Although each “pantry pest” prefers a specific grain, these bugs will also infest the other foods they come in contact with. Some are good fliers and easily disperse to other areas of the home. The most favorable temperatures for these cold blooded creatures is 60-95°F (ideal is 80°F).

Eradication:

Remove ALL food from food storage area

Vacuum every nook & cranny, discard vacuum bag in sealed plastic bag

Wipe surfaces using paper towels & undiluted vinegar*, discard paper towels

Immediately discard any packages that are suspect (insect pieces, webbing, holes)

Discarded food & used paper towels are sealed in plastic bags & removed from home

Prevention:

Purchase only what you can use within a year

Place food air-tight, transparent containers and inspect under a bright light

Do not store food in the paper or cardboard containers they are brought home in

If you can, store food in refrigerator or freezer except pasta (too soft when cooked)

Three week freezer storage will kill any eggs that may be in food

Clean up cabinet spills immediately using undiluted vinegar*

Spring Clean food storage area once a year before restocking

Clean old containers before stocking with new food

Never mix new food into the old

Accidentally ingesting a panty pest does not pose any health risk to the consumer, perhaps just the psychological trauma of doing so.

*DO NOT use VINEGAR with:

cast iron/aluminum (reactive surfaces)

marble & stone surfaces will become pitted

with bleach (chlorine gas from mixing two acids)

waxed surfaces unless you want the wax to be removed

to clean up egg spills (coagulates egg proteins & harder to clean)

tv/computer/smart phone sensitive screens (strips off plastic coating)

as an insecticide on PLANTS (but can be used as a weed killer instead)

to remove grease (it doesn’t, but it is antibacterial & removes hard water scale)