Effective Pantry Pest Extermination
PestLock provides residential and commercial pest control solutions for pantry pests. Our team of exterminators will complete a pest inspection to identify the nature of the infestation and devise an effective pest control plan to lock them out of your home.
Pantry Pest Identification
Various beetles and moths are classified as stored product pests primarily because of their feeding and nesting habits in pantry items. These include:
- Flour Beetles
- Sawtoothed Grain Beetles
- Dermestid Beetles
- Granary and Rice Weevils
- Spider Beetles
Of these pests, drugstore and cigarette beetles, as well as Indian meal moths are most prevalent in the Pacific Northwest.
Drugstore Beetles
These pests are about 1/10 of an inch long and reddish-brown in color with an elongated shape. The head is deflexed, and the tips of the antennae have three enlarged segments. Faint lines run lengthwise on the beetles’ wing covers. True to their name, drugstore beetles feed on a variety of pharmaceutical products including laxative teas and strychnine. In the home, they may also feed on almonds, peanuts, paprika and red pepper, cornmeal, flour, and wheat, dry dog and cat food, coffee beans, and books and manuscripts.
Cigarette Beetles
These beetles are about 1/8 of an inch long, yellowish to reddish-brown in color and are oval-shaped. The head is bent downward sharply, nearly at right angles, giving the beetle a humpbacked appearance. Wing covers are smooth, and the antennae segments are uniform and saw-like. Cigarette beetles prefer to feed on dried tobacco, but they will also eat spices, beans, dried fruits, peanuts, yeast, and seeds. They may also damage the leaves and bindings of books when feeding on paste.
Indian Meal Moths
These pests have distinctive wing markings and are nearly 1/2 of an inch long. The base of the forewing is pale gray, and the outer two-thirds are reddish-brown with a coppery luster. The larvae are generally beige with shades of yellow, pink, brown, or green depending upon its food source. It is their larvae that cause the most grief among homeowners. When fully developed, Indian meal moth larvae frequently wander in search of a place to pupate and as such, may be found on ceilings, walls, and countertops. Occasionally, the larvae will suspend from the ceiling from a single, silken thread.
Visit our pantry pest library page for more info on pantry pests.
Customer Preparation for Pantry Pest Extermination
Inside Only:
- Remove everything out of the kitchen cabinet or pantry where there is activity
- Make every effort to find the food source
- Remove infested food or non-food items
Customer Expectations from Pantry Pest Treatment
Our products will kill the pantry pests on contact and act as a repellent by leaving a long-term residue that outlasts the life cycle of the bugs. Expect a steady decline of pests and an occasional sighting thereafter. However, if hundreds of beetles appear from the cupboards, it may be an indication of a possible rodent infestation.