Wheat Ridge homeowners can relate to this scenario all too well. Now imagine you grab a bag of flour or a box of cereal only to discover tiny bugs crawling around in it. The issue with pantry pests has gotten out of hand in houses around this Jefferson County community, and it is no longer just about poor housekeeping.
With agricultural areas not far from the city, along with Colorado’s ideal semi-arid climate and temperature changes, the conditions are ideal for those unwanted pests to thrive. Numerous residents do not realize there are infestations until the vermin have burrowed deep into their kitchen storage cabinets.
Although it can be enticing to try to get rid of pests through Do-It-Yourself (DIY) methods, managing pantry pests effectively often requires an understanding of their behavior and lifecycle, which is something that professional pest control services are well-equipped to provide. Through them, you can keep your home pest free in Wheat Ridge.
Common Pantry Pests In Wheat Ridge
Some of the most common kinds of pantry invaders found in Wheat Ridge homes are:
- Indian Meal Moths – These are smaller brownish moths that leave behind webbing when they infest your food containers
- Flour Beetles — reddish-brown beetles which infest grains and cereals
- Weevils ― Rice and grain weevils having long noses
- Cigarette beetles – Round shape, brown, damaging dried goods
- Sawtoothed Grain Beetles – Flat brown beetles with jagged sides
These pests are indiscriminate, willing to invade your organic quinoa just as quickly as they will that old bag of birdseed in the garage. They breed so rapidly when they get into your pantry that it becomes an infestation.
Why Do They Love Pantry?
Your Wheat Ridge pantry is like a smorgasbord for these little invaders. Food scientists at the Colorado Department of Agriculture estimate that at any given time, 15-20% of stored food products in a Colorado home are infested with pests.
This is, of course, because many families keep dry goods in their cupboards — flour, pasta, rice, cereals, nuts, dried fruits — which are irresistible to these little pests. Kitchen cabinets are warm and dark, making them the perfect hiding spot, and moist sinks offer an ideal humidity level. Pantry pests can be especially bad here in Wheat Ridge because the city is at an elevation of 5,277 feet.
At this elevation, lower air pressure makes it easier for food packaging seals to fail faster than at lower elevations. Many residents buy in bulk at the warehouse stores and are prompted to stock the resources of these stores in their houses, allowing the pest to hide and breed undisturbed for a long time.
Is It Really Possible To Avoid Them in Your Pantry?
The straight answer to the question is this—there is no way to completely keep pantry pests out of your Wheat Ridge home, but you can certainly minimize your chances.
Stop before any groceries even cross your threshold, especially those bulk bins and sale items. Repackage dry goods in glass or heavy plastic containers, definitely not in original packaging.
Additionally, be sure to wipe your pantry shelves down from time to time, making sure you get all the crumbs out of the little cracks and tight corners. Use “first in, first out” to rotate your stock and ensure nothing sits unclaimed for months.
When to Call a Professional
While DIY treatments may kill remaining pests that you can see, they seldom kill any eggs and larvae that may exist in wall voids, behind cabinets, inside appliances, etc. Saela Pest Control has also tailored its pantry pest solutions for Wheat Ridge homes. They grasp the local homeowner’s pain points, from knowing where pests get in to eliminating infestations in every stage of their lifecycle. Professional pest control is recommended when you never seem to completely get rid of them, or when you need to handle different types of prevalent pests that require different extermination methods.
