Methods to Get Rid of Pantry Bugs the Pure Manner

Questioning methods to do away with pantry bugs with out dangerous chemical substances? Making an attempt to keep away from pantry bugs from establishing camp in your kitchen? Seeking to establish pantry bugs, resembling sorts of ants, fruit flies, moths, and weevils? We’ve obtained you lined with these unhazardous methods to guard your pantry from bugs.

Opening up a bag of grains or pulses and discovering a community of bugs shifting round will be probably the most irritating issues to find in your pantry. It’s not solely an inconvenience, as discovering pantry bugs can disrupt your menu plans for the evening, nevertheless it can also affect your price range resulting from destruction of meals. It may be tempting to spray chemical substances and set traps to rid your kitchen of those pests, however there are strategies which are extra pure and safer. In the event you’re trying to restore peace in your kitchen oasis and maintain your loved ones and furry associates protected from ingesting chemical substances and inhaling disagreeable fumes, then attempt a few of these pure pantry bug safety steps immediately.  

Stop Pantry Bugs within the First Place

The primary methodology of preserving pantry bugs away ought to all the time be prevention. You possibly can forestall bugs from occupying your kitchen by blocking entry factors resembling holes and window openings, in addition to preserving counters and cabinets clear and freed from particles that may appeal to bugs.  

One other option to forestall an infestation of pantry bugs is to solely purchase what you want. Not solely will this lower your expenses and stop meals waste, nevertheless it additionally helps decrease the chance of pantry bugs remaining undetected in your unused groceries. At all times apply the first-in, first-out methodology. Which means that your older pantry objects must be pushed to the entrance in order that they get used up extra shortly, and the newer purchases ought to go within the again. Keep in mind, pantry bugs are sometimes drawn to shelf-stable meals with an extended shelf-life, resembling grains, crackers, pulses, nuts, seeds. 

Retailer your pantry meals in sealable, hermetic containers to keep away from pantry bugs. You’d be shocked to see how pantry bugs can entry the tiniest opening in a bag of flour, and even chew their manner by way of plastic and paper packaging. In case you are experiencing pantry bug issues, attempt transferring shelf-stable meals, resembling flours, grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, crackers, and cereals, into sealable, hermetic containers, resembling glass jars with tightly becoming lids. I really like to make use of totally different sizes of mason jars (small, medium and huge) with screw prime lids in my pantry to maintain it tight! 

Methods to Get Rid of Pantry Bugs the Pure Manner

Try these kinds of widespread pantry bugs in an effort to assist establish them and maintain these bugs away out of your meals with these pure ideas.  

• Fruit Flies. In the event you’ve ever been in a busy kitchen in the summertime time, you’ve in all probability needed to swat away your justifiable share of fruit flies. What do fruit flies appear to be? These tiny (3-4 mm lengthy) flies have a tan thorax, black and grey stomach, and crimson eyes. The place do fruit flies come from? Fruit flies are drawn to ripe produce; they get into your own home, feed off fermenting meals, and lay their eggs close by. How lengthy do fruit flies stay? It solely takes about eight days to develop from egg to grownup. Maintain fruit flies away by blocking their entry (home windows and doorways), placing away ripe fruit, and sealing trash in an hermetic container. The easiest way to rid your kitchen of fruit flies is to arrange an answer with vinegar or wine the place you see them most frequently.

• Ants. Along with being carriers of micro organism, many sorts of ants, from huge to small, can create havoc in your pantry. Earlier than you spend cash on an exterminator, test your cupboards for pure protection, together with: black pepper, peppermint, and low grounds, that are a number of pure components that may assist destroy and deter ants. Most significantly, retailer your meals in hermetic containers to keep away from ant infestations. And do not forget that ants are drawn to candy meals, so pay specific consideration to sweets and sugars.

• Pantry Moths. These small pests are drawn to dry items, resembling flour and grains, and lay their eggs inside open containers. You possibly can spy tell-tale webs and larvae of infested pantry moth meals objects. One option to circumvent a moth infestation is to retailer your dry items within the freezer quickly or completely. If you have already got a moth infestation, the easiest way to do away with them is to discard (compost!) any infested dry items and provides your pantry a deep clear earlier than investing in hermetic containers for all dried items. After getting your pantry underneath management, look ahead to proof of pantry moths that flutter about your kitchen.
• Weevils. Identical to moths, weevils are drawn to dry items, like grains, nuts and beans. As soon as a weevil hitches a journey from the shop and into your pantry, they could lay eggs inside of dry items. After this occurs, contaminated objects must be thrown away and the world of infestation must be completely cleaned. As soon as your pantry is underneath management and your merchandise are saved in hermetic containers, attempt inserting dry bay leaves, cloves, and entire black peppercorns in your pantry to assist deter weevils.  

Be taught extra about sustainable cooking strategies with these blogs: 

6 Methods to Preserve Water with Your Weight-reduction plan
6 Methods to Lower Your Meals Waste
Mealtime Meals Sustainability for Households

Written by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN with Cara Joseph, Dietetic Intern 

References:

Alharbi, Jenan S et al. “Monomorium ant is a provider for pathogenic and probably pathogenic micro organism.” BMC analysis notes vol. 12,1 230. 16 Apr. 2019, doi:10.1186/s13104-019-4266-4

Boyles, M. (2019). Methods to do away with pantry moths and worms. Retrieved from: https://www.almanac.com/how-get-rid-pantry-moths-and-worms