food pests
There are a number of insect pests that infest food. Some of the most common in our area are: Grain beetles, Power Post Beetles, Indian meal moths, and Cockroaches.
Grain Beetles
There are several different species of these insects (merchant grain
beetle, red flour beetle, confused flour beetle) to name a few. These
insects are usually brown or black in color and are quite small, ranging
in size from 1-5 mm. These insects are commonly brought home from products
purchased at your local grocery store. Some of the products these insects
will infest are: cereals, flour, cake mixes, grains, pet foods, and
a variety of items found in the bulk food bins.
Powder Post Beetles
Powder Post Beetles are very small wood boring beetles. The larval stage of this insect can cause significant damage to wooden structures. The larvae will bore their way out and create pin size exit holes in the wood.
How do I know if I have Powder Post beetles?
The tell tale signs are groupings of small pin size holes within wood. In an active infestation this is also accompanied by very fine saw dust piles.
How do I get rid of powder post beetles?
Powder post beetles are commonly found in damp dirt floor crawl spaces. One of the things that can be done is laying down a 6mm or greater poly vapor barrier. This will greatly reduce moisture coming up through the ground. The other thing that can help is putting a dehumidifier or heater in the crawl space.
Our company also can provide an application of a borate product to help eliminate these wood destroying insects.
Indian Meal Moths
These insects are found in the exact same types of food products as
mentioned above. They start out as eggs, turn into worms in their larval
stage and finally into moths. The moths are a brownish color and are
about ½ inch long.
What do I do if i find these insects?
The first thing you should do is go through your food products. Inspect
and dispose of any open food products that these insects may be living
and breeding in. It is a good practise to put all open grain, nut and
seed products into sealed jars or tupper ware containers. This will
prevent the spread of these insects.
If the problem persists you may need our help eradicating these pests.
You will have to remove all food and dishes from the cupboards to prepare
for a pesticide treatment.
Cockroaches
The most common cockroach found in our part of the world is the German
Cockroach. This insect is brown in color and will reach about a ½ inch
when full grown. These insects can be introduced through food products,
like the ones listed above. They may also hitch hike a ride on used
furniture or other goods that may have been stored where roaches were
present. These insects will also travel through the walls, electrical
conduits and plumbing openings of apartments, condos, or other shared
structures.
What should I do if I find cockroaches?
DO NOT SPRAY INSECTICIDE ON THESE INSECTS.
This will cause them to spread throughout the dwelling and make the
problem much more difficult to solve.
Our company can come in and do a treatment with a non-toxic gel bait.
The treatment is non-intrusive and is fully guaranteed to eradicate
these insects.