Q. I was cleaning out my pantry and discovered that many items have been infested with bugs. Where do they come from, and how can I make sure that they don’t come back?
Cleaning out the cabinets can be a journey of discovery, but some of the things you discover can be pretty gross.
There are two different types of pantry pests – Indian meal moths and a wide variety of beetles. Meal moths (Lepidoptera) are less than ½ inch long. The female lays her eggs on almost any type of food she can find: cereal, grain, cornmeal, rice, dried fruit, dried vegetables, nuts, candy, baking chocolate, or any kind of sweets. Within a few days, the larvae emerge and spin fine webbing as they eat their way through your food. Sometimes you may see the webbing before noticing the ½ inch larvae. Eventually, the larvae spin a cocoon and, a few weeks later, emerge as adult moths. Once the moth appears, it can fly to other areas of the house and infest more food. If you see pantry moths in one area, you’ll want to inspect everywhere food is stored.
Although there are only one species of food-infesting moth, there are many different species of pantry beetles. If you’re interested in identifying exactly which type of beetle is living in your Cheerios, you can go to this website https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7452.html
If you’re like me, you just want to know how to get rid of them and prevent them from reappearing.
As soon as you detect an infestation, promptly remove and discard any contaminated foodstuff. Take it straight to the outdoor trash container. Don’t dump it out into the inside trash since this will spread the problem. Carefully inspect every food item and discard anything even remotely suspicious. Don’t even think about eating food that might be contaminated! Pantry pests not only ruin food with their bodies, they also can shed tiny hairs that can irritate the digestive tract. Food also becomes contaminated with frass (insect poop), secretions, webbing, and bacteria. Insects can also introduce toxin-producing fungi.
Once you’ve ruthlessly purged your pantry and/or cabinets, thoroughly vacuum every inch, paying close attention to corners and crevices. After vacuuming, wash everything (shelves, walls, containers) with an all-purpose cleaner/disinfectant and allow to dry. When restocking, keep food in airtight containers. If possible, store grains in the refrigerator or freezer. Pheromone traps can be useful for monitoring for re-infestation, but they may not work for all types of pests. Vigilance is important since pests can live without food for many weeks.
Avoid recurrence by making sure all food is kept in sealed containers. If purchasing food from bulk bins, only buy what you’ll use within a short period of time. Keep grains, particularly whole grains, in the freezer. When refilling containers, don’t add new on top of old. Clean empty containers with hot water and soap before refilling.
Los Angeles County
[email protected]; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
[email protected]; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
[email protected]; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
[email protected]; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
