Nobody wants bugs infesting their food. But that’s precisely what pantry pest beetles do. If you’re finding beetles in your food storage and you need pest control in Fort Worth, call All-Safe Pest and Termite. We’ll help keep bugs out of your home.
How To Identify Signs Of Beetles In Your Home
Many types of beetles infest Fort Worth homes, particularly food storage. Warehouse beetles are oval-shaped bugs that are approximately an eighth of an inch long with brown and yellow patterns on their backs. These beetles eat many types of foods, as well as dead insects.
Sawtoothed grain beetles and merchant grain beetles are similar. They’re both about a tenth of an inch long. They have sawlike tooth projections on the sides of their abdomens. Grain beetles mostly eat plant-based foods, including grain products, dried fruits, and nuts. They will also eat pet food and rodent bait.
Confused flour beetles and red flour beetles are also similar to each other. They are oval-shaped and shiny, reddish-brown. Flour beetles lay eggs in food, which then adhere to the sides of the container.
What To Know If You Find Beetles In Your Stored Food
The number one sign of a pantry beetle infestation is seeing beetles themselves, larvae, or eggs. You may also notice damage to food boxes and bags, but that’s often pretty small.
The good news is that pantry beetles do not spread disease. However, they do contaminate food. If ingested, molted skins and larvae hairs can irritate a person’s throat and stomach. Pantry beetle infestations can spread quickly before you even know they’re there. That’s why it’s essential to take steps to prevent infestation and why you should call a professional as soon as you suspect a pantry beetle infestation.
How Can I Prevent Beetles In My Home?
There are a few things you can do to prevent pantry beetle infestations.
- Examine food products you bring home
You must check the food you buy, especially bulk products, for any evidence of beetles. Pantry pest problems can begin at food plants and grocery stores and then are brought into your home.
- Store food in airtight containers
You keep beetles and other pests out by keeping as much food as possible in tightly sealed, solid glass or plastic containers. Just remember to wash these containers thoroughly before refilling them.
- Regularly clean your pantry and other areas where food is stored
It only takes a little spilled food to get a pantry beetle infestation going. Taking some time every once in a while to take care of spills can prevent infestations in your food storage.
- Avoid buying food in damaged packaging.
Food packaging with holes or rips has a higher chance of being infested. By avoiding these altogether, you can prevent bringing beetles into your home.
Prevention is great. But what happens when pantry beetles infest your home?
Why You Should Call The Pros About Beetles In Your Home
Pantry beetle infestations can be hard to treat for a lot of reasons. Pantry beetles tend to be very small, which makes them hard to see. Infestations spread rapidly and may not even stay in food storage. Most pantry pests will eat nearly any food, so you can’t cut them off. That’s why it’s often necessary to call a professional pest control company. Although over-the-counter pantry pest control products can help, complete infestation treatment requires more. That’s why All-Safe Pest and Termite offers pantry beetle treatments.
After an inspection to find the source of the infestation, we’ll create a treatment plan. Our goal is always to keep your home safe and pest-free. If you need pest control in Fort Worth, you should call All-Safe Pest and Termite.