You should be aware of several types of pantry pests, including flour beetles, cigarette beetles, and drugstore beetles. You can identify each of these pests by the following features:
- Flour beetles are about 1/8th of an inch long, have shiny reddish-brown coloring, are flat, oval-shaped, and winged. This pest also has distinct antennae with three large segments at the end.
- Cigarette beetles are between 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch long, oval-shaped with antennae that look saw-like, light brown, and have a humped appearance.
- Drug store beetles are 1/10th to 1/8th of an inch long, dark or reddish-brown, and are similar looking to cigarette beetles, but have different antennae that end in three segments.
As a Plano resident, you should know what to do with grain beetles that may infest your food, how to prevent them, and how professionals can assist.
What To Do If You Have Grain Beetles
While these beetles are generally harmless and considered a nuisance pest, they can be a problem if they infest your food products. This is because they contaminate food with saliva and excrement, which can make people sick.
If you see signs of an infestation in your pantry and stored foods, you should dispose of them immediately outside. If you leave them in the inside trash, these pests could respread. They can also infest pet food, so be sure to inspect all open products to locate the source of the pest activity. This is essential to remove the infestation; eggs and larvae will continue to hatch and mature without doing this.
It might feel like there is no prevention of these beetles, but this isn’t the case. There are precautions you can take to keep them from infesting your pantry products.
How Grain Beetles Can Infest Pantries
We like to think that our pantries are a safe place to store food, and more often than not, they are as long as we keep them clean and remove any expired products. But the truth about pantry pests is that they usually infest because they arrive inside the products you purchase. When you buy food items infested with adult pests or eggs, they can spread to other products once put in the pantry.
Luckily, there are steps you can take to prevent pantry pests from taking over your home:
- Inspect food products for signs of damage before purchasing them.
- Store open food in air-tight containers.
- Regularly clean out your pantry and throw away expired items, wipe down shelves, and remove any food debris.
- Clean out containers before refilling them with new food, and don’t combine new and old food unless you have thoroughly inspected both.
- Place dry bay leaves in your pantry to deter pests; cinnamon can also deter pests.
If you have problems with pantry pests and can’t seem to eliminate an active infestation, you should seek professional expertise.
How Professionals Can Help With Grain Beetles
The best way to deal with pantry beetle infestations is with professional assistance. If you live in Plano, Texas, you should contact the pest experts at All-Safe Pest & Termite. Our technicians are knowledgeable and trained for all the pests you might find in your pantry. Using the latest and most effective home pest control products and methods, we will ensure that your home is a pest-free environment, keeping you and your family safe.
Don’t hesitate to call us at All-Safe Pest & Termite to learn more about the services we offer and how you can get started with a pest control plan that works for your home and budget.