Pantry Pests: Contaminating Food Sources
When pests like beetles, moths, and weevils infest dried food products in pantries and kitchen cupboards, it can lead to serious contamination issues. These insects are collectively referred to as pantry pests.
Common pantry pest species include Indian meal moths, saw-toothed grain beetles, cigarette beetles, flour beetles, drugstore beetles, and granary weevils. While they vary somewhat in size and appearance, they all feed on and reproduce in dried goods like grains, cereals, pasta, nuts, spices, pet foods, and more.
The larvae and adults of pantry pests leave behind webbing, excrement, and shed skins as they consume and develop inside food packages. This can ruin entire food stores, making them unsafe to eat even if infestation isn't visible.
Signs of Pantry Pest Activity
Finding small moths flying around the kitchen or pantry
Discovering webbing or cocoons in dry goods or corners
Noticing small beetles or weevils in food packages
Seeing tiny holes chewed in cardboard, plastic, and product bags
Eliminating Pantry Pests Safely
Even just a few pantry pests typically mean a larger, hidden infestation is already underway in areas you can't easily see or inspect. Trying to control them yourself rarely provides lasting results.
Effective Pest Management utilizes professional treatments and methods to eliminate pantry pest infestations. Our process includes:
Thorough inspection to identify the specific pest and breeding sources
Application of residual insecticides along surfaces, entry points, crevices
Disposal of heavily infested dry goods to remove the infestation source
Comprehensive cleaning and vacuuming of all shelves and accessible areas
Monitoring and re-treatment as needed to break continuing life cycles
Prevention advice on proper storage and exclusion techniques
Get in touch
Have a pest infestation, need a comprehensive maintenance program,
or concerned about the proper use of products?
Call +1-203-749-0863 or email [email protected]
to schedule your professional residential or commercial pest inspection.