With the holidays right around the corner, it’s officially baking season! Before you dig through your bags of flour and grains, it’s important to know about controlling and preventing pantry pests. Several types of beetles and insects are known to raid pantries and infest flour, cake mixes, grains, nuts, and more.

If you’ve ever had a stored product pest infestation, you know how gross it can be. Keep reading to learn Ehrlich Pest Control, formerly Connor’s top tips for controlling and preventing pantry pests in your Virginia home.

Preventing Pantry Pests

Pantry pests include ants, weevils, pillbugs, silverfish, Indianmeal moths, confused flour beetles, and more. All of these pests prefer to infest different items but typically target dry goods. They can be found in all stages of life (egg, larva, pupa, and adult).

For preventing pantry pests throughout the year, there are a number of things you can do:

• Properly store pantry items: Store dry goods and baking ingredients in airtight containers to keep pests out.
• Use bay leaves: Place a bay leaf inside canisters of dry goods like flour, rice, and other grains to repel pantry pests.
• Inspect your groceries: At the grocery store, be wary of buying items that appear damaged or used.
• Check for expiration dates: Regularly look through your pantry and toss any expired items.
• Keep a clean kitchen: Promptly clean up spills or messes to avoid attracting pests. Clean out your pantry on a regular basis.

How to Control Pantry Pests

If you pull out your bag of flour or grains and come across evidence of an infestation, there’s no reason to panic. In order to control the pantry pest infestation, implement the following steps:

1. Throw out all infested food items outdoors in a secure trash can.
2. Pull out all items from your pantry and inspect everything for larvae or adult insects.
3. Thoroughly wipe down and clean your pantry shelves.
4. Re-stock everything, ensuring that all items are properly sealed and secured.

Pantry Pest Extermination

Dealing with a pest infestation can be overwhelming, especially when they’ve invaded your food! Anyone who’s had a pantry pest problem knows how frustrating they can be. For expert help controlling an active infestation or to learn more about preventing pantry pests, give the team at Ehrlich Pest Control, formerly Connor’s a call today!