What Are the Bugs in My Pantry? How to Get Rid of Them

What Attracts Bugs to the Pantry?

If certain things have attracted bugs to your pantry, it can be almost nightmarish to open your cabinet or doors to your pantry and see insects scattering. Some can fly, others may only crawl. Either way, it’s an unsettling and often frustrating sight.

There are a few reasons you may see bugs in your pantry, including:

• Unsealed or Poorly Sealed Food Containers

Unsealed or poorly sealed containers of food are one of the biggest culprits that attract insects to your pantry. Bugs like ants, moths, roaches, beetles, spiders, and other creepy crawlies can find food sources by following the scent released from the opened package. Even if you keep your pantry doors closed, these insects and arachnids are small enough to squeeze through even ultra-tight spaces to get to the food, begin feasting and contaminating, and lay eggs to produce even more insects in your pantry.

• The Environment of the Pantry

In addition to open and poorly sealed food items in a pantry, the pantry’s environment can also attract insects. Bugs like warm, dark environments. Add a little moisture to the area, and they’ll be happy. But even if your pantry doesn’t have excessive moisture, as long as it’s comfortable and dark for the most part, insects can easily settle in and start contaminating what’s available.

What Types of Bugs Are in My Pantry?

Weevils on grains of riceIt’s possible to find a variety of insects and other critters in your pantry, including:

• Moths
  Moths, particularly the Indianmeal moth, enjoy a good snack whenever there’s one to find in the pantry. The Indianmeal moth will eat a range of food items that are everyday staples in the pantry, like grains, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, chocolates, candies, and even dog food.
  
  
• Beetles
  From flour beetles and grain beetles to cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, and others, these insects will make their way into the pantry if they have a reason to enter. Beetles like a variety of options, including flour, rice, oats, nuts, seeds, pastas, dried fruits, chocolate, certain spices, and more.

• Weevils
  The weevil is a very common pantry pest, particularly the rice weevil, grain weevil, and maize weevil. These insects feast on items similar to those the other insects enjoy, including rice, grains, oats, flour, dried corn, cereal, nuts, dried beans, seeds, pasta, and more.
  
  
• Cockroach
  Saving the most notorious for last, the cockroach is a kitchen menace that will infiltrate and contaminate a pantry quickly if you’re not careful. Roaches are scavengers who enjoy nearly anything, including bread, pasta, cereals, candies, chocolates, pure sugar, dried meats, and the list goes on. Cockroaches are highly attracted to sugar and sugary items, so be extra careful when sealing items that contain sugar.

How to Get Rid of Bugs in the Pantry

There are a few things you need to do if you have bugs in your pantry.

#1. Clear Your Pantry and Inspect Your Containers

Remove everything from the pantry and thoroughly inspect all opened containers. When you see evidence of an infestation in any of your opened or poorly sealed containers, throw the item away or clean the container out.

Insects often lay eggs in the food container, so holding on to open containers could mean:

• Eating contaminated food
• Leaving insect eggs in your pantry to hatch

#2. Do a Thorough Cleaning of Your Pantry

Wipe down shelves, vacuum out loose food items, and thoroughly clean your pantry. The goal is to:

• Remove all food items or particles that could attract bugs back to the area
• Kill any eggs that may be lying around on the floor or shelves

#3. Perform One More Check of the Food You Plan to Keep

To be sure that the food you plan to hold on to is free of insects or insect eggs, perform one more good check. You’d rather be safe than sorry about bringing bugs back into your pantry or consuming contaminated items.

You also want to make sure whatever goes back in the pantry is sealed up and stays well-sealed until it is emptied and replaced.

#4. Add Deterrents to Your Pantry

Insects do not like the scent of certain items, including:

• Bay leaves
• Cinnamon sticks
• Garlic cloves
• Peppermint oil

Some ways to use these can include:

• Placing bay leaves or cinnamon sticks in containers filled with rice, grains, oats, or flour.
• Leaving bulbs of garlic on your pantry shelves.
• Sprinkling ground cinnamon around your pantry shelves and floor.
• Leaving a bowl of essential oil out on the shelf.

#5. Call a Professional Exterminator Like Those at Bizzy Bee Exterminators

The pros at Bizzy Bee have the solutions you need to prevent insects from making it into your home and infesting your pantry. With targeted solutions that deter insects from your home and kitchen, we can help shield your pantry from unwanted and unwelcome pests.

If you’re worried that bugs are in your pantry, contact Bizzy Bee Exterminators about our pest control services.

We offer the pest control you need to keep bugs away from your kitchen or pantry for good.

Call us for pest control today: 1-800-273-4958