Don't Let Pantry Pests Spoil Your Holiday Baking Traditions

As kitchens fill with flour, sugar, spices and family recipes, households across the country may be unknowingly inviting unwanted guests into their holiday celebrations. We're joining the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in reminding families to inspect and properly store baking ingredients to help prevent pantry pests from turning holiday treats into a seasonal headache.

“When the holiday baking season begins, many people pull ingredients from the back of the pantry that may have been sitting untouched for months,” said Bill Cowley

“If not stored properly, these food items can attract pantry pests and lead to food contamination, making it important to inspect ingredients before using them.” 

According to NPMA, some of the most common pantry pests include Indian meal moths, sawtoothed grain beetles and drugstore beetles. These pests are often found in stored foods including flour, grains, dried fruit, nuts, spices and packaged baking mixes. While they aren’t typically a threat to property, they can quickly infest food products and become a major nuisance in the home. 

To help keep holiday baking pest-free, we recommends the following tips:

1. Store baking ingredients in sealed, airtight containers rather than their original packaging.
2. Inspect food packages for damage or signs of pests before purchasing and before use.
3. Check pantries regularly and discard expired or infested products.
4. Clean up crumbs and spills promptly and dispose of garbage in sealed trash cans.
5. Seal cracks and gaps around doors, windows and utility openings to help prevent pests from entering the home.

If pantry pests are discovered, acting quickly can help prevent a small issue from becoming a larger infestation, added. When in doubt, we at Cowleys can identify the source of the problem and recommend the best treatment approach.