Pantry Pests Identification & Prevention

Pantry pest problems occasionally start when an adult moth, beetle, or other pantry pest species finds its way in through an open window or door and invades food storage spaces. However, the more likely culprit behind a pantry pest problem on your property is purchasing food items already infested and then storing them in your pantry or kitchen.

Signs of infestations of pantry pests in food items like flours, grains, dried pastas, and other starchy items include damaged packaging, sticky webbing inside or outside food packaging, and all stages of pantry pests seen inside or outside of food items.

You most often find pantry pests in food pantries, which is how they get their name. However, they may also be found in food storage areas like cupboards, kitchens, and drawers, as they love dry, secluded, and food-filled areas.

Get rid of pantry pests the easy way by contacting Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first signs of these insects. With professional help, you can eliminate these pests at the source, saving you from continued food damage and prolonged pantry pest problems.

Contact us today for your free evaluation.

Stop pantry pest invasions in the future by following these expert prevention tips to keep this pest out:

• Utilize window and door screens, door sweeps, and weather stripping to fully protect interior areas from pantry pest invaders.
• Keep windows and doors closed when possible to keep pantry pests outside.
• Double-check items in grocery stores for signs of damaged packaging or pantry pest invasion before purchasing the item.
• Use airtight, sealable containers in food pantry areas to make it harder for pantry pests to reach food sources. These containers also ensure that an infestation doesn’t spread if you accidentally purchase an infested item.
• Clean food pantries often and use older items first to decrease your chances of an infestation starting unnoticed.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest today for more prevention advice or assistance in defeating a pantry pest infestation in your home.

“Pantry pest” refers to a category of insects that invade human structures and attack stored food, such as cereals, grains, spices, chocolates, flours, and other starchy items. These pests are most commonly moths or beetles, with specific pantry-invading species including the Indian meal moth, mealworms, saw-toothed grain beetle, and the cigarette beetle. 

DIY Pantry pest control products and pantry pest repellents often are hit or miss, making infestations of this pest problematic once they start up. It’s important to contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first sign of pantry pests to quickly eradicate these insects and rescue your food storage spaces from invasion.