How to Prevent Pantry Pests

One of the most common pest problems is a pantry beetle infestation! Far too many people have experienced the horror of digging through their pantries only to discover pests in their dried goods. These insects are known to infest flour, cake mixes, grains, sugar, and more, and it’s easy for them to do so when you don’t store your dry goods properly. To avoid the frustration of an infestation, it’s important to learn how to prevent pantry pests in the first place.

Keep reading to learn tips from the experts at The Bug Man to keep these pesky insects out of your Central TN property year-round.

What Causes Pantry Pests?

Discovering pantry pests will likely lead you to wonder how you got them in the first place. Infestations commonly result from either infested grains or infested processed products that are introduced into the home, storage facility, or processing plant. Most people bring pantry beetles into homes in infested food items. While rare, pantry bugs can also get indoors through open windows or cracks around your doors.

6 Tips to Prevent Pantry Pests

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

1. Properly store pantry items. Store dry goods and baking ingredients in airtight containers to keep pests out.
2. Use bay leaves. Place a bay leaf inside canisters of dry goods like flour, rice, and other grains to repel pantry beetles.
3. Inspect your groceries. At the grocery store, be wary of buying items that appear damaged or used.
4. Check for expiration dates. Regularly look through your pantry and toss any expired items.
5. Keep a clean kitchen. Promptly clean up spills or messes to avoid attracting beetles. Clean out your pantry on a regular basis.
6. Properly store seasonal items. Dried foliage, Indian corn, and other seasonal items should be kept in sealed containers while not in use throughout the year.

Long-Term Pantry Pest Prevention

If you’ve done all you can to implement pantry beetle prevention and still end up with an infestation, it’s important to act fast. Once the infestation has been taken care of, a professional pantry pest exterminator such as The Bug Man can help you learn how to prevent pantry pests for good.