Ever wander into your kitchen or pantry to pull out ingredients to do some baking or cooking, only to find that some of the ingredients you need have been compromised? Most likely you are experiencing pantry pests that have contaminated your stored-food products. The most common types of these pests in the Louisville area are psocids and Indian meal moths.
Psocids are small soft-bodied insects with long slender antennae. Some people call them booklice, due to their attraction to old musty books and shelves. They will eat all kinds of organic debris, pollen, grains, molds, and fungus. Indoors they invade bathrooms and kitchens and can be found in cereals and grains. They prefer dark, warm, moist places, including carpets and other furnishings.
Indian meal moths are the most common stored-food pest. They are small with wings that are partially covered in scales, which are copper or bronze coloring. The larvae of these pests are what causes the most damage and contamination. They are dirty white and about ½” in length and are covered in a tunnel-like silken case, which contains feces and other debris. When they feed, they leave a layer of silken webbing on the top of foods such as grains, corn meal, nuts, dried flowers, dry peppers, pet food, and bird seed. If your food has been tainted by these, or any other pests, it should not be consumed.
Every homeowner should know the warning signs pantry pests leave behind to avoid food contamination. These creatures live, die, and hatch eggs inside grocery items. You will need to inspect your kitchen and pantry on a regular basis because it only takes one female moth to start an infestation by laying several hundred eggs, possibly putting all of your groceries, packages, and food at risk. Some of these pests will come in from the outdoors, but some will already be inside your purchased products from the store, items such as dried fruit, peas, and beans, as well as nuts, flours, grains, crackers, and cereals.
Things to look for in your cabinets and food packaging:
- Small holes, rips, tears, or destroyed packaging
- Cocoon webbin
- Frass (pest feces)
- Live pests
- Eggs
- Carcasses
- Bad food odor or taste
- Mouth, throat, or stomach irritation from contaminated foods
Stored product pests should be dealt with by a professional in order to eradicate every single pantry pest plaguing your kitchen and pantry. For pest control in Louisville, contact Action Pest Control for more information. We can help you with all of your Louisville home pest control needs.