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| Pantry Pests - Pest Control - Prevention |
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Fumapest Termite & Pest Control ..... Since 1964
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Stored Products Pests - Food Pests - Pantry Pests - Kitchen Pests |
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Stored product pests - insects that infest dry or stored food products - most are beetles or moths - beetle adult and larvae eat food products - larvae of moths eat food products - adult moths do not.
Often found in the kitchen or pantry of domestic and commercial premises - most often first seen when the adults are crawling or flying about the kitchen or pantry - such insects prefer to live and breed best under warm, humid conditions - conditions often found in kitchen cupboards - since most do not hibernate, reproduction is continuous throughout the year and can build up rapidly if left undisturbed. |
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Source of Infestation - Susceptible Food Products |
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Brought in with foodstuffs - stored product or pantry pests are most often brought into the kitchen or pantry in infested food packages - from here, they spread to other susceptible products.
Some fly in through open doors and windows - pantry infestations of carpet beetles and larder beetles may be due to a change of habitat – from products containing wool - fur - feathers - dried food products - larder beetles are attracted to the fat in dry dog and cat food - book lice, like to feed on starchy materials and may infest dried food products after first feeding on non-food products.
Susceptible food products include - grains - flour - bran - cereal - breakfast foods - nuts - seeds - dried fruits - crackers - biscuits - cookies - matzos - macaroni - spaghetti - sweets - candy – chocolate - cocoa - cheese - dried meats - dry dog and cat food - bird seeds - cornstarch - dried soup mixes - dehydrated foods - spices - especially red pepper - paprika - chilli powder. |
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The most commonly found Stored Product Pests |
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Most common pantry food pests found in Australian homes, commercial food handling premises and restaurants are (1) Indian meal moth (2) saw-toothed grain beetle (3) rice weevil ...more details below:
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Rapid life cycle - in about a month - the adult Indian Meal Moth can lay her 200 to 300 eggs - which hatch into "larvae" or worm-like grubs - that feed on foodstuffs - later pupate and metamorphoses into an adult Indian Meal Moth - which in turn lays her 200 to 300 eggs - and so on - obviously a severe infestation can occur if the stored food products are left undisturbed for several months.
Winged adult Indian Meal Moth - a small insect - about 2 cms in length - wings lie flat along the body when at rest - front wings are light tannish colour on front third - back two thirds are reddish-brown with a coppery lustre - it is only the larvae (worm-like grub) that eat foodstuffs.
The larvae surrounds its feeding area with a tunnel-like web - at maturity they wander to find a place to pupate - the larvae is off-white in colour - about 10 to 15 mm long at maturity - feed for 1 to 2 months - then construct a white silken cocoon - pupate and later emerge as adult Indian Meal Moths. |
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The Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle |
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Adult - a small brownish beetle - about 1/10-inch long - with six tooth-like projections on either side the thorax just behind the head.
Larvae - is worm-like in appearance - less than 1/8-inch long - dirty white in colour.
Both the larva and adult cause damage to foodstuffs - by their feeding - adult beetle looks like a small ant - and can penetrate tiny cracks and crevices to get into unopened food packages.
Life-Cycle - the adult female will lay its eggs in or near food products - eggs hatch into larvae in a week or less - larvae feed for 2 to 3 weeks - then pupate within a protective cocoon-like covering made by sticking small bits of food together - about a week later they emerge as adults - infestations can build up rapidly if left undisturbed since adults can live and breed for as long as three years.
Food stuffs preferred - both larva and adult feed on a wide variety of stored products - grains cereals - breakfast foods - flour - bread meal - corn meal - corn starch - cookies - crackers - dried fruits - vegetables - nuts - dried soup mixes - dry dog and cat food - garden seeds - bird seed - macaroni - spaghetti - yeasts - chocolate - candy - dried meats - and similar products.
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Adult rice weevil - a small black snout beetle about 1/8-inch long - four reddish or yellowish spots on its back - the larva is legless - has a short stout - whitish body - tan head.
Food products affected - rice weevils - a pest of whole grain products - rice - wheat - kernel corn - table beans - nuts - seeds - especially sunflower seeds - pasta - flour.
Usually hidden - rice weevils feed inside the whole grain - they hide their entrance holes so that the grain looks normal - most often seen as an adult beetle - the rice weevil can also be found in solidified milled products such as macaroni and cake flour.
The female weevil eats out a cavity in a whole grain product large enough for an egg - lays the egg in it and seals over the cavity - the egg hatches - the larvae feed inside and remain there until it transforms to an adult - the entire life cycle can be completed in about one month. |
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Other - less common - Stored Product Pests |
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Whole grains - internal feeders - less frequently encountered - seldom seen until the adults emerge from the grain - granary weevil - Angoumois grain moth - bean weevil - lesser grain borer.
External feeders or scavengers - feed on grain after seed coat is broken either mechanically or by some other insect - some feed only on materials that are damp or mouldy - the Mediterranean flour moth - confused flour beetle - red flour beetle - cigarette beetle - drugstore beetle - spider beetle - black carpet beetle - larder beetle - cadelle - yellow mealworm - grain mite - psocid booklice - others. |
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Pest Control - Stored Product Pests - Pantry Pests |
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Inspection - many pantry pests are strong fliers - their larvae can crawl some distance from a source of infestation - the source of infestation is usually limited to a small area such as the kitchen - a single cabinet - or a single susceptible product - first find the source of the infestation and eliminate it - use plastic garbage bags to dispose of contents of infested food storage containers.
Sterilization - may be useful to eradicate a light infestation by placing such container packages in the refrigerator freezer compartment for two or three days.
Sanitation - regularly clean all shelves in storage areas - most pantry pests can breed in food particles spilt from packages - accumulate in cracks and corners - the insects reinfest other foods closeby.
Reduce shelf life - buy only small quantities of susceptible food products - minimize shelf life in your pantry or storage area - especially in summer - carefully examine containers at purchase to be pest-free - ensure turnover period of foodstuffs is less than 2 to 4 weeks.
Air-tight storage - dry foods - clean glass or metal containers - tight fitting air-tight lids - clean containers thoroughly before storing food products - do not store undisturbed for long periods of time.
Restaurants & Domestic Premises - find the source of infestation and eliminate it - use plastic garbage bags to dispose of infested food product - thoroughly clean shelves where infestation present or likely - use of pyrethrum insecticide spray to such areas - particularly cracks and corners - pheromone traps may be useful to monitor success of the pest control program.
Grain Silos & Food Warehouses - recommend thoroughly clean premises and production process - rigourous inspection of incoming food product - monitoring, inspection and treatment of storeage and production facilities - some foodstuffs require phospine fumigation - imported food products or export items - Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service AQIS requirements must be met.
Pheromone Traps - available for Indian Meal Moths - pheromone attracts the male moths to sticky surface - generally used after infestation has been found and eliminated - useful to monitor and detect any remaining adult Indian Meal Moths rather than as a reliable pest control method. |
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FUMAPEST Spider Identification Chart
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For information on pest control - click on your problem pest
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