As autumn continues, the holiday season is fast approaching, and many homeowners are beginning to stock their pantries with food for upcoming celebrations. During this time, you must prepare to handle pantry pests like the pantry moth. These occasional invaders can cause a lot of trouble if you don’t know what to do about them.
In this article, we’ll talk about the basics of pantry pest control in Natomas, focusing on the destructive pantry moth. We’ll cover the general life cycle of these pests, how they behave, the damage they cause to stored and packaged food, and what you can do to keep them from entering your pantry.
Lastly, we’ll discuss how our Bell Pest Control team can help you moth-proof your home. We’ve been serving the Natomas area for years and are always just a call away.
Pantry Moth Life Cycle: Understanding Their Behavior
First, let’s take a look at the life cycle of pantry moths, also known as Indian meal moths. These common pantry pests go through four stages.
The first stage begins when a female moth lays eggs about three days after reaching maturity. Sometime in the next two weeks, the eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae start building a silken webbing to live in. The larvae mature in four or five weeks and often leave their food sources to pupate. The pupal stage lasts for about two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, an adult pantry moth emerges. Under favorable conditions, the entire cycle can be completed in as little as six to eight weeks.
Next, let’s examine the next facet of pantry pest control – how these pantry moths can ruin packaged food in your pantry.
Pantry Moth Problems: How They Can Ruin Stored Food
Pantry moths eat a wide variety of foods, including dried fruits, seeds, grains, nuts, chocolate, candy, dried peppers, corn meal, dog food, fish food, and powdered milk. There are few packaged food goods in your pantry that are safe from these pests. The larvae are usually the cause of the damage, not the moths themselves. You will likely start to see the signs of pantry moth infestation after a short time, as the webbing built by the larvae will begin to cover the food they’ve infested.
In the next section, we’ll talk about how to get rid of these pantry pests.
Moth-Proofing Your Pantry: Practical Steps To Take
Keeping pantry moths away from your pantry is crucial to maintaining the quality of your food and will save you time and money. Here are a few practical tips for keeping these pests away:
- Make sure to store food in tightly sealed containers.
- Inspect packaged food thoroughly before purchasing.
- Examine your pantry every couple of weeks for signs of pantry pests.
- Remove items from your pantry and clean it with soap and water once a month.
Following these steps will help you stay ahead of any potential pantry moth infestations. The best solution to pantry moth pest control is to contact a professional pest control company.
Calling In The Experts: Professional Pantry Moth Elimination
At Bell Pest Control, we are passionate about customer satisfaction. We’ve been serving the Natomas area since 1978 and are proud to provide the best pest control services around. Our technicians are highly trained and knowledgeable about local pests, and we’re one of the highest-rated pest control companies in the area. Our customers know they can count on us to provide same-day service and free inspections.
If you’re wondering how to get rid of pantry pest moths, look no further than Bell Pest Control.
Contact us to schedule your complimentary inspection, and we’ll provide you with an estimate for our services.