Pantry Bugs: Who Else is Eating Your Cereal???

It’s that time of year again for spring cleaning your kitchen. But as you were cleaning out your kitchen cabinets did you come across bugs? No need to panic! More than likely the bugs you came across are just pantry pests. These bugs may cause some alarm to you as they are usually found within cabinets or pantry food items. Don’t worry, they won’t cause any harm to you, your family or your home.

First things first…

Weevils, beetles and moths love your pantry!  To help prevent them from taking over your kitchen, try following these precautions:

1. 1. Before You Get Started in the Kitchen:  Take a few minutes, and do a quick inspection of your pantry items, and make sure they are no bugs. Periodic checks of your pantry items throughout the year will help ensure that you do not end up with an infestation on your hands. Before you start cleaning your kitchen, make sure to check out our article on How to Stop Ants in Your Kitchen for more tips on preventing ants and maintaining a pest-free environment.
   2. Proper Storage: Plastic containers, Mason jars, or canisters are a few types of airtight containers you could use to seal and protect your food from lurking pantry pests.  Sealing up your items will also help to keep your supplies fresh. Not to mention it might spiffy up the area a bit.
   3. Check the Date: While you’re at it. Check the expiration date on your ingredients and toss out the old stuff. Even though many pantry items are considered nonperishable, they can still actually go bad and affect the flavor, if kept beyond the expiration.  Furthermore, as your items slowly go bad, they are more likely to attract pantry pests.
   4. Clean out the Cupboards: Check around your cupboards for old spills and crumbs.  Even if things look pretty clean, a quick wipe with soap and water can remove any tiny hiding bugs. Going forward be sure to take care of spills right away, which will make your pantry less attractive, since there is nothing good to snack on. 
   5. Inspect Groceries: Believe it or not, many pantry pests enter your home from already infested groceries.  Therefore, you should carefully check the packaging of items in the store, before purchasing, for signs of damage. Damaged packaging means pests can infest the product.
   6. Take the Trash Out: If you discover you already have an infestation on your hands, throw out your infested food items, in a sealed receptacle. Then place your trash in your outside bin. When taking out the trash, be mindful of other common household pests like flies. Discover How to Get Rid of Flies and maintain a cleaner home.

And Finally…

If you’re still having problems getting rid of the pantry and is affecting your property value, read our article Are Pests Stopping You From Selling Your Home? to see how professional pest control services can help.

Don’t let pantry pests ruin your spring cleaning efforts! If you need professional help to eliminate these unwelcome visitors, our expert pest control services are available in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby & New West, Coquitlam & Tri-Cities, and Richmond, Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and let us help you maintain a pest-free home all year round. With our expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction, you can rest assured that your kitchen will be safe from pantry pests. Don’t wait—reach out to us now and reclaim your pantry!