What To Do About Pantry Pests In Texas

Whether you cook in your home, or run a 5 star restaurant, this blog is for you. Pantry pest prevention is simple: seal pests from entering the areas where you keep your food, protect your food, and don’t carry pests in. If you follow these three basic rules, you won’t have to worry about beetles, weevils, moths, and other food infesting bugs.

Seal pests from entering the areas where you keep your food.

The best way to keep pests out, is to seal your food storage areas. Here are some ways you can accomplish this.

• Use a caulking gun to seal up holes in your pantry walls.
• Seal the exterior walls of your home or business. Use a caulking gun to fill in rotted holes, and seal up gaps around air conditioning units, pipes, outlets, and fixtures.
• Have a pest professional treat your exterior walls and perimeter, to create a chemical barrier.
• Inspect all screens, weather stripping, and door sweeps.

Protect your food.

• Keep pantry items in hard plastic containers. Cockroaches and other insects can chew through paper and cardboard. Plastic also keeps the smell of food from luring insects in through your walls.
• Keep things dry. Many insects prefer moist, dank areas. Use a fan or dehumidifier to keep your food storage areas well ventilated and free of moisture.
• Keep the door closed. Many pantry pests can fly. Keeping the door closed can deter many pests.
• Put a door sweep on the bottom of your pantry door.
• Use wire shelves, instead of wood shelving.
• Checking expiration dates, and throwing out expired food, will protect all of your food from insect invasion.
• Make sure to always rotate your food, eating the oldest food first.
• If you plan on keeping an item for longer than the expiration date, refrigerate the item.

Don’t carry pests in.

• Always check food packaging thoroughly before purchasing pantry items from a store. Bugs can get in through tiny rips and tears.
• If you have food delivered, take all the items out of the bags. Don’t bring delivery bags into food storage areas. They may have hitchhikers.
• Check expiration dates on all food items. Don’t trust expired items, even if you don’t see bugs. The eggs of many insects are invisible to the naked eye. Most often you’ll see webbing, before you’ll see insect activity.

Protecting your food from pantry infesting bugs is simple, if you work with a pest management company. They will outline goals and objectives, and give you treatment options specific to your needs. Take the stress and hassle out of pantry protection. Get plugged into a professional pest control treatment plan today by contacting Holder’s.