3 Ways to Get Rid of Pantry Pests

Pantry pests can be a massive problem for some homeowners. These insects typically include beetles and moths, such as the flour beetle and Indian meal moth, that feed on food stored in your pantry. Unfortunately, not only do these small insects wreak havoc on your food store, but they also cause problems around your house. You may notice moths or beetles flying around, and that can be a significant nuisance! Of course, that’s when you want to know how to get rid of pantry pests!

Fortunately, there are a few ways to get rid of these pests. Here are five actionable tips you can try at home.

 

Throw Away Any Infested Food

Typically, your best bet with these pests isn’t to use insecticide or any strong chemicals but rather to eliminate the source of the problem. The flour in your pantry, for example, might be infested with beetles, and unless you get rid of that container, the infestation will continue to grow.

If you’re unsure if insects have gotten into your food, place a sample of it in a clear plastic bag. Over the next month or so, observe it. If you start to notice insects in the sample, then that’s a sign you’ll need to throw that food away.

Eliminating the food source is the most effective method for how to get rid of pantry pests.

Vacuum and Clean Your Pantry

Remove all food items from your pantry and clean it thoroughly. Get out the vacuum and use the suction from it to remove all dust, larvae, and bugs that you can find. Use wet paper towels or cloths to clean the pantry walls and shelves. Then, once they’re dry, you can put all the food items back.

Usually, you would do this after pulling all food items out for inspection. You don’t want to put anything back in that might cause the infestation to re-emerge!

After you vacuum, place the bag in a sealed plastic bag and immediately take it outside. You don’t want to leave the bag around the house, and somehow the bugs live to re-infest your pantry again!

Ensure You Store All Food in Airtight Containers

You should store all food in airtight containers to minimize the chance of pantry pests getting into it. You should also consider storing it in clear containers so that way you can see infestations if they happen to occur.

You don’t necessarily need to transfer the contents of your flour, sugar, or pasta to these containers. Even putting a clear air-locked bag (like a Ziploc) around the bag of flour or sugar would be enough so that the pests could not get at it. Of course, you need to keep that bag sealed at all times.

Prevention Is the Best Method

The best answer to the question of “how to get rid of pantry pests?” is almost always prevention. Even if you throw food out and clean, there might still be pantry pests lurking around in your home.

Prevention is the best method. Store your food in clear airtight containers, so these unwanted pests never have a chance to infest it in the first place!