Imagine biting into an apple only to find a worm poking his head out. While it may seem like something out of Sunday’s comics, this could be a reality if your kitchen is infested with pests. Pro Staff, experts in West Des Moines pest control, can help you take steps to prevent pests in your kitchen.

Where to Look
If you don’t wipe the kitchen counter down after cooking dinner, you might come back and notice a trail of ants making their way across. If you have a bowl of apples sitting out for an easy grab-and-go snack, you might be welcoming fruit flies to make themselves at home. Pests are attracted to almost everything in your kitchen, including spots you may think are safe. Here’s where you should be keeping an eye out for pests:

• Dry goods: Pests like weevils will make themselves a meal out of the flour, cereal, and rice. Other pests, such as moths and beetles, will use dry goods to make burrows or nests.
• Spices: Pests love to snack on cinnamon- and pepper-based spices, including turmeric, cumin, fennel, ginger, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne.

Prevention
You don’t want flies, ants, or weevils in your kitchen, and you definitely don’t want them in the food you eat. Take these steps to prevent pests from becoming unwelcome guests:

• Pay attention: If you haven’t used a spice in the past few years, sift through it before you sprinkle it over your meal. Keep an eye out for black dots in your dry goods, and look for any signs of damage to your cereal boxes. If you think there’s a slight chance an item has been contaminated, discard it.
• Buy containers: Keeping your food in airtight, glass or plastic containers can help prevent pests. The cardboard boxes most food comes in is easy for pests to bite or tear into.
• Practice FIFO: FIFO, or first-in, first-out, not only helps you go through your food before it spoils, but prevents pests from making themselves a cozy burrow in your forgotten jar of jasmine rice.
• CAYGO: When you clean as you go, you’re staying ahead of pests. Getting rid of any crumbs will make your kitchen unappealing to pests.  

When it comes to your kitchen, it’s non-negotiable that it remains pest-free. If you have a pest problem, contact the West Des Moines pest control experts at Pro Staff. At Pro Staff, we have years of experience and can make sure your home is pest-free. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 for an easy and free inspection.