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If there’s one place you don’t want to find bugs in your West Chester home, it’s the pantry and cupboards – but that’s exactly where pantry pests like to live. For local residents, you’re most likely to run into the following kinds of pantry pests around your West Chester property:
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Indian meal-moths: As one of the most common pantry pests you can encounter in your cupboards, Indian meal-moths have wings, gray to bronze coloring, and a short life cycle.
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Cigarette beetles: With oval-shaped bodies and light to brown coloring, cigarette beetles may be attracted to light, and they’re not shy about contaminating your home.
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Saw-toothed beetles: With flat, long, and narrow bodies, saw-toothed beetles get their name from the six, saw-like projections that protrude from their thorax.
Pantry pests can cause a lot of trouble in your home, so here’s what West Chester homeowners should know about how these infestations start, how you can prevent them, and what to do if you’re already in the midst of a pantry pest problem.
How Do Pantry Pest Infestations Start?
Unfortunately, most pantry pests get into your home by accident. These critters will wiggle their way into packaged food products, like cereal, grains, or pasta, while these items are still at the grocery store or warehouse. In some cases, pantry pests can also enter your home manually through open doors or windows.
Pantry pests are most known for laying their eggs inside packaged food items. What may start as one or two bugs can quickly spiral into a full-blown infestation. Left untreated, pantry pests will continue laying eggs in your packaged goods until they’ve contaminated everything.
How To Prevent Pantry Pests
While pantry pest infestations aren’t always easy to prevent, here’s what you can do to lower the risk of dealing with these critters:
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Inspect packaged food items at the grocery store for tiny holes, openings, or other damage before you purchase them.
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Make sure you’re keeping dry pantry goods in sealed, airtight containers since larvae can chew through paper and cardboard packages.
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Don’t combine old packaged food with new packaged food unless you’ve completely inspected it for pantry pests.
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Clean out old containers and packages with soap and water before you place new food products inside.
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Don’t leave windows or doors open as pantry pests may crawl or fly into your home and lay their eggs.
How To Deal With Pantry Pests In West Chester
Finding pantry pests is never a pleasant sight, especially since it can mean having to throw out some of your favorite foods. Once they’ve gotten inside pantries and cupboards, these critters can be stubborn about leaving. The best way to get rid of pantry pests is with professional residential pest control from Moyer Pest Control.
If you’ve discovered contaminated food in your West Chester home or have other reason to suspect you’ve got pantry pests, there’s no reason to wait. Call us today at Moyer Pest Control to get advice about preventing pantry pests or to learn more about our pantry pest control services.
