Pantry Pests

Stored product pests are better known as pantry pests. Residents of Tulsa have to worry about bringing pantry pests into their homes because it happens more frequently than you could ever imagine. In general, pantry pests like consuming flour, dry pet food, cornstarch, crackers, bread, spices, birdseed, and dried fruit. There are several pests that fit into this category, but the most common include Indian meal moths, cigarette beetles, and saw-toothed grain beetles.

Pantry pests will create a problem in your home quickly because they can reproduce constantly. They live in their food source. As a result, they never have to stop eating or reproducing. Pantry pests can invade clean and dirty homes.

Appearances

You’ll need to learn more about the appearances of pantry pests.

Indian Meal Moths

These small moths have multiple colors. For instance, they have a reddish-brown color on their forewings. The other half is white and gray. Although Indian meal moths are problematic, you have to worry more about their larvae because they damage your food products. They can consume an assortment of dried foods so they’ll likely a reason to stay in your home.

Unfortunately, it is incredibly difficult to properly eliminate Indian meal moths. They build cocoons in pantries and nearby rooms.

Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles

The saw-toothed grain beetle is another common pantry pest. The pest is brown and roughly a tenth of an inch. They have tooth projections on both sides of their thorax. They look like saws. The beetles and larvae will consume the food products in your home. Although they prefer flour, candy, and dry fruit, they’ll also eat rodent bait and pet food.

Cigarette Beetles

As the name suggests, these light brown beetles love consuming tobacco products. They’ll eat cigarettes and cigars. They’re an eighth of an inch and have smooth wings. Thanks to their body hairs, they look fuzzy. Besides consuming tobacco products, they’ll also consume spices, nuts, candies, and other food products.

Reasons For Pantry Pests

You may believe that you didn’t do enough to keep pantry pests out of your home. However, this likely isn’t the case. Instead, you likely brought the pests home with you. Believe it or not, many products on the shelves of grocery stores already have pantry pests. If this is the case, you may purchase that product and take it home with you. You may not realize that the product has pantry pests until it is too late.

They can sometimes invade a home from outside too. It only takes a few pests to create a full-blown pantry pest infestation. These pests breed rapidly because they live in their food source.

Signs

When searching a home for pantry pests, it is pertinent to know what to look for. It is often difficult to identify a problem because the pests are so small. Plus, they tend to blend in with their food sources. You’ll notice a problem when you begin seeing small moths around your pantry and food products.

Dangers

Are you worried about the dangers of pantry pests? Although you should get rid of them, you don’t have to worry about getting ill. These pests do not bite and they’re not capable of transmitting diseases. Even if you ingest their eggs or the insects, you’re not going to get ill. Still, you have to remember that they’re going to destroy your food products. You’ll need to replace those items so the costs will climb quickly.

Preventing Problems

You’ll want to do everything you can to keep pantry pests out of your home. Use the advice below to do that.

• Make sure that your food products are stored in suitable containers. Use airtight containers with tough materials that pests cannot chew through.
• Try cleaning your pantry at least twice a week. Get rid of any crumbs or leftovers that they might eat.
• Never combine new food products with old ones unless you’re positive that the food is free of pests.
• Before reusing old containers, clean them thoroughly. Make sure that they do not contain any pests.
• Try testing to see if a product contains pantry pests. Put it in a plastic bag and put it aside for a month or so. If you find pests in the bag, throw the bag out.

Eliminating Pantry Pests

It isn’t easy to wipe out pantry pests in your home. They’re not dangerous or frightening, but they’re hard to eliminate. The biggest issue is that these pests blend in with the food that they hide in. Plus, you may not achieve anything using DIY methods. Working with a professional is recommended. Still, you can try solving the problem using the tips below.

• Get rid of any items that are infested. Be sure to place them in a plastic bag and seal it first.
• Begin cleaning your pantry shelves. Remove all items and clean the shelves. Throw all rags or paper towels in a plastic bag before disposing of them.
• Be sure to wipe down your walls and shelves.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you can replace the items in question. Be cautious when dealing with OTC pesticides. These products could be dangerous. Work with us and you can protect yourself from start to finish

When Can You Begin?

Contact our office so we can begin helping you as soon as possible. In general, our representative will contact you back with 24 hours.

Safer Treatments

Our company offers the safest solutions in the industry. We do everything we can to protect our Tulsa clients. When you work with us, you can rest assured knowing our exterminator will keep you safe. Our exterminators incorporate the use of EPA-registered products to eliminate pantry pests. These products keep you safe while protecting your pets and plants too.

Preventing Pantry Pests

Take steps to keep pantry pests out of your pantry. Keep your food products stored in airtight, tough containers. Clean your pantry shelves regularly. Finally, try to make sure food products are free of pests before bringing them inside.

If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.