Pests in the Pantry and how to deal them without a panic attack

Finding pests in the pantry might bother us, but we shouldn’t be surprised – they’re eating the same things we are. And after all, our kitchens are warm, provide food, water and shelter so are the perfect neighbourhood for mice, cockroaches, ants, weevils, beetles, meal moths and so on. When we choose organic food, you’re likely to find more than your fair share of pantry pests since you’re buying won’t have been fumigated during any part of its processing or storage.

There are, however, some simple, natural pest control measures to keep those little critters away.

Some creatures, such as cockroaches, ants and mice may venture in from the great outdoors; others, such as meal moths, weevils and a few of the tiny beetles, whilst they can fly in through an open door, are usually brought home in an infested food product where they may or may not have hatched yet. They can be in the product at different stages of their lifecycle – egg, larvae, pupa or adult – and can easily multiply and spread to other foods in your kitchen.

While rodents or rodent waste are hard to miss – as are the long lines of ants to the honey pot – meal moths and weevils are usually evidenced by their cocoons or webbing and tiny worms, moths or small brown beetles can be found in the food itself.

WHAT TO DO
1 Store all dried foods in airtight, pest-proof containers preferably tight fitting screw top glass or metal containers. This will prevent escape or entry of insects. Ideally, do this as soon as you bring a susceptible product home such as any grain, cereal, flour, nut or seed. It’s best to store these high-risk items in a cool dark place. In summer, refrigerate or even freeze new stock

2 Always use older stock before the newly-bought. If you discover any of these pests in your pantry, it is important to identify the pest and locate the source as soon as possible.

3 Give your cupboards and kitchen a big regular clean out; wipe shelves, cupboard doors and benchtops with warm soapy water; vacuum out cupboards paying particular attention to the cracks and corners then throw out the vacuum cleaner bag to prevent re-infestation.

4 Check the toaster, microwave and stove for any crumbs and clean them away. Mice are known to collect a food supply, often dry pet food and hoard them in walls, behind cupboards or appliances, which can make locating an infestation difficult at times.

5 Closely examine all food products in your pantry. Common pests can get into cardboard, paper and plastic wrapping so examine all items thoroughly and implement some simple, natural pest control measures. For rodents, sadly traps or baits are best if you want them out. If you come across an ant trail, first find where it leads (usually something sweet) and follow step 1. If it’s honey or some such you could either stand the jar in water or put it in the fridge. The ants should move on; if not you could try something that kills them, such as borax-based Ant-Rid, which is a simple and effective treatment. But you could learn to live with them, too.

6 If you come across any moths, weevils and tiny beetles in a product, place it double wrapped in plastic and sealed tightly in the freezer for 5-7 days or if appropriate heated to 60°C in the oven for an hour. And then pick them out! Pantry Moth Traps are very effective in detecting an Indian Meal Moth infestation, are safe to use around food. They work by emitting a synthesised female sex hormone that lures the male moths within a three-metre radius to the sticky trap. Each trap lasts up to three months and whilst only attracting male moths, it helps reduce much of the population. Alfalfa sells both pantry moth traps and clothes moth traps.

7 Tape a dried bay leaf inside the lid of the jar; it’s a tried and true method.

8 In general, keep all food well-sealed, including pet food. Ensure your compost bucket has a tight-fitting lid; take your garbage out regularly; and ensure all bottles, cans and wrapping that have food in or on them are washed out before storing for recycling.

SOURCE Courtesy of Honest to Goodness and originally appeared at www.goodness.com.au/natural-pest-contol-in-the-pantry.html