DVIDS – News – Defense public health expert offers tips for eliminating pantry pests [Beuzz]

By Jessica Mathios, MS, MPH, Defense Centers for Public Health – Aberdeen
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — With the cost of food rising these days, many people are trying to stretch their food budget. We all know that fresh produce spoils, but most homeowners are surprised and upset when they open up their breakfast cereal or flour and find bug “bonuses” inside. These sneaky little beetles and moths, called “pantry pests,” can find their way into your food both at home and before it gets to you: in warehouses, factories, and grocery stores. No one wants to find more than raisins in their bran cereal, so Army public health and veterinary personnel are hard at work protecting your food.

So how do you keep them away?
The first line of defense in the battle against these pests is to spot them early and avoid bringing them home. To do this, carefully inspect food packaging for damage when shopping; don’t buy anything that isn’t completely sealed. If you have freezer space, you can also freeze your cornmeal or flour for a week after you get it home to make sure no pesky creatures hitch a ride. inside the packaging.

Once the food is in your pantry, protect your flour, baking mixes, breakfast cereals and other opened items by storing them in airtight glass or plastic containers. Make your pantry insect-friendly by regularly cleaning up spilled food and crumbs and throwing out expired food.

Be careful with high risk items.
Pantry pests love to infest dry dog ​​or cat food and birdseed. These wraps aren’t as durable as “human food” wraps, and insects can find holes, climb, and climb back into your kitchen. To keep these pests out of the pantry, store these items in airtight containers away from “people food.” Also, be sure to completely empty pet food and bird seed containers and wash them before refilling, or you risk infesting each new bag of food you add.

How do I know if I have a problem?
You can do your best not to bring pantry pests home, but it can still happen. It is important to know the warning signs of an infestation. If you see bugs in your food or pantry, you may have a problem, but sometimes the signs are less obvious. Be on the lookout for webbing (like spider silk) inside packages. If the food becomes powdery on the bottom, changes color, or smells unusual, take a closer look. Some insects can even chew small round holes in plastic packaging to get in or out, so don’t overlook the extra “ventilation” of the packaging. Whole grains and beans can also be infested, so keep an eye out for holes or hollowed-out grains that tell you a bug beat you to the grocery store.

Help, I have a problem! Apply “food first aid”.
If you spot any of the signs mentioned above or see insects crawling or flying around the packaging on your shelves, it’s time to do some more research to find the cause of the infestation. You need to find and remove the source of the pantry pests; think of it as a scavenger hunt – but with bugs as the “prize”!

Here are some “food first aid” steps you can follow:
• Carefully check all your packages of dry foods such as pasta, rice, flour, cornmeal, cereals or spices. Look for adult beetles or moths and caterpillar-like larvae. Remember that insects can chew through plastic, so you should also check unopened packaging. Some pantry pests are tiny and are very good at squeezing their way into the smallest of spaces. Bugs can sometimes be seen hiding in the seams of packaging – with you looking for them, who wouldn’t be hiding?
• Once you find the offending package, throw it in the trash.
• Check the packaging around the infested one to make sure no one has moved next door in search of a better life, and make sure all crumbs, spills and expired products are removed.
• Thoroughly clean shelves and floors to get rid of leftover food that orphan pantry pests might eat, and please do not spray insecticides in food storage areas.

What if I ate infested food? Can it make me sick?
In general, the worst thing about pantry pests is the “gross factor” of finding bugs in your food. And let’s not forget that throwing away and replacing food is expensive, especially today! Although some of these insects can make people sick if found in large numbers, most people will realize they have a problem and get rid of the food before it makes them sick.

If you think you have a problem or have a question for an entomologist, you can contact Defense Public Health Centers Aberdeen, formerly Army Public Health Center, Food Infesting Insect Mailbox at usarmy.apg .medcom-aphc.mbx. [email protected] or visit their web page with more information at https://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/envirohealth/epm/Pages/Food-infesting-Insects.aspx .

Safe shopping, happy cooking and may your food stay pest-free!

Aberdeen Public Health Defense Centers advances Joint Force Health Protection with agile public health enterprise solutions in support of the National Defense Strategy.

NOTE: Mention of any non-Federal entity and/or its products is for informational purposes only and should in no way be construed or construed as a Federal endorsement of such non-Federal entity or its products.