Here in our Southeast Florida service area, grilling is king, and using the oven is avoided whenever possible. No one wants to heat an already steamy kitchen any more than necessary on a hot day. Even so, sometimes you need to bake. If you start pulling ingredients out of your pantry and notice something not quite right inside of them, you may have a pantry pest problem.
Common Pompano Beach, FL Pantry Pests
The following are some common summertime pantry pests to watch for.
Cigarette Beetles are light brown and about 1/10 of an inch long as adults. However, it’s the eggs or larvae you need to watch out for. Adult cigarette beetles lay their eggs in pantry items. The larvae are a milky white color and look a bit worm-like. You’re likely to find them in cereal, pasta, pet food, and spices.
Drugstore Beetles are slightly bigger than cigarette beetles and are reddish-brown. They have oval-shaped bodies and antennae. Like cigarette beetles, they lay their eggs in pantry items, and will also lay them in non-food items like prescription drugs, books, and natural fibers such as wool.
Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles have three distinct sections: The head, thorax, and abdomen. The thorax has tooth-like projections along each side—giving the beetle its name. They are brown, grow to about 1/8 of an inch long, and are usually found in and eat grains, such as oats, wheat, and barley.
Indian Meal Moths grow to a ½ inch long. Their distinctive wings are a copper color on the bottom half, a lighter yellow-gray on the top half, and have a dark band separating the two colors. They too lay their eggs in pantry items such as flour, crackers, and chocolate. When the eggs hatch, the larvae spin silky threads throughout the food as they feed.
Why You Have Pantry Pests In Your Pompano Beach Home
Pantry pests often find their way into homes by being brought in with the groceries. For example, if you buy a bag of already infested flour, you’ll end up bringing the pests into your home. In the summer pantry pests can also get in from the outside through gaps around your windows or doors, or any holes or cracks in your siding. Although they’re not dangerous, pantry pests are a nuisance. They can cost you money by contaminating your food and causing you to have to throw it away. Luckily, Pest-Aside can help you rid your home of these pesky pantry pests.
How to Avoid Pantry Pests From Getting Into Your Pompano Beach Home
If you discover a pantry pest problem, it seems to appear out of nowhere. Fortunately, there are some preventative measures you can take to keep them out of your home. Firstly, always inspect the items you get at the grocery store before putting them in your cart. If a bag or box has a hole in it, even a small one, there’s a chance that pantry pests are inside. After bringing your groceries home, put pantry items in hard plastic or glass containers. Keep your pantry clean by wiping up spills regularly.
Additionally, to keep pantry pests from getting in from the outside, check the perimeter of your house and seal up any cracks, gaps, or holes that you find to make it difficult for them, and other pests, to get inside. If you have screens with tears, repair those too.
Contact The Experts At Pest-Aside For Fool-Proof Pantry Pest Protection
If you discover pantry pests in your house, contact the experts at Pest-Aside. Eliminating them can be tricky due to their proximity to food items—we do it safely and effectively. Furthermore, we will offer tips and tricks to help keep pantry pests out of your home in the future. If you're worried about pantry pests or already dealing with a pantry pest problem, reach out to us today! Or if you have questions about our commercial pest services, learn how we can help you keep you business free of pests.