Blog

In this blog, I will put in simple terms just how to get rid of pantry pests.

What Are Pantry Pests?

Pantry Pests are any insects that invade your stored food. Even your pets food are targets, and we have to include cockroaches into this group also. The most common pantry pests are moths, weevils and small beetles. Annoying and waste good food but not dangerous and easy to eliminate if you follow a few simple tips. Pantry Pests can be maggot-like caterpillars, moths or beetles.

Where Do Pantry Pests Come From?

Pests can make themselves at home in even the cleanest kitchens, often hitching a ride in your food at the grocery store, during delivery, or even way back at the processing plant or warehouse.

What Foods Attract Pantry Pests?

Most pantry pests like to feed on grains, like flours, cereals and processed foods, as well as dried fruits, beans, nuts and spices. Opened boxes are especially attractive to pantry pest because they allow easy entry, but many insects can get into unopened packages as well. I’ve even had them in my rodent bait which uses cornmeal to attract rodents.

What Should I Do If I Have Pantry Pests?

If you come across a beetle or two in an area where you don’t store food, it’s probably no cause for alarm — especially if the weather is warm. If you see them on the kitchen bench or the floor near your pantry, or by a window (or other natural light sources), it could be an early sign of infestation. It’s time to take a thorough look at your pantry shelves and packages.

Throw away the box, and then check the packages stored near it. If you can’t see to the bottom of a bag? Pour the food onto a baking sheet and look closely with a torch. If you don’t spot anything in other packages or around the pantry, the insects were likely a one-off incident. Other foods are OK to keep. If you want to be extra-cautious, freeze any potentially affected products for three to four days, or heat them in an oven at 60 degrees Celsius for an hour or two killing any eggs or insects.

How To Get Rid Of Pantry Pests

Empty your pantry and vacuum out the shelves, floors and corners. Then, wash the spaces down with soapy water — don’t apply bleach, ammonia or pesticides. They won’t prevent a future infestation and can be dangerous if they come in contact with foods. Before returning food products to the pantry, thoroughly check that each package is undamaged and uncontaminated.

What If I Ate A Beetle? Are They Poisonous?

If you’ve just enjoyed a nice meal, and then spot weevils in that bag of breadcrumbs or box of pasta, don’t worry. Pantry pests aren’t poisonous, and accidentally ingesting an insect or two won’t hurt you. Actually, in some countries, beetles and other insects are on the menu as food and very high in protein.

Keeping Pantry Pests Out Of Your Kitchen

First, the longer a product sits in your pantry, the more likely it is to become infested, so buy small packages you can use up in two to four months. Avoid containers that have dents, holes or scratches, and follow the “first in, first out” rule when using food up.

Transfer grains, cereals, nuts, dried fruit into a glass, metal or sturdy plastic containers with airtight lids. They keep insects out much better than cardboard, paper or foil. Store pantry basics in a cool, dry, dark place, and give your pantry a thorough cleaning every three to six months (which will help you stay organised and keep pests at bay).

Pest Control

There is one product that you can use on moths; it is not a pesticide, so it is safe to use in your pantry and is specific to the egg-laying moths that lay their eggs in the food. A sticky pad with a pheromone that catches the male moth, therefore ending the reproductive cycle.

So how do you get rid of fleas in your house? Why are they difficult to control? What’s a dog flea and what’s a cat flea? How much does it cost? How do you treat fleas? These are some of the questions I hope to answer for you in this Blog.

Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that survive as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by consuming blood, or hematophagy, from their hosts. Wikipedia

Amazing Flea Facts

• Fleas can jump around 30 thousand times in a row!
• They can also jump very high. If they were human-sized then they would be able to jump over the Eiffel Tower with an acceleration force of 140G… That’s an acceleration rate 50 times greater than a rocket taking off into space!
• Fleas can lift objects 150 times heavier than their own body weight.
• Once adult fleas emerge from their puparium, they have approximately 7 days to find a blood meal or they will die.
• Females can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood on a daily basis.
• Female fleas can lay about 2,000 eggs over the course of their lives but are incapable of laying eggs until after their first meal.
• Once they have had their first blood meal, female fleas will lay their eggs within 35 to 48 hours.
• Flea eggs are usually laid directly on a host, often falling off and spreading the infestation to the surrounding environment.

Millions Of Fleas In A Short Time

Because fleas can lay so many eggs makes them hard to eradicate. When in a lavra hatch from eggs they spin into a silken cocoon and pupates within the cocoon. This pupal stage can lay dormant for up to a year in some cases. Often breaking out because of vibration caused by potential hosts.

Yes, there are many types of fleas Dog, Cat, Human and Oriental Rat Flea. Fleas like most parasites are responsible for carrying disease from one host to another. Most famous being the Bubonic Plague, Endemic Typhus and intestinal worms. Not to mention the annoyingly irritating and often infectious bites.

Why Is It So Hard To Get Rid Of Fleas

To get rid of fleas it’s a great idea to get a professional exterminator onto the job as quickly as you can, do not put this off. Prioritise doing this service as fleas multiply very quickly. Over the years some of the older type chemicals are less effective on some broods. A follow-up may be necessary before total elimination can be achieved.

How Logan Pest Control Gets Rid Of Fleas

First, a high droplet setting on a garden hose to mimic rain on all outside areas outside. For the inside areas, I run the broom over all surfaces fleas harbour. This motion encourages eggs to hatch prior to treatment. New hatchlings are more exposed to the fast knockdown chemical used. In addition to this, an insect growth regulator is added to the fast knockdown chemical which ensures that the newly hatch eggs do not moult. This means they don’t become reproductive adults and the infestation is eliminated.

