Most homeowners know that if you leave food out in your home, it can attract insects. However, some pests will try to get your food even if you think it is properly stored away. A few different pantry pests in Colorado Springs are known to bother some homeowners all year long.
Pantry pests are more than just a nuisance. If they invade your food storage areas, they can contaminate and ruin your food. At High Country pest control, we know how to get rid of pantry pests in Colorado Springs quickly. Here is a closer look at how our pantry pest exterminators identify and eliminate these bothersome bugs.
Pantry Pest Damage: How They Ruin Stored Food
Grain beetles are one of the most common pantry pests that people find in their homes. They are small bugs that usually only measure 1/16 inch long and have flat and thin bodies. They like to eat various dry food products, including cereal, grains, pasta flour, and even pet food. They aren't known to spread any diseases, but they can contaminate the food with their bodily waste and cause the food to spoil and turn rancid.
Indian meal moths are another common pantry pest. Adult meal moths usually measure 5/8 inch long and have reddish-brown and white wings. When the meal moth is in the larva stage, it looks like a small worm 1/2 inch long and has a cream-colored body. Like grain beetles, meal moths are also not known to spread diseases. However, they, too, can contaminate various dry foods. The adult moth will usually lay its eggs inside of the dry food. Once the egg hatches, the larva will consume the food until it is large enough to enter the pupa stage. If you see food contaminated by Indian meal moths, you will likely find eggs, larvae, and silk webbing produced by the larva.
If you find these things, you should contact a pest extermination company specializing in pantry moth pest control.
Sealing The Deal: How To Properly Store Food To Deter Pantry Pests
These tiny pests can usually sneak into your home and food storage areas without being detected. If you want to reduce your chances of having these bugs contaminate your dry food, our pantry pest removal experts recommend trying the following:
Use door sweeps or weather stripping to seal off any gaps around your pantry door.
Store all opened food in an airtight container.
Make sure to rotate the food in your pantry to use the oldest food first and the newest food eaten last.
Make sure that there are no holes or rips in any of the food packages.
If you cannot find a proper storage container for some of your open items, like bags of nuts or rice, consider storing them in the freezer or refrigerator; this will help ensure the food in your home is not attracting pests. A pantry pest infestation is easier to prevent than it is to treat.
Professional Pantry Pest Control: When To Call The Experts
Because these pests invade your food storage areas, you should always consult a Colorado Springs home pest control expert to find the safest and most effective elimination strategy. At High Country Pest Control, we know the best way to safely eradicate these pests for good. Give us a call today.