With the attraction of your pantry, there are a few expected pests, such as rodents, ants, and cockroaches to name a few. There are, however, a few pests that most do not realize is a problem until it is a big problem. Most of these less than obvious infestations, however, actually originate from your food packaging. With this in mind, we at A-Tex Pest Management would like to touch on a few of these common pantry pests for your awareness.
Stored Food Pests
Little pests are attracted to the common food staples found in most pantries, such as grains, flours, cereals, dried fruits, chocolates, herbs, spices, and other examples. Before developing into a nauseating moth, beetle, and/or weevil infestation, these tiny pests devour your food supply and reproduce. Though moths can easily be engaging in the cereals and flours, typically, it is the weevils that are discovered contaminating these foods. The moths are more attracted to the dry pet food varieties in addition to dried fruits and chocolates. The flours, pasta, and cereals are liked by the saw-toothed grain beetles. Preferring the plant matter, like herbs and spices, the Cigarette beetles and/or drugstore beetles make an appearance from time to time.
How Do Pantry Bugs Get in Kitchen Cupboards
Usually, these pantry pests initially contaminate the packaged storage food supply before getting to your home. They often originally contaminate the various foods at processing plants, or the warehouse, delivery vehicles, and on some occasions, the retail stores. When pantry bugs get into your home, the infestation takes off. The longer these packaged foods rest at these various locations, the infestation probability increases.
Pantry Pest Life Cycle
During the maturity through their life, the beetles and moths endure 4 stages in their life cycles including egg, larva, pupa, and adult. At any of these stages, they can already be in the food. However, it is more common that the eggs are contaminated with the food and often go unnoticed due to their size. When they eventually evolve into the hatched larvae and grow, is when they become more noticeable.
Examples of Pantry Pests
Though not limited to the list below, you will find common examples of pantry pests and the foods they are drawn to.
(Plodia interpunctella) Indian Meal Moth: Candies, dried red peppers, seeds, dried fruits, powdered milk, dry pet food, meal, cracked corn, grains and grain products, crackers, and nuts.
(Sitophilus zeamais) Maize Weevil: Birdseed, caked meal, millet, rye, rice, corn, beans, and whole grains
(Sitophilus granaries) Granary Weevil: Caked meal, whole grains, rye, birdseed, rice, corn, beans, and millet.
(Stegobium paniceum) Drugstore Beetle: Spices, pepper, meal, flour, cereals, and dry pet foods.
(Tribolium castaneum) Red Flour Beetle: Meal, cereal, and flour.
(Tribolium confusum) Confused Flour Beetle: Cereals, flour, and meal.
(Oryzaephilus Mercator) Merchant Grain Beetle: Nuts, cereals, pasta, flour, meal, seed dust, and cracked seeds.
(Oryzaephilus surinamensis) Saw-toothed Grain Beetle: Flour, meal, cereals, pasta, cracked seeds, nuts, and seed dust.
(Lasioderma serricorne) Cigarette Beetle: Raisins, rice, dried flower, pepper, ginger, seeds, dates, spices, and other dried botanicals.
(Sitophilus oryzae) Rice Weevil: Beans, corn, grains, millet, whole rice, rye, caked meal, and birdseed.
Pantry Pest Inspections, Control, Removal & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
If you find your pantry has been infested with these unwelcomed pests, call A-Tex Pest Management and let our professionals assist you in eliminating pantry bugs, moths and beetles from your home.