Keeping your kitchen free from pests requires a little effort and a lot of paying attention to the signs. The kitchen is a haven for pests and some nuisance wildlife. No matter the season or the temperature, your kitchen houses food, water, and often times a nice dark place to hide.
As a homeowner, apartment renter, student housing, or business owners with a kitchen, you can make small efforts to keep your kitchens free from bugs and pests.
What are the most common pests found in the kitchen?
Let’s take a look at the most common pests found in the kitchen.
Ants
Ants are probably the most common complaint we get as a pest control service. If you have ants in your kitchen on the counters or floors, they are most likely pavement ants or house ants. There are many types of ants and they vary by climate and geography.
Ants in the house on the baseboards and wall angle
Cockroaches?
Just the word cockroach makes people squirm and conjures up visions of creepy-crawly bugs. Roaches do have a reputation and once one is spotted, there are most likely more of them. They are a frequent felon with the Department of Health and are extremely adept at getting in your kitchen, home, or business.
Fruit flies and drain flies
Fruit flies are terribly annoying and almost impossible to catch. Fruit flies are very industrious. Their sense of smell is tremendous, especially when there is ripened or rotting fruit. These fruits or vegetables provided moist surfaces for the fruit flies to lay their eggs. They also prefer drains, garbage disposals, and other household items and places with a wet or moist environment.
Drain flies or sink flies are small and hairy giving them a moth-like appearance. Harmless yet annoying, they can fit through the tiniest of openings. They love decaying food and organic matter which is almost always available in drains and sewers.
A mass of fruit-flies crawling over a banana.
A tiny drain fly taken at nearly 5X magnification. These are found in damp and humid places, and are true flies.
Indian Meal Moths
Often called pantry moths, flour moths or grain moths. Meal moths live in your pantry, because they just emerged from their cocoons, or they’re in search of a place to lay eggs. Moths lay eggs near food, so the larvae can eat as soon as they hatch.
Flour Moth, Pantry Moth sitting on the wall (Ephestia kuehniella)
Mice
Mice love kitchens! They can hide behind appliances, under the sink and in your cabinets and pantry. There is often an endless supply of old food, crumbs, and open containers.
What are some easy things I can do to keep kitchen pests at bay?
Take a look at the checklist below and we bet you can find a few of these things that need to be done or updated in your kitchen:
- Sanitize and clean as you go. Wipe up spills, especially sticky spills!
- Clean up dog/pet food bowls. Do not leave spilt food on the floor.
- Check for leaky faucets or pipes under the sink and get them repaired.
- Check food purchased from fresh air markets and the supermarket. It’s fresh, it may just have a bug or two in the bunch tagging along for a ride.
- Store all lose grains, flour etc. in plastic sealed containers to prevent future infestation. (Cardboard is too easy for meal moths to penetrate.)
- Check for crumbs or other discarded food near your toaster, under the fridge, or inside your pantry.
- Take out the trash, clean out the garbage disposal and do not leave food-crusted dishes on or in the sink.
- Check your kitchen windows, doors, and other outside access points for cracks or damage offering a clear entry point.
How do I get rid of kitchen bugs and pests?
Well, if you have found bugs and pests in your kitchen, you are most likely to need some help. Treatment will depend on the pest at hand. We offer organic products, baits and traps, lures/lure traps, and liquid applications.
Mice, however, present a different problem. Mice require treatment and often, repair. Our AccuShield Technicians can fix most damage, depending on what has occurred and for how long. Part of the process includes sanitizing the area and removing droppings if they have made a mess of things. In addition, we look for common openings which would be windows and doors, behind the stove, dishwasher, fridge, and plumbing.
All products that would be used in a kitchen would be labeled for use in a kitchen and are safe for people and pets.
Let us help.
Small pest and mice sightings can turn into infestations before you know it. Contact us for a free inspection and let’s get things under control for you.
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