Any kitchen that has a cupboard with dry foods stored in it is likely to have pantry pests sometime. Pantry pests can be nearly invisible, until you open that bag of flour and you see tiny movements in it. Take some simple steps to control pantry pests once and for all. Stop having to throw out infested food and save on your grocery bill, too. Does this Spark an idea?
Where Pantry Pests Come From
Pantry pests arrive in your kitchen from many sources, and it is usually impossible to identify the source. They can fly in or crawl in, or be carried in on a pet or on your clothes or shoes. You can carry pests in from the grocery store, although they often do not originate there. Their food stocks are usually rotated out fairly quickly, and the pests may have been transported from a warehouse. Some, especially grain pests, may be in flour packages or grains from the mill. Dry pet food is also host to pantry pests.
Types of Pantry Pests
The most common pantry pests are flour beetles, meal moths and weevils, including their eggs and larvae. Flour beetles are tiny flat brown bugs that will eat any kind of flour or flour product, such as cake mixes. Sometimes you will see meal moths flying in your storage area. You may even find them dead in a dark corner, which means they have laid eggs. When the eggs hatch, your flour and mixes may be filled with the larvae, which are grub-like worms that will chew through cardboard and plastic bags to get to the food inside. Weevils and other beetles will live and breed in flour, beans and grains like rice.
Empty the Pantry
Go through everything in your cupboards and pantry and check for any signs of infestation. Dispose of a product with any sign of insects in any stage of development. Seal the infested items in a plastic bag, and put them into a sealed trash bag outside. Be sure to seal them up and don't take any chances of letting them back into your house.
Clean Everything
Vacuum your storage areas first, and dispose of the vacuum bag by sealing it in a plastic bag and putting it outside in a closed trash can. Wash everything with hot water and a cleaning solution. Clean every shelf, every nook and cranny and every storage container.
Pantry Pest Prevention
As you restock your pantry, place flour, mixes and similar items in the freezer for at least three days. This will kill insects that may already be in the product. Then place the products into clean containers with airtight seals. Sealed containers will not only keep pantry pests from invading the product, they also keep pests from getting out in case the product was already infested.
Boric acid dusted around cracks and corners will kill pantry pests safely. Dried citrus peels laid out on the shelves are a repellent. Bay leaves are also a good repellent. Use cinnamon, black pepper, coriander or dill dusted on the shelves as repellents. The herbs and spices can also be placed inside the plastic storage containers.
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