Pantry pests can cause an enormous headache for anyone who stores food. This can include both homeowners and businesses like restaurants. If you’re experiencing an invasion of pests in your kitchen area, it’s critical that you remove them quickly. Even if you’re not currently having an sctive problem, you should be aware of these pests and take steps to prevent them. The following information will help you do that.
How to successfully handle pantry pests
The problem with these pests is basically that they ruin food. For example, once they get into food, you will usually have to throw it out. To prevent this, you will first need to understand which pests are classed as pantry pests. Generally speaking, they are small imsects such as black and brown beetles, and weevils. Slso look out for moths at various dtages of life. Moths don’t just eat clothes, but attack your food staples too.
The reason why these pests are so attracted to pantries, larders and kitchen cabinets is because they feed on the type of food that is commonly stored there. These food types mostly include anything that is dried or processed. This can be things like grains, flour, pasta and cereals. To a lesser extent, pantry pests also eat dried fruits, nuts, spices and beans.
What often happens is that a spillage of these foods occurs. Your kitchen will more than likely also have bits of food debris. This attracts these insects and when they eventually discover the source of this food – your pantry – they infest your food and begin to multiply. They can also come into the property in a packet of food that already contains insect eggs or larvae.
Getting rid of these pests can be difficult
Even if you throw out the contaminated food, sometimes it’s not enough. These pests may still be hiding in the cracks around your kitchen cupboards, waiting to strike again. If you are a food business, controlling these insects can be part of your pest control and food safety regimen. But how do you deal with them?
First of all, keep your kitchen spotlessly clean. Also clean your larder or food cabinets at least once a month. Doing this will prevent you from attracting pests in the first place. Next, realise that these pests can easily get into packets and boxes. This means that all food should be decanted into plastic containers that seal tightly. Never leave boxes and open packets lying around. If you do this, these insects can easily get into them.
To avoid the contamination and waste that come with pantry pests, your food storage areas should also have proper tightly closing doors, although often this isn’t enough. Insects can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and under cupboard doors, so what you can also do place weather-stripping around the doorframe. Finally, seal up any cracks or crevices in your kitchen walls. This will prevent insects from hiding away. Something else you may want to do is leave you kitchen or larder light on. Many psntry pests hate light and this will deter them. Finally, as a preventitive measure, check your newly purchased food packets thoroughly for signs of beetles, weevils or moths. This included not only adult insects, but eggs and larvae too.