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Pantry
and Stored Product Pests
There are numerous pests you
may bring home from the super market. In addition to roaches, there are beetles, weevils
and moths. Many items contain the eggs of these insects. Cereal, pasta, pet
food, birdseed, dried beans, granola, cookies, crackers, rat and mouse baits, chocolate,
spices, cake mix and even dried flower arrangements or decorative corn are just a
few. If the foodstuff is kept for some time, the eggs may hatch and go through their
cycle before you know a problem exists.
Commercial pest control jobs often require the use
of special pheromone traps and monitors. For help with these types of pest
control situations, go to Commercial
Pheromone Traps.
To control an active infestation, follow
these steps:
If you have BEETLES, WEEVILS or MOTHS: Empty all cabinets, drawers and pantries where there is evidence
of insects. Try to identify which foodstuff is infested. Throw away any container
suspected of being a source. If you are unsure and want to save something which may be
infested, place it in Tupperware or zip lock bags. Inspect it a week or two later to see if
there is activity or not. You can also freeze food (in a baggy) for 5-10 days to kill any
possible pests. Be careful to inspect cans as these pests love to nest on the bottom
around the cans rim. The lids of jars or bottles also provide excellent nest sites.
Now treat with a professional aerosol that has a crack and
crevice tip. We suggest using CB-Invader.
Treat all cracks and crevices using the plastic infection tip. You must make sure to get
all sides, tops, corners and backs of doors around their hinges. This treatment will kill
the adult stages but some eggs and pupae will survive. When eliminating Cigarette beetles,
spraying with a solution of Precor IGR (in addition to
crack and crevice work) has given excellent results in reducing the beetle population. For
other stored product pests, Gentrol
or Gentrol Point Source will help. For
persistent pests such as beetles or weevils, two or three sprayings with CB-Invader
over several weeks may be
required.
If you have INDIAN MEAL MOTHS, MEDITERRANEAN
MOTHS, Etc.: Set up If you have INDIAN MEAL MOTHS, MEDITERRANEAN
MOTHS, Etc.: Set up Moth Traps in areas where moths
are flying. These traps are helpful because they will catch the adult stages of any moth
as they hatch from their pupae cocoons. The trap has a strong sex pheromone which these
pantry moths cannot resist. They will fly to the trap and get stuck on the glue inside.
Once trapped, they cannot mate and reproduce. Moth Traps in areas where moths
are flying. These traps are helpful because they will catch the adult stages of any moth
as they hatch from their pupae cocoons. The trap has a strong sex pheromone which these
pantry moths cannot resist. They will fly to the trap and get stuck on the glue inside.
Once trapped, they cannot mate and reproduce.
Pantry pests are common in many households. Although a
nuisance, you may successfully control most problems by following the steps above. For
beetles or weevils, follow steps one and two. If some type of moth is the pest, follow
steps one, two and three. Expect to see some occasional adults for a few weeks following
the initial treatment. Once all the pupae have hatched, the cycle will be broken and you
should be bug free!!
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