Pantry Pest Infestations & Damage

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Damage by Pantry Pests

There are a number of insects such as pantry pests, which may infest stored food products in our homes. These pantry pests may include pantry moths, pantry beetles or weevils. They lower food quality and can render food unfit to eat.

Pantry pest larvae and a few pantry pest adults feed on food stuff. They will feed on grains such as wheat, corn, barley and rice. Pantry pest also feed on products from grains such as flour, cereals, pasta, cornmeal, pancake mixes, cake mixes, and dry pet food. They will feed on dried plant material and any displays from dried flowers, seeds or dried vegetables like corn.

Pantry pests contaminate food stuffs. The contaminants consist of live insects, cocoons, webbing, feces, caste skins, dead carcasses, and in some cases bacterial decay. Infested foodstuff is covered with silky webbing and excretion from the larvae, rendering it unsightly and inedible.

Once pantry pests have entered the home, these store product pests can multiply and possibly spread to other uninfected products causing an infestation and contamination. Additionally, as an infestation matures and the food materials and containers break down other organisms may be attracted causing a secondary infestation of other insects, bacteria, or rodents.

How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths

How to Get Rid of Pantry Beetles