There is nothing worse than wanting to spend the afternoon baking and finding out all your flour has been infested by flour mites or weevils! Mites and weevils aren’t the only insects that can invade your food products. The most-common pantry pests are moths, ants, cockroaches and small beetles. Here are a few tips to help keep your food cupboard insect free.
Keep it clean
Crumbs and food spills are an open invitation for insects to come feast on your stored food. Wipe away food spills and crumbs immediately.
Avoid damaged or expired goods
Insects do not wait for food to arrive at your home. If a packet is damaged in the store, they will make themselves comfortable and start feasting. Properly check food stuff in-store to ensure there are no holes in the packaging.
Expiry date
The food you store in your cupboard or pantry will likely be a mixture of both perishable and nonperishable items. Check perishables regularly, including onions, potatoes, pastas, rice, coconut etc to ensure they’re still good. When food begins to spoil, it’s more likely to attract pests.
Natural deterrents
Cinnamon and bay leaves are known to repel common household pests. Sprinkle a line of cinnamon across the entry of your pantry or along your spice cabinet, and ants are not likely to cross it.. When you place dried bay leaves on your shelves, they can help to ward off bugs like ants, fleas, cockroaches and moths.
Proper storage practices
Always ensure that all food is stored in properly tightly sealed, crack-free containers. Store the containers at least 15cm away from the ground and 5cm from the wall. Insects can eat through plastic and cardboard, so even if a package has not been opened, it should still be stored in a container.
If however your food cupboards have been invaded by pests, contact Service Master.
Service Master will assess and quote on the best pest control solutions.
