Holiday Season Tips to Keep Unwanted Guests Out of the Pantry

Holiday music is already getting us all in the mood for gratitude and tasty food. Shoppers have been pulling recipes, making lists (and checking them twice), shopping the sales, and dreaming of the feasts to come. But people aren’t the only ones with hopes for feasting. Don’t let uninvited guests sabotage your pantry this holiday season.

Pests Ruin the Party

Finding larvae as you’re sifting flour is an experience every baker dreads. Many infestations begin where food products are sorted, packaged, and warehoused. Indian meal moths, grain beetles, rice weevils, flour beetles, and Angoumois grain moths are just a few of the common pests people find in their homes. Each pest has its preferred food – dried fruit, oatmeal, barley, wheat flour, nuts, chocolate, powdered milk, dried peppers, baking mixes, pasta, cookies, rice, spices, and so much more. Regardless of how and where pests find their way into packaged dry goods, no one wants to live with them or invite them to dinner.

Practice Good Sanitation and Storage Habits

Stored product pests are not a sign of poor housekeeping. You can prevent most infestations by closely inspecting packages before you buy them at the store. Once home, transfer foods into clean containers with tight seals. During deeper cleaning, be sure to vacuum shelves in the cupboards and pantry, wipe them down with soapy water, and rotate your pantry foods to keep anything from being forgotten in the back.

What To Do When Pests Outstay Their Welcome

Sometimes even the best cleaning habits and storage solutions fail. When that happens, it unfortunately becomes time to throw out the infested product, search for any remaining larvae or pupae and vacuum them up.

Pest Favorites

  • Dried fruits
  • Seeds
  • Grains
  • Nuts
  • Cereal
  • Rice
  • Chocolate
  • Dog food
  • Powdered milk
  • Candies
  • Dried peppers
  • Spices

Enjoy Your Holidays

We wish you the best at all your holiday festivities. While we can’t help with your human guest issues, we are always more than happy to help with your pest issues. For more information on Arizona Organic Pest & Termite Control’s organic approach or for a service appointment, please call us today.