Don’t Let Pests Eat Your Food Before You Can

Everyone likes a nice snack, including pests. Pests are naturally attracted to the food all throughout your house. And while it’s never good to have pests in your home, it’s especially bad to have them near your food. Not only is it expensive and frustrating to lose food you’ve worked hard to pay for, but bugs and rodents can also leave behind bacteria and diseases that could hurt your family. If you have food pests, it’s best to get rid of them right away!

Types of Food Pests

Food pests can come in many shapes and sizes. After all, every critter likes a good meal. These are some of the most common food pests in and around the Los Angeles area:

• Ants
• Mites
• Rats and Mice
• Flies and Larvae
• Cockroaches

These pests will go after anything and everything in your pantry, cupboards, or even in your garage. Anywhere you store dried goods like pasta, noodles, grains, flour, or pet food is a common location to find food pests.

Signs of a Food Pest Infestation

The best way to prevent a food pest infestation is to react quickly once it starts. Here are a few signs that might indicate you have a food pest problem:

• Bugs or Larvae – The most obvious sign of a food pest infestation is if you see them in your food! Some bugs lay their eggs in food, so keep an eye out for larvae.
• Pest Droppings – All that food they eat has to go somewhere. If you see pest droppings in and around your pantry or cupboards, there’s a good chance that pests are nearby.
• Nests – Rodents like to store food in hidden spots to eat later, so watch for stashes in hidden spots around your house.
• Footprints – If you look close enough, you might be able to catch little rodent footprints coming in and out of your cabinets and cupboards. That’s a surefire sign of a food pest infestation.
• Damage – Pests don’t like to clean up after themselves. If you see food packaging torn apart or damaged, it could be a sign of a pest problem.
• Odor – Unpleasant odors are a sign of pests. If your pantry or cupboards starts to smell musty, oily, greasy, or like urine, it’s likely that pests are living nearby.

Tips to Prevent Food Pests

Food pests are never good, but there are steps you can take to prevent them from entering your home. Follow these tips to help prevent food pests:

1. Tighten Up Storage – Store all your dried goods in tightly sealed containers that won’t give pests easy access.
2. Keep Everything Dry and Clean – Pests are attracted to any traces of food. Keep your pantry organized, clean, and crumb-free to keep pests away. Moisture can also attract certain pests, so make sure food is stored in a dry location.
3. Call a Pest Control Company at the First Sign of Trouble – It’s much easier to prevent an infestation when you catch it early. Keep an eye out for the signs of food pests and call a pest control company right away when you notice a problem.

Trust the Experts in Food Pest Control

If you think you might have a problem with food pests, contact the experts at Bug Mechanic. We have over 38 years of experience working with homeowners identifying and eliminating a wide variety of pests. We’ll help you track down the critters eating your food and create a safe and effective plan to keep them away. Let Bug Mechanic help you protect your family from food pests.