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 Lots of cookies, cakes and pies are baked
during the season. Pantry pests are those tiny grain beetles and
flour moths that use the leftover flour to feed on and live in. This
phenomenon is common, as many homes do not routinely bake during
other times of the year. The leftover flour is pushed to the side or
to the back of the pantry or cabinet, and forgotten over time.
The most common and easily discovered pantry pest is likely going to
be the Indian meal moth. As the name suggests the adult moth flies
and is often, found near windows or more often flying around light
fixtures in the kitchen area. If you find the moths, then for sure
leftover flour has been supporting these pests. If the meal moth has
been in your white flour, the color becomes a dingy grey and there
will be webbing found in the container. That webbing is easy to see
in the round container of oatmeal too.
You will see larval stages in the product actively feeding. Once the
larvae have grown to full-size, they will crawl out of the infested
product and find a crevice to pupate and turn into the adult moth.
Once mated, the adult will return to a food source and lay more eggs
to repeat the cycle.
Management of the Indian meal moth and the flour beetles means
finding the source of the infestation. If caught early, this could
be just that leftover flour. If left for a while, pantry pests could
be in any product that contains a flour or grain. Any highly
processed product would not be the initial source, but could easily
become contaminated later. When the outbreak is substantial, every
product becomes suspect, and it will require a lot of time and
effort to deal with the moth. [to top of second
column] |
The remedy for the moth and beetle is to inspect all packages in the
cabinet and throw away any clearly infested products. Any products
left should be considered suspect, and placed in a tight-sealing
container in the pantry until used again. Birdseed and dry pet food
also will support these insects.
There are no insecticides to spray. Cleaning and vacuuming the
pantry shelves and removing any shelf paper will expose areas where
pupation can occur. Be sure to clean the entire cabinet, including
the cabinet cracks and crevices above your head too! This will
lessen the adult populations that would be emerging later.
As you buy new products for the pantry, only buy the amount you will
use in a short time.
Do not buy products in a broken or damaged bag or box. Other
considerations would be to remember to use older products first and
to keep the pantry free of spilled food and crumbs. If you are going
to keep ground flour products after the baking season, consider
putting them in the refrigerator or freezing them until you bake
again. It is always easier to prevent these insects now than having
to clean up their messes later.
[Richard Hentchel, Extension Educator,
Horticulture
Terri Miller, MPA
County Extension Director - Unit 16
Serving Logan, Menard, and Sangamon Counties.] |