How Much Does It Cost?

If you have a flea infestation I charge $180 to treat both inside your home and the yard. Flea or Tick Full Treatment or if your a pet owner and are leaving a rental home you may only require a Flea Vacate. Check the wording on the lease agreement carefully. Logan Pest control does charge extra if there are active fleas at the property I am treating because its a more intense treatment. One is a treatment for an existing problem the other is a preventative measure.

How Customers Can Help

One very important step is to get your carpets professionally cleaned. This is to be done before treatment. Preferably carpets need to be dry but can be slightly damp. Tongue and groove timber flooring vacuuming between the joins with a crevice tool can make a huge difference in the result. A Simple FACT to pass on to all your friends is that “LIMESTONE DOES NOT KILL FLEAS”, I have seen hoards of fleas thriving in a lime filled subfloor this also can make chemical treatment useless as it neutralises chemicals. Please, if you own a pet don’t let them suffer there are great medicines to treat your pests. Combine this with a good pest service and fleas can be eliminated from your home. So if you want to get rid of fleas in your at your place call 0420473890 or Book Now.

What does it mean by Shop Locally

Here are two explanations of why spending locally is important.

Firstly, going local doesn’t mean disconnecting from the outside world. It means, helping local businesses by using local products/services and employing local workers. This provides decent wages and serves primarily local consumers. Local projects are organised by the people who will use them. Secondly, When you shop at independent or local-to-you businesses, more money is kept within the community. Local businesses often use or buy from local services, farms, and companies. Buying locally helps grow other businesses

Help your local community thrive and spend locally. Local businesses provide products, services local employment and additional tax dollars that will go towards supporting important local programs. Business profits are likely to be spent here as well.

So, make the switch and spend locally. As a result, the community will grow and strengthen. Logan Pest Control is a true locally owned family business committed to affordable pest control and offers a much better service and attitude than some of the big franchises or large companies who actually advertise branches of their parent companies as local.

How to get rid of german cockroaches. Indeed cockroaches are the number one pest Pest Technicians deal with. Household cockroaches are filthy and can attack your stored food and love to make their homes in your Kitchen, Laundry and bathroom. It’s usual for the larger cockroaches to fly in an open screen. An annual Full House Treatment should be able to keep your house free for a year maybe longer. However, people need to know about the more problematic German Cockroaches that are big problems for both commercial and residential customers.

What Attracts Cockroaches?
Understanding why cockroaches infest your home is essential for getting rid of them permanently. Cockroaches are attracted to easily accessible food sources like pet food or even cardboard, glue and soap. Don’t leave food or, dirty dishes on the sink, clean under appliances regularly and put your rubbish bin out every night and put a lid on your bin. Remove pet food dishes once your pet has finished.

Cockroaches Love Warmth And Water

Wet floors, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerator motors and microwave ovens all provide perfect condition for Cockroaches to thrive. Check around sinks and drains for leaks. If sinks have organic waste such as bits of food or even hair blocking drains, this will provide a haven for breeding cockroaches. They also like hiding in small areas where their bodies are touching more than one surface. This is why they hide in corners and run along the walls.

Cockroaches Like To Stay Hidden

German cockroaches can come home with you from your weekly grocery shop, and when you move house as well. Make sure you give any used bags a good wash when you’re done using them. Store plastic bags in a breathable bag holder preferable up high. German Cockroaches reproduce quickly. One female and her offspring can infest a home with more than 30,000 cockroaches in just a single year.

German cockroaches infestations can be difficult to eradicate even for the experienced professional. Eradication may require some extra effort. It’s very important to eliminate all food sources and keep areas dry. Fix leaks in plumbing and any cracks or gaps where they can hide.

How I Use Chemicals To Help You Get Rid Of German Cockroaches

1. If the infestation is not just a kitchen issue, I tend to recommend a kitchen treatment as an extra service to my Full House Services. This method reduces your overall costs and also includes a 9 month free service period. Which simply means I treat any areas harbouring cockroaches at no extra cost (It is not a full spray). In addition, it gets rid of a host of other pests. Nice bonus right.

2. Of course, I treat commercial businesses as well. I can help you keep your business free of German Cockroaches and other kitchen pests. I pride myself on commercial kitchens as I have had a lot of experience working in kitchens. This is usually quarterly service but if pests are a more serious threat I may recommend additional treatments.

Moving onto winter and the snakes are filling up on rodents before they hibernate for the winter. In the colder months, rats and mice are also looking for places to raise their families in a nice warm spot close to food. Places like your roof and wall voids which are close to your BBQ or the pantry are familiar. But also unused rooms or areas where soft furnishings is stored. Mice and rats love cane chairs or the spare mattresses, especially if you live close to a water source such as drains, a river or a creek. With all this happening the chances of getting rodents in your house is increased so you may need to get some control organised. While there is a wide range of products on the market getting Logan Pest Control to “Get rid of rodent infestation” is the better option.

I use a combination of baiting and trapping. I am mindful that over baiting can attract rodents into your home, and that is not my goal. Focus on the reasons why rodents are getting into your home, such as correct storage methods etc. If you think you may have rodents mention it while I am doing my service, or give me a call on 0420473890. If you are a commercial business, it’s more affordable than you think and you can feel confident I will do a good job. If you keep constant control of rodents numbers stays low. Don’t waste your money energy on methods that don’t work. I use the best quality bait and keep stations well maintained and clean. I have dealt with large infestations and confident you’ll get the required result. I even report on active locations. Ensuring bait is in the best possible area.