Stored Products Insects

Overview

Your pantry may be harbouring thousands of pests known as stored product insects.

Signs of an infestation:

• Cereals cake together creating a spider web appearance
• Small beetles crawling over counter tops
• Moths flying across rooms
• Caterpillars crawling up walls or across ceilings

Insects that infest barley, rye, corn, oats, rice and various other seeds (the eggs of which are laid and hatched inside kernels of wheat or corn, or other whole grains or caked materials):

• The granary weevil
• Rice weevil
• Angoumois grain moth

Insects which feed on processed grains or broken kernels, or a variety of spices:

• Red and confused flour beetles
• Saw-toothed grain beetles
• Drugstore beetle
• Cigarette beetle
• Indian meal moth

Generally speaking the greater the number of insects, the older the infestation. Often the initial source is partially used boxes or bags of products that have been forgotten in the backs of pantries and shelves. Disposal of infested materials is the best way to eliminate the problem. Also check all items in pantries or on shelves. Often beetles can be found beneath cans and other items.

What you can do:

• Remove and destroy infected food
• Vacuum the shelves, both upper and lower surfaces, and use a crevice attachment to clean cracks and crevices
• After the remedial cleaning, institute a good on-going cleaning regime and;
• Proper storage are keys to preventing future problems- such as placing products from cardboard, paper, or plastic containers into jars or other containers that can be sealed tightly

Treatment: 

• Professional assessment
• SPI treatment and monitoring