Finding bugs in a food pantry is not only creepy and gross, but it can be a health hazard as well. Pests can contaminate food supplies. And you certainly do not want to find bugs in your food when you’re eating.
Unfortunately, bugs do commonly end up in food pantries (in search of food) when given the chance to get inside of your home. They can chew through packaging or crawl through openings such as loose-fitting lids.
In this article, we’ll talk about how to prevent pantry bugs so that you don’t have to stress.
We’ll cover:
Common Pantry Bugs in New England
Where do Pantry Bugs Come From?
Bug Proof Storage Ideas
Indoor Pest Prevention
Choosing Pest Control in Southern NH and Southern Maine
Common Pantry Bugs in New England
Any pests that invade your home can ultimately wind up in the food pantry. But there are common culprits that are particularly attracted to dry goods. These include Rice Weevils, Meal Moths, and Grain Beetles.
Other New England pests that frequently wind up in the pantry include ants and cockroaches, which are both common kitchen pests that are constantly in search of food.
Where do Pantry Bugs Come From?
There are two main ways that pests find their way into your pantry. The first is hard to do anything about as these are situations where the pests got into your food products while it was being processed or packaged. Pests that sneak into dry goods like flour, cornmeal, rice, or cereal while it’s being prepped at the factory are outside of your control.
Of course, this can also happen on trucks during transportation or at the grocery store…all prior to the food actually coming into your home. It’s critical that you check the seal and packaging on the products you buy to reduce the likelihood of bringing home unwanted hitchhikers.
But the other way that bugs in the food pantry become a problem is when pests get into your home and then find their way into your food storage. Pests might chew their way through packaging or slip through an opening. This situation is more in your control as you’ll want to aim to keep pests out of your home in the first place.
Bug Proof Storage Ideas
How you store your food in the pantry can help keep bugs out. Make sure that the lids on any food storage containers are tight fitting. Glass, metal, or heavy plastic containers are best.
You also want to be sure to clean up any spills or crumbs immediately to prevent attracting pests to your pantry. You can also store commonly impacted items in the refrigerator if you prefer.
Be sure to perform periodic pantry clean-outs, throwing away unused old items and cleaning up any messes.
Indoor Pest Prevention
A highly effective way to keep pests out of your pantry is to focus on keeping pests out of your home in the first place.
For this, we recommend quarterly pest control.
At Seacoast Turf Care, our pest control program also focuses on being preventative. We’re trying to keep pests from entering your home in the first place. Our quarterly pest control program also covers mice. That’s important as mice are unfortunately another common kitchen pest that can wind up in the food pantry. Mouse droppings can be a health hazard.
There are great benefits to preventing pest problems from occurring in the first place, including cost savings.
The quarterly pest control cost is much less expensive in the long run than paying for an exterminator in the face of an infestation. It can also be difficult to get an infestation under control once it’s started.
Choosing Pest Control in Southern NH and Southern Maine
Seacoast Turf Care’s pest control services cover most of the common household pests found in New England. That includes many of the common bugs found in the food pantry - as well as mice.
This can play a vital role in the prevention of bugs in your food or in your home in general. After all, while the kitchen is often the most disturbing place that people find pests (especially in food), pests also commonly show up in other areas around the home like bathrooms, bedrooms, and basements.
We know that most homeowners want to keep pests out of their home completely.
If you truly want peace of mind that you’re keeping pests away, investing in professional pest control is a wise choice. By taking the right steps, you’ll be able to get back to enjoying life as usual.
Want to learn more about how pest control services can protect your family and give you peace of mind? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get pest control pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.
Image Sources: cockroach, rice weevil, food pantry
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