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IDENTIFYING PANTRY PESTS

merchant grain beetle

IDENTIFYING PANTRY PESTS

Holiday time in the Las Vegas is when a lot of family members gather to make baked goods and other goodies. Whether you are in Anthem or Summerlin the fun is ruined if you open up a bag of flour to find it has been taken over by pantry pests.

These pests tend to gather around food stored in pantries and cupboards such as grains, dry cereals, spices, candies and chocolate. They breed quickly and that can lead to infestations – and if not treated quickly can get out of control.

Making sure you don’t have pests in the first place is important to preserving kitchen ingredients – here are a few tips to help ensure a pest free pantry.

Merchant Grain Beetles

Merchant grain beetles are found throughout the United States and found year-round in pantries, food processing areas and warehouses where any accessible food can quickly become their feast. Despite their name, merchant grain beetles prefer cereals, cake mixes, macaroni, cookies and chocolate to grains. They can

quickly take over food products and contaminate them. Their body shape allows them to crawl in to packaging where they eat, live and reproduce, allowing infestations to grow quickly.

Prevention tip: Add one bay leaf to canisters and packages of dry goods - the herb's scent repels many pests.

Indian Meal Moths

Indian meal moths are found throughout the United States and are attracted to light and any area that you store food including pantries and cabinets. They prefer dried fruits and vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, chocolate, candies, pet food and powdered milk.

Prevention tip: Always store food in thick plastic or glass containers with airtight, secure lids to keep Indian meal moths from sneaking their way inside.

If you see either of these invasive species contact a licensed professional pest control company as these pests are extremely hard to deal with on your own.

GLOBAL PEST SERVICES in Las Vegas is a licensed pest control company that is qualified to handle all your pest elimination needs Call our office at 702-657-0091 or go to our web site- to speak with us for all your pest control needs.  Get a quote now!

Let us know what’s bugging you….