Insects infesting stored foods – such as flour, cereal, pasta, and other dried goods – present one of the most common household insect problems. They won’t bite you or your pets, but they do contaminate food.
Most dried food products can be infested. In addition to those mentioned above, pantry pests like cake mix, cornmeal, crackers, cookies, dry beans, popcorn, nuts, chocolate, dried fruits, spices, powdered milk, tea, cured meat, birdseed, dry pet food, dried flowers and plants, garden seeds, and potpourri. Often the packaging in which the food comes from the store is inadequate to protect the food from pantry pests. They can eat or worm their way through unopened paper, thin cardboard, plastic, foil and cellophane packaging. The longer a food is in storage, the more likely it is that a pest has made a home in it.
The best way to deal with pantry pests once you find an infestation is get rid of contaminated food and thoroughly clean the area where the pests were found. Discard old food products as well. If you are not sure if a food is infested, freeze it for four days or put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 130 degrees – that will kill eggs and any insects themselves.
Insecticides are NOT recommended for pantry pests – they won’t affect the pests inside a package, and you don’t want to eat a pesticide. You can use sticky traps – like for pantry moths.
Prevention: When you bring a product prone to pest infestation home from the grocery, store it in sturdy closed container, such as heavy plastic, metal or glass. You can also freeze your fresh food or decorative item – like an herb wreath you want to keep.
I’d also like to mention a pantry pest that gardeners might find: gnats. These little beasties might come into our house from soil we bring in with vegetables or flowers. I participate in Plant a Row for the Hungry, wash copious amounts of vegetables in my kitchen every week, and the gnats show up from time to time. There are sticky traps that plug in for these, with a light to attract the gnats. You can also place a jar or dish of apple cider vinegar with several drops of dish soap out for them. They are attracted to the cider, but trapped by the soap. A little added honey can entice them into the liquid fast.
More information:
Pantry Pests, UC Integrated Pest Management Program
Fungus Gnats, UC Integrated Pest Management Program
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Written by UC Master Gardener/UC Master Food Preserver Sherril Nell Wells.