not leaving anything behind for pests to snack on. If they don’t find a source of food in your pantry, they won’t have the chance to infest the products inside.
Test Food for Insects
You don’t need a scientific lab to test food for insects. Before eating dried goods, especially ones that haven’t been properly sealed, pour out a small amount into a plastic bag. If you see insects crawling around or find wings or shells, you probably have an infestation. Insects jump between food sources if they’ve been there a while, so make sure to inspect all the food in your pantry if any of it’s infested.
Clean Containers
Avoid combining new and old dried goods. This may seem like a convenient space saving option, but it’s more likely that you’ll spoil the whole supply by adding new food to contaminated containers. Give the containers a wash between uses to make sure your new dried goods stay fresh. This will also help ensure that any residue that builds up on the outside of your container won’t attract pests.
Pests in the pantry cause all sorts of problems. Pro-Staff, a Grimes pest control company, can help. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 or contact us online to learn more.
