Against guests in the pantry

Storage pests: prevent and combat

Crawling or flying guests in the pantry are booming again, especially as the season gets warmer. The animals usually get into the house with the shopping basket. The dried fruit moth is most commonly found in our pantries. But flour, grain and storage moths also feel at home in our kitchens. The invaders contaminate the food with droppings, threads or remains of skin. Such residues can cause skin irritation and diseases, allergies, conjunctivitis and intestinal diseases. In addition, the animals can transmit microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses or worms to the food and thus cause diseases. The aid info service, Bonn, points out that infected food must therefore no longer be eaten.

Storage pests are usually difficult to detect. In fitted kitchens in particular, they can easily hide behind cupboards and in cracks. Eating marks on corners and edges of packaging can be an indication. When opening food packaging, the animals usually hide in a flash. There are often residues of moulting, spun pupae or caterpillars in stock. To check, the food can also be sieved or poured out on a light background. In any case, the infested food must be taken out of the house quickly. It is even better to kill the animals first. For this purpose, the infested food is treated in the oven at 80 °C for about 10 minutes. Then the pantry and especially cracks and holes must be thoroughly cleaned. The aid info service gives the following tips for preventing pest infestation:

• Transfer supplies to tightly fitting containers made of glass, metal or food-grade plastic. Paper or foil does not protect against pests.
• Before storing new goods, check them carefully for damage caused by damage to the corners or edges of the packaging.
• Clean pantry closets regularly.
• Store supplies as cool and dry as possible.
• Don't store too much and use up the longest stored goods first.
• Chemical pesticides are usually not necessary in the home. The effects on health can be diverse and cannot be estimated. Don't be afraid to get professional help if you have a stubborn infestation.

By the way: storage pests are not a sign of poor hygiene.

Source: Bonn [ Heike Rapp - aid ]