Pantry Pests also called Stored Product Pests are usually brought into the home in an infested package of food. Bugs are usually not seen because they are small, especially in the egg and larval stages. There also may only be a couple in the food initially. Often the first sign of an Infestation can be Moths flying in the kitchen and out of the cupboards or Beetles in or near a package of food. These can be foods can be flour, cereal, dry pasta, dry pet food, powdered milk, corn starch, crackers, spices, breads and cereals to only name a few. There are many types of Pantry Pests. Two commons insects are Moths and Beetles. The most common Moth is the Indian Meal Moth. This Moth is easily recognized by the two tone coloring on its back. Beetles can be Warehouse Beetles, Sawtoothed Grain Beetles, Confused Flour Beetles, Drugstore Beetles and Cigarette Beetles. Adult Moths and Adult Beetles are easy to distinguish from one another, but the Pantry Pest Larvae are a little more difficult to identify.
Indian Meal Moths are a small Moth that feed on Stored Grains such as flour, pasta and rice as well as dog food, cat food and bird seed. The Larval Stage doing the damage to the food.
The adult is a Small Moth, about 3/8 inch long. The body color is a dirty gray on half the wing front half of the body and rusty brown or bronze color on the back half. The coloring makes Indian Meal Moths easy to Identify. The Larval Stage is usually cream colored with a dark brown head. The Pupa Stage is similar the the larval stage but wrapped in silk in an out of the way place.
There are a variety of Beetles that infest grains and other pantry items such as Warehouse Beetles, Sawtoothed Grain Beetles, Confused Flour Beetles, Drugstore Beetles, Weevils and Cigarette Beetles.
It is possible that Pantry Pests might introduce Microbes into the food that could produce Mycotoxins, especially if the food is stored in warm, humid conditions. No other known diseases are known with these Insects, but it is undesirable and may make food somewhat unpleasant to eat.
Signs of an Infestation can be the appearance of Small Moths or Tiny Beetles moving in and around Stored Food. Tiny pin holes in packaging, spider web like silk on the outside of packaging and in with the food, also damaged food is a sign.
They are most often brought into the home through Packaged Food Products that have already been infested. Many food stuffs may have an egg or two inside already and may take time to hatch and reproduce. For this reason it may not be a good idea to store grains long term.
Getting Rid of Pantry Pests can be difficult. They are small and their coloring may be similar to the food, making them difficult to see. Many of these Pests will crawl away or fly to another place to mate or Pupate. Identifying the source of the infestation and throwing away is the most important step. In my experience many items are missed when homeowners attempt control themselves. Don’t focus on the one infested item found, there may be more. Thoroughly clean the pantry selves and surrounding areas. If this doesn't work or they come back in a month or so, call Rob from Cobra Pest Control to help.