Pantry pests are brought inside through infested products that were purchased at the grocery store. An infestation will begin to flourish if they find perfect living conditions in your pantry, which is why proper food storage is important. They like to feed on flour, cereals, cereals, dried fruits, beans, nuts, spices, and nearly any other pantry food that is dry and stored at room temperature. Their easiest targets are opened or improperly sealed packages that they can easily enter, but some larvae can even chew their way into unopened packages.

Luckily, pantry bugs can’t transfer diseases like cockroaches or mice – even ingesting a couple on accident won’t hurt you. Even so, it’s definitely not pleasant to know there might be insects crawling around your food and you could be eating their droppings, or even the small bugs themselves. On top of that, money is wasted when you have to throw away pantry foods that the bugs are getting into. Many of us have a well-stocked pantry, so throwing out infested and opened packages can send hundreds of dollars down the drain. Then, you will have to spend hundreds more to restock.

The most obvious sign of an infestation is to discover them crawling (or flying) around. Weevils and grain beetles will crawl around on the floor of the pantry or make their way into the kitchen. Typically, the crawlers stick closer to their food sources. If you have Indianmeal moths, you will spot adults flying around the food source or other nearby areas (they are also attracted to light). These moths are more noticeable – the crawling pantry pest species are small and hard to spot.

Other signs of Indianmeal moths include spotting tiny white worms with black heads in your dry food (these are the larvae). There will also be a noticeable sticky webbing over food or packaging. Moths also leave cast skins and fecal droppings in and around food, but these might be harder to notice. Crawling pantry pests don’t leave as much evidence behind, but you will definitely notice the bugs crawling around.

When purchasing dry products, there are a few precautions to take to avoid bringing home pantry pests. For starters, some types of products are more commonly affected than others. A few examples include birdseed, bird suet, and pet foods. When purchasing these, try to purchase in transparent containers where you can check for bugs. Bulk products can also be more at-risk than sealed packages. Although you might not be able to avoid these products, you can take precautions to keep a potential infestation from spreading (such as storing the products in airtight glass containers once you get home). When you purchase new food products, avoid combining the old and new unless you’re positive they’re pest-free.