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Have you ever opened up a package of food in your pantry only to find you’ve got some new friends that have the munchies? Discovering bugs in your food may seem disgusting, but it isn’t unusual. Many types of pests can infest our food, but in this blog, we will only concentrate on a few of the most popular pests found in our stored food items. These pests can include small beetles, moths, and worm-like creatures that can cause a person to have an intense reaction to even see inside their food products.

 

How do you get pantry pests?

These pests are usually brought into the home in food items purchased at the grocery or pet supply store. They tend to thrive just about anywhere that bulk foods, pet food, and other edible supplies can be found — this does not mean that these locations are dirty or unsanitary. Usually, these stores receive infested food without their knowledge. Most of these stores have pest management services that will respond when alerted to the issue to eliminate the problem.

 

What are the most common pantry pests?

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, these are the most common pantry pests you’ll encounter and the most likely culprits for infested foods.

Indianmeal Moth

In the United States, the Indianmeal moth is the most common of the stored product pests found in homes and grocery stores. It can take about 25 days for the eggs to hatch, the larvae to become full-grown and pupate, and for the adults to emerge given the right environment. The mature larvae leave the food source and wander about to find a suitable pupation site. Indianmeal moths feed on a large variety of stored food products, but home infestations often start through dried pet food or birdseed. Nuts are a favorite breeding source of Indianmeal moths.

Warehouse Beetles

In the United States, the Indianmeal moth is the most common of the stored product pests found in homes and grocery stores. It can take about 25 days for the eggs to hatch, the larvae to become full-grown and pupate, and for the adults to emerge given the right environment. The mature larvae leave the food source and wander about to find a suitable pupation site. Indianmeal moths feed on a large variety of stored food products, but home infestations often start through dried pet food or birdseed. Nuts are a favorite breeding source of Indianmeal moths.

Flour Beetles

There are a number of species of tiny beetles that infest flour, but the two most common flour beetles are the confused and red flour beetles. Both are reddish-brown and about the same size, 3/16-inch long and can only be distinguished apart from each other by their antenna. They are commonly found feeding on flour, cracked grains, cake mixes, beans, peas, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, spices, and tobacco. They are usually discovered when someone opens a bag of flour and discovers little beetles inside the unopened bag. These beetles can discolor the flour as they feed on it, and if allowed to perpetuate for a long enough time, a displeasing smell can develop.

How can you prevent getting these infested items?

While there are measures you can take to avoid a pantry pest invasion, it can be difficult to completely sidestep an outbreak if the food items are already infested. After all, most products can look fine on the outside and still have issues. That said, here are a few things you can consider:

  • Only purchase packaged foods that are not damaged and have seals that are intact. If you’re buying items like dry dog food or dry cat food, be diligent in looking for punctures.
  • Purchase food in package sizes that can be used up quickly. This can help prevent future infestations from pests like ants.
  • Use a “first in, first out” approach to food usage. This means using older products before opening new items and, if possible, using opened products before sealed products.
  • Once you get your goods home, store dried food in insect-proof airtight containers made of either glass or plastic.

This will help contain any infestation and help prevent the situation from spreading to other food items. Keep your food pantry clean, and do not allow crumbs to build up, as exposed food will attract insects.

What should you do if you find an infested product?

To start, if you’ve opened a product and found it was already infested, call the store you purchased the food from ASAP. Retailers should have processes in place they can follow to remove any other at-risk items from the shelves.

Inspection and identification of all potential food sources is essential to controlling the infestation. Infested material should be immediately discarded, used, or treated to de-infest. Most people just throw away visibly infested foods, but you must stay diligent to ensure you’ve removed every item that’s been impacted. Until the problem is resolved, we recommend that susceptible foods be stored in sealable containers to contain the issue and help reduce its spread. Food may also be stored in the freezer during this time frame. After about 3-4 days, all the pantry pests would have been killed inside the frozen products.

Next, you’ll want to address your space and environment by cleaning your food storage areas. Thoroughly vacuum cupboards or shelves holding infested items. Make sure you pay particular attention to the cracks and corners. Vacuuming will suck up many of the pests and any infested material. Make sure you empty the vacuum cleaner or discard the vacuum cleaner bag after use to prevent re-infestation or spreading the problem to other areas of your home.

If you cannot eliminate the issue with these steps, you may have a more ingrained problem than you think. If you’ve discovered a pantry pest problem, contact a professional pest control company. A trained inspector will be able to evaluate the problem and determine the best treatment methods.

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