Where do you go when you’re bored? If you’ve got a game room, a man/woman cave, or a swimming pool, then those might be your first answer. If you’re anything like the rest of us, you probably head for the kitchen. There’s nothing better than checking the fridge when you’re bored. But while the fridge can be hit or miss, the pantry always has something to snack on.
The pantry of your house should be your fallback plan, your trusty, snack-supplying right-hand closet. But what happens when you open the pantry door and see tiny objects darting around your snacks? Pantry pests are the sworn enemy of your best snack source, but the more you know about them, the more you can protect your precious food stores.
Pantry Pests In Frisco
There are an abundance of types of pantry pests, but the big four in Frisco are cigarette beetles, saw-toothed beetles, ants, and Indian meal moths.
Indian meal moths: While the adults aren’t a threat to your food stores, they typically raise their larvae in the pantry where they’ll eat any dry goods they can (cereal, cornmeal, rice, and even dog food). If you keep a tight lid on your food stores, then Indian meal moth larvae won’t be able to gain access.
Sawtoothed grain beetles: These pests are small and dark, with teeth protruding from their lower head/neck area. These will put your main pantry foods at risk, foods such as fruit, pasta, nuts, and seeds.
Cigarette beetles: these small, light brown pests have an affinity for stored tobacco, but they’ll eat almost anything stored in your pantry. Once they gain entrance through the bottoms of doors and cracks in the foundation, they’ll head straight for your food stores.
Ants: when you’ve got ants in your pantry, more are sure to follow. Since ants are so small, their searchers will squeeze through the small spaces in your walls to find out if you’ve got exposed food in your pantry. If they find something, they’ll bring their whole colony to ruin any food you haven’t stored properly.
Pantry Pest Prevention
When you get a severe pantry pest infestation, it can ruin almost anything you have stored in there. Most pantry pests lay eggs in exposed food, allowing the larvae to grow and develop in the food you’re planning to eat. This can even happen before you buy the food, so make sure you check food for signs of a pest infestation before you buy it.
Periodically, check your pantry and stored food products for tiny holes/indentations or unpleasant odors. These are both indications of larvae activity. Along with careful observation, practice proper storage techniques (plastic containers with tightly sealed lids). You can also make sure to seal off all potential entry points so that the adult pests can’t find their way in. If there are no signs of exposed foods, most of these pests will move on to easier targets or other homes.
While these measures can help, it can be difficult to always ensure your food isn’t at risk. For guaranteed results (and to keep from having to check your pantry every other day), you should go with the professionals. Whether you see signs of infestation or you just want to prevent one, contact Adam's Exterminating Company. We can provide more prevention advice or help to get rid of an on-going infestation.