Have you spotted tiny insects crawling through your flour, cornmeal, cereal, or other stored foods? You may be dealing with pantry pests. Although these unwanted insects can be unpleasant to find, most pantry pests aren’t harmful to people and are mainly a nuisance.

Pantry pests are a common household problem in the Tallahassee area, with different species attracted to different types of stored foods. Capelouto Termite & Pest Control provides professional pantry pest control to help identify the insects and address infestations. Contact our pantry pest experts for assistance, or continue reading to learn more about dealing with pantry pests.

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A glass storage jar containing flour infested with small pantry beetles.
A single Sawtooth Grain Beetle crawling across white powered food spread across a countertop.

DIY Pantry Pest Control

DIY pantry pest control can be effective for minor infestations. In many cases, controlling pantry pests involves identifying the pest, finding the source, removing contaminated food, and thoroughly cleaning the affected area. Start with these basic steps:

  • Identify the Pest: Determine which type of pantry pest you are dealing with and which stored foods may be affected.
  • Discard Infested Food: Place contaminated or infested food in a sealed bag and remove it from your home.
  • Inspect Nearby Foods: Check other dry goods for live insects, larvae, eggs, webbing, or other signs of pantry pests.
  • Clean the Pantry: Thoroughly vacuum and clean shelves, corners, cracks, crevices, and other areas where pests may be hiding.
  • Store Food Properly: Keep remaining dry goods in tightly sealed containers to help prevent pantry pests from spreading or returning.

If pantry pests continue to appear after you have taken these steps, it may be time to consider professional pantry pest control.

Common Tick Species in Tallahassee

Capelouto Termite & Pest Control helps homeowners address pantry pests that infest grains, flour, cereals, and other stored foods. Some of the most common pantry pests in the Tallahassee area include:

  • Merchant Grain Beetle: Merchant grain beetles can infest grains, cereals, flour, and other processed foods, especially when products are damaged or stored improperly.
  • Red Flour Beetle: Red flour beetles are often found in flour, cereals, grains, and other dry foods, where their presence can contaminate stored products.
  • Rice Weevil: Rice weevils commonly attack whole grains such as rice, wheat, corn, and other cereal grains, with their larvae developing within individual kernels.
  • Sawtoothed Grain Beetle: Sawtoothed grain beetles can infest many stored foods, including cereals, grains, flour, nuts, dried fruits, and other processed food products.
  • Cigarette Beetle: Cigarette beetles can infest a broad range of dried products, including flour, spices, grains, pet food, and other stored foods.
  • Confused Flour Beetle: Confused flour beetles commonly infest flour, grains, cereals, and processed food products, particularly items that have been stored for extended periods.
  • Drugstore Beetle: Drugstore beetles can infest numerous dried and plant-based products, including flour, spices, cereals, packaged foods, and other stored goods.
  • Indian Meal Moth: Indian meal moths can infest grains, cereals, flour, dried fruits, nuts, and many other stored food products, making them a common pantry pest.

Proper pest identification plays an important role in developing an effective treatment plan. Different species can have different food sources, habits, and preferred hiding or feeding areas within a home.

Why Choose Capelouto Termite & Pest Control for Pantry Pest Control?

Several options for pantry pest exterminators exist in the Tallahassee area, but choosing the right company can make a difference. Capelouto Termite & Pest Control provides professional help for a variety of pantry pests, from weevils and Indian meal moths to tiny beetles such as sawtoothed grain beetles.

When you work with our team, you can expect a thorough approach that goes beyond simply treating the pests, including:

  • Fast Local Pantry Pest Service When You Need It: Responsive service professionals who understand pantry pest problems and work quickly to address your concerns.
  • Clear Communication Every Step Of The Way: We keep you informed about the services performed, recommended follow-up, and any additional steps that may be needed. Our customer service team is available to answer questions along the way.
  • Expert Pantry Pest Exterminators: Highly trained local exterminators with experience identifying and addressing pantry pests and other pest concerns common to the area.
  • Easy Online Account Management: Manage your appointments, update your payment information, and access your account conveniently with a single online login.

Our Professional Pantry Pest Control Process

Want to get rid of pantry pests and move on? Just give us a call. Our team will take the time to understand your infestation and develop an effective approach for addressing it. We use a comprehensive three-step process designed to provide lasting pantry pest control:

A group of rice weevils infesting a container of raw white rice.
  1. Inspection: Pantry pests can enter your home through groceries, packaged foods, and dry goods. Once introduced, they can spread from one food product to another throughout a pantry or cupboard. Our pantry pest control experts will inspect the affected areas, identify the pest involved, and determine an appropriate approach for addressing the infestation.
  2. Treatment: Our skilled technicians use targeted treatment methods to address pantry pests throughout their various life stages. Treatment is based on the type of pest present and the extent of the infestation, with the goal of eliminating the active infestation and addressing areas where pests may be hiding.
  3. Prevention: Completely preventing pantry pests can be difficult because they may enter your home unnoticed in food products. Eggs or other early life stages can be present in packaged foods and remain undetected until conditions allow them to develop. Early detection is therefore an important part of pantry pest prevention. Regularly inspect older dry goods and watch for insects, larvae, webbing, damaged packaging, or other signs of an infestation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pantry Pests

Since 1964, we have provided pest control services in the Tallahassee area and have encountered plenty of pantry pest problems along the way. We have learned a lot about these pests over the years, and we are pleased to share that knowledge with you.

If you have discovered tiny bugs in your pantry or stored foods, our pantry pest FAQs are a great place to start. Read through the answers to learn more about pantry pests and what you can do about them. If you have questions that are not covered, give us a call!

Pantry pests are insects that infest stored foods and other dry goods in homes. Common examples include Indian meal moths, flour beetles, grain beetles, cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, and weevils. They may be introduced through contaminated food packaging and can spread to other stored products after entering your pantry.

Pantry pests often enter homes through groceries and packaged dry goods. Eggs, larvae, or adult insects may already be present in a food product when it is purchased, making an infestation difficult to detect at first. Once inside your home, pantry pests can spread to other foods stored nearby.

Signs of pantry pests can include live insects, larvae, eggs, webbing, damaged food packaging, or insects appearing around stored food. You may also notice pests in or around flour, cereal, grains, rice, spices, dried fruit, nuts, pet food, and other dry products. Finding insects in even one package is a good reason to inspect nearby food items for signs of an infestation.

Regularly inspect older dry goods for insects and other signs of infestation, particularly products that have been stored for an extended period. Discard contaminated food and keep remaining dry goods in tightly sealed containers. Cleaning pantry shelves, corners, cracks, and crevices can also help remove food particles and potential hiding places.

Professional pantry pest control may be appropriate when pantry pests continue to appear after you have removed contaminated food and thoroughly cleaned the affected area. Capelouto Termite & Pest Control can identify the pest involved, determine the extent of the infestation, and develop a targeted treatment plan based on the specific conditions of your home.

Professional Pantry Pest Control in the Tallahassee Area

Looking for effective pantry pest control tailored to your specific needs? Capelouto Termite & Pest Control can help. Our experienced pantry pest exterminators begin with a thorough inspection to identify the type of pest and extent of the infestation, then develop a customized control plan to address the problem.

With more than 60 years of experience serving the Tallahassee area, we have the knowledge and experience to handle a wide range of pantry pest problems. You can count on our team to be there when you need professional help with pantry moths, beetles, weevils, and other stored product pests.

Call Capelouto Termite & Pest Control today for a free estimate and get professional pantry pest control from a team trusted throughout the Tallahassee area.

Local Florida resident shaking the hand of a Capelouto Pest technician outside his home.