Bugs in Your Food Cupboards?

Discovering bugs in flour, cornmeal, pasta, dried fruit, cereal, or other provisions is disgusting, but it happens. You don’t have to be a neglectful housekeeper to end up with bugs in dry foods. Sometimes bugs find their way into boxes or bags of provisions, and they make themselves at home while dining on the goodies your cupboards hold. Bugs in concealed packages go unnoticed, and they eventually end up moving into other accessible packages. Even more disgusting, insects and their eggs can be present in foods before they ever reach your pantry shelves. Flour, cereal, nuts, pet food, pasta, dried fruit, crackers, and cornmeal, are just some of the foods that can become infested with bugs.

If you’ve discovered that insects have taken up residence in your cupboards, don’t panic. There are ways to get rid of bugs in food products, and there are ways to avoid future infestations. The following information explains how to properly clean your cupboards or food storage area, and prevent bugs from taking over your cupboards and the foods contained therein.

Cabinet Cleaning 101

Remove everything from kitchen cupboards and other food storage areas including old shelf paper, and vacuum up crumbs, dust, and any other particles. Check all unsealed items, and throw away anything questionable. After cabinets and other storage areas are free from loose particles, fill a bucket with warm water and vegetable oil soap. Wipe interiors of cabinets with a rag, and pay careful attention to crevices and other places insects can hide or deposit their eggs. Rinse and dry clean areas before replacing items that haven’t been infested with insects. Before replacing food products, follow the storage directions below to avoid another infestation.

Food Storage

Invest in clear storage containers with tight fitting lids. The clear containers will help you keep an eye on foods without having to open them. This is an easy way to monitor provisions and immediately dispose of anything that becomes infested with insects. If bugs in packaged foods go unnoticed, the bugs could move on to infest other foods, and this is how numerous food items become contaminated. Food such as cereal, flour, crackers, dry pet food, cornmeal, and other dry provisions should be stored in this manner. Even if the items haven’t been opened, upon purchase, pour them into clean dry containers, and seal them tightly before putting them away.

Storing particularly susceptible foods in the refrigerator instead of cupboards is also a good way to prevent bugs from getting into products such as flour and cornmeal. Store these items in sealed containers in the refrigerator, and you’ll probably never again have a problem with bugs getting into food products in your cupboards.