Avoid Bugs in the Pantry
If you haven’t used your baking supplies since Thanksgiving or Christmas, now’s a good time to make sure your supplies are well-sealed and you’re not accidentally attracting pantry pests. Expiration dates are an important aspect of maintaining the integrity of your ingredients. And storing items properly is just as important. If you’ve fallen victim to pantry pests in the past, you know how easy it can happen. Maybe you haven’t used that Creole seasoning since you bought in New Orleans 6 years ago and now it’s feeding a family of beetles in the back of the cabinet. Or maybe you were in a hurry when you put your flour or sugar away last time you baked and now there’s moths all over the kitchen. Kids dipping into the Oreo stash and not closing the container before shoving it back on the shelf is a great way to get ants. It happens…Just. Like. That.
The first step to getting rid of any pest issue is proper identification. Know what to look for. Know what you’re looking at when you see them. You can avoid pests in the pantry with a little bit of a science lesson. We’ve highlighted some of the most common cabinet intruding pests in the table below. Click on the pest name for more information on each one.
Flour beetles | Indian meal moths | weevils | mice |
Keeping Pantry Pests Out
One great way to avoid bugs in the pantry is to practice good sanitation. Wipe your countertops down with a disinfectant cleaner. Sweep and vacuum food debris from floors, pantries, and cabinets. When you’re at the grocery store, double check that all your goods are well sealed and don’t have signs of gnaw marks from rodents or any other indication that a pest has tampered with it. This all might sound really simple, but it’s not necessarily common knowledge. Below you will find additional key tricks to keeping pests away.
- Check food items at store before purchasing to make sure there are no holes or tears in packaging. Sift through items before using at home.
- Keep pantry items stored in sealed, air-tight containers.
- Use hot, soapy water to wash out cabinets, wipe crumbs from counters, sweep crumbs up from the floor and vacuum.
- Look for cracks and holes around pantry and seal them using steel wool or silicone.
Did you know that mice prefer chocolate to peanut butter?
Can you Spot the Difference?
There are definitely some unwanted pantry pests in the pictures below, but can you spot the differences in the two images?
Valentine’s Day Cookies
On to a sweeter note! Now that you’ve inspected all of your ingredients and we have your cabinets clear of pests…let’s make a sweet treat! Click the image below for the full directions of this adorable, holiday-inspired snack. And don’t forget to clean up and store everything safely when finished! Tag us to show us how your ladybugs come out!
Healthy Home Maintenance Program
Sanitation goes a long way to prevent pest problems; especially pantry pests. The Healthy Home Maintenance Program (HHMP), our most popular residential pest service, is the gold standard in home pest protection and prevention. This ultimate protection package involves four scheduled visits, once every three months, to ensure you have the peace of mind and safety that comes from a pest-free home. We stand by our services and their 24/7/365 protection 100%, so we’ll take care of issues that pop up in between scheduled visits at absolutely no cost to you. That’s right, we’ll come back out for free.
Give us a call today at 1-800-GOT-PESTS? to set something up so you can get back to celebrating the holidays without winter pest invasions.