When you’re ready to hit the kitchen to whip up some of your favorite baked goods for the holiday season, the last thing you want to discover is a cupboard full of bugs! Unfortunately, there are several species of insects that wreak havoc in homes, grocery stores, and food processing plants all over Wisconsin, breaking into and eating away at our stored dry foods. These are called “pantry pests,” a term encompassing many kinds of insects only related by their food preferences. Those who have dealt with pantry pests know how can difficult it can be to get rid of them entirely. To learn the best ways to prevent them from infesting your home to begin with, read on for advice from the Batzner Pest Control technicians!
Common Pantry Pests in Wisconsin
Learning more about the common types of pantry pests in Wisconsin will help you recognize the signs of an infestation early on. These are the most common pantry bugs in our area:
- Indian meal moth: These tiny moths love to eat and live in our stored flour, cereal, and cornmeal. They have a range of tan hues across the backs of their wings and produce yellowish larvae with pink heads.
- Cigarette beetle: At only 2 to 3 mm in length, these tiny beetles can be hard to catch. They have a dull brown color and are known to infest tobacco in addition to all sorts of dried food products.
- Drugstore beetle: These beetles are hard to tell apart from cigarette beetles, although they do have a slightly brighter coloration and thinner bodies. Drugstore beetles are sometimes called “bread beetles” for their love of infesting bread products.
- Weevil: Weevils are small brown insects with a distinctive snout. They commonly infest pantry products such as flour, pasta, rice, and nuts.
Some Tips for Preventing Pantry Pests
As is the case for avoiding many kinds of insects, the best pantry pest control starts with prevention. Working to stop infestations before they start will end up saving you time and money in the long run, as well as the hassle of pulling out your baking ingredients to find them teeming with pests. Here are some tips for keeping pantry pests out of your home:
- Inspect any food you purchase at the grocery store to ensure the packaging isn’t damaged.
- Don’t leave any food out in the open for too long.
- Keep your food stored and sealed in airtight containers.
- Keep your pantry closed as much as possible.
- Check around your home to ensure that your door and window screens are intact.
- Seal off any gaps or cracks that could provide pests entry points into your home.
Professional Help Preventing Pantry Pests
If you feel that you’re at the end of your rope trying to get pests out of your pantry, talk to your local pest control company about your problems. At Batzner Pest Control, we have seen every kind of pantry pest living in Wisconsin. We can safely remove them from your home and identify the reasons for their appearance, helping you avoid them in the future. Contact us today for a free quote!