Many homeowners and businesses struggle with pantry pest infestations. Let's take a look at some of the common pantry pests affecting the Atlanta, GA area:
MOTHS
Moths are related to butterflies, but are often overlooked and misunderstood compared to their flashy and beloved counterparts. Moths evolved long before butterflies, with fossils dating back 190 million years. Today there are approximately 160,000 species of moths, with most being nocturnal. Moth larvae, or caterpillars, make cocoons and emerge as fully-grown adults with wings. Most moth species are happy to stay outdoors, but are attracted to light and often make their may inside your home or business through open doors and windows. A few species of moths can even be brought inside in storage boxes and dry food stuffs.
Moths play an important part in the wildlife ecosystem, both pollinating flowers and as a food source for other animals, but some species can cause damage to food items and clothing. The Indian Meal Moth, for example, is a common pest found in household pantries and grocery stores. It feeds on grains, cereals, and other processed food items and can quickly contaminate the food source. Infested food products should be discarded. Clothing moths are another common household moth and love using your clothing as food. While most commonly associated with wool, these moths are also known to eat natural fibers. For these reasons, it's important to control a moth infestation quickly.
WEEVILS
Weevils are pantry pests that typically infest and feed on whole grains, rice, nuts, beans, seeds, corn, etc. Adult female weevils chew a hole in the kernel, lay an egg and seal up the hole. Meanwhile, the eggs hatch and over the next few months, the young larva feed on the interior of the kernel, eventually emerging as full-grown adults. Because the young develop rather slowly, it can be very easy to bring them home inside a food product and not notice the emerging adults until months later. Weevils resemble beetles except that they have long “snouts,” making them easily identifiable.
Weevils do not bite or sting and carry no diseases; however, they can do considerable damage to stored dry food products. It's important to always inspect all grain products upon purchase, freeze grains for at least a week to kill any eggs, buy grains in smaller quantities you can consume in a reasonable period of time, and always store grains in sealed glass, metal, or plastic containers (not bags). You should also discard any infested food products, vacuum pantry shelving, cracks & crevices, wipe down surfaces with a mild cleaner, and dispose of garbage & vacuum bags outside.
Truly Nolen’s Four Seasons Pest Control program will treat your pantry pests immediately, then begin quarterly treatments the following month to ensure your home is truly protected from all kinds of pests. Click here to learn more about our Four Seasons Pest Control program.
We work to minimize our impact on the environment by using naturally occurring materials whenever possible.
Truly Nolen develops a custom treatment plan for your home or business to ensure pests stay away for good.
If you’re not completely satisfied, you’ll receive a full refund on your most recent service.
With nearly 100 locations nationwide, Truly Nolen has your pest control needs covered.