If you’re like us, the fall weather sends you into the kitchen, creating fall dishes inspired by the season. Pumpkin muffins, apple bread and crock pot soups, stews and chili are all things we’re craving this fall. But when you open the pantry doors and an Indian meal moth flies out, you’ll be surprised how quickly your appetite fades.
Dealing with pantry pests like these can really take the wind out of your sails, so the New England pest control professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions would like to offer you a few tips on how to get rid of Indian meal moths and ways to protect your food stores from invading pantry pests this fall.
- Be careful what you bring home! When you buy food at the grocery store, double check to make sure the packaging is undamaged. If the packaging is clear, examine the contents to make sure you don’t see anything suspect. In food that is contaminated with the saw toothed grain beetle or other pantry pests, you may see their bodies in the contents of the bag.
- Purchasing large quantities of products that sit for long periods can be an invitation for pantry pests. Don’t leave grain products sitting in your pantry for extended periods and always use up old product before you open a new product. Never mix old and new products to avoid contaminating a new product with any pests that may be present.
- Minimize invasions of pantry pests from the outside of your home; install screens on doors and windows that are intact and free of rips and tears. Seal up any areas around the home that are open to the elements.
- Store all non-refrigerated foods in plastic or glass containers with tight fitting lids. Don’t forget about pet food; pantry pests and other insects (as well as rodents) may easily tear a hole into soft packaging, so these food items should be stored in airtight containers as well.
- If you should find Indian meal moths or other pantry pests inside packaged food in your cupboard, immediately seal up the package and move it to the freezer. This will halt any future activity inside the bag so that later on you can remove the package and place it in a trash bin outside the home.
- Keep your kitchen as well as your food storage area cool and dry. Reduce moisture build up in the areas by using packets of silica gel on pantry shelves and using a dehumidifier when necessary.
- Clean shelves inside your pantry regularly, paying close attention to the underside of shelves. By doing this you can locate any pantry pest infestations as well as eliminate crumbs and spills that may attract these pests as well as rodents and other home invaders.
Following all of these tips should help keep your home pantry pest-free this fall so that you can be free to get back to baking; just be sure to share some with us! Or at least share the recipe with us on Facebook, so we can drool over your fall treats!
If you are looking for pest control in RI, look no further than the professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions. Our professionals have been providing pest control in our service area since 1935 and we will be happy to provide you with a thorough inspection and effective treatments to completely eliminate the pests that are bothering you. For services in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, call Big Blue Bug Solutions today!