It’s the season for cold weather, good food, and quality time spent with family. Don’t let pests ruin this special time, especially on Thanksgiving! Pantry pests are known to infiltrate dry goods that are key ingredients for this food-crazed holiday. Here are some tips to make sure pantry pests, or other insects, don’t sneak in to ruin your holidays.
- Check Expiration Dates. Utilize the first-in, first-out method to ensure none of your dry goods don’t expire. The older the package of food the more likely it is to be discovered and consumed by grain and flour beetles. Be sure to check any open packages before using.
- Inspect Items at Grocery Stores. Sometimes food packages can accidentally be cut open or damaged, without knowledge and this can create a good opportunity for pantry pests to find their way inside. Be sure to do a visual inspection of dry goods for any openings – just to be sure.
- Keep Dry Items Sealed. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing to have airtight plastic containers in your pantry, but they also provide a protective barrier against pantry pests for opened packages of food. Cardboard, plastic bags, even rice bags, can easily be chewed through by pests, so be sure to put anything opened into a sealed container.
- Clean Up Any Spills. Crumbs are likely to happen while baking or cooking; just be sure to clean up after yourself to deter any type of pest. Wipe down countertops and sweep up any fallen food crumbs to have a pest-free Thanksgiving.
If you see an increase in pest activity this time of year, call your local pest control company so you can have peace of mind during the holidays.