One of the most disturbing things you may discover in your house is bugs inside your food. Have you recently opened up a box of bread crumbs, cereal, or a spice jar and found bugs in it? Not only is this horrifying to see this, but it may leave you wondering if all of your food is infested! When this happens, there are several steps you can take to eliminate the problem and make sure that your food is free of bugs.

Throw Away All Contaminated Food

The first step to eliminating the problem is getting rid of any food that is contaminated, but that can be a problem. It's hard to know which foods the bugs are in, and you may want to play it safe by throwing everything away, or you can through away any foods you suspect are contaminated.

The bugs that you are likely to find in your foods can include:

• Indian meal moth – this is often called a pantry moth because it invades food.
• Beetles – there are a number of different species of beetles that you may find, including the cigarette beetle and the weevil beetles.

Moths and beetles both tend to take over foods such as:

• Cereal
• Rice
• Dried beans
• Crackers
• Flour
• Spices
• Dog food

To clean up your pantry, you should inspect all food items, even the ones that are sealed shut. You should throw away any that are contaminated and any that you suspect are contaminated. The next step is to remove everything else from the pantry and wipe down all the shelves. You may want to use a bleach product to do this, and then you should let it dry overnight before replacing the items.

Hire an Exterminator

It's hard to know why this problem exists in your home, and it can be hard to eliminate. These types of pests start out as eggs. They then develop into larva, pupa, and adult pests. To truly feel better about the situation and know for certain that the problem is solved, you may want to call in a professional pest control company.

A pest control company may suggest several different options for eliminating the bugs, and this may include:

• Pesticides or insecticides – these chemicals will kill the bugs, but they can also be harmful if they are sprayed near food sources. Your exterminator might recommend leaving the pantry empty for a few weeks after treatment. This time period will allow the bugs and eggs to die, and it will give the area time to ventilate.
• Traps – your exterminator can supply you with traps that will catch pantry moths, but the traps may not be effective for catching beetles. These traps use sex pheromones to attract the pests, and they are an effective treatment option.

Exterminators are good at killing all types of bugs, but you may also be able to take additional steps to prevent them from coming back.

Safeguard Your Panty

There are two additional steps you should take to keep the pests away:

1. Seal your foods – place every food you have in an airtight bag, jar, or container. This will help prevent the bugs from getting in and living off of your food.
2. Use natural repellants – you can place a few drops of essential oil in your pantry to repel the bugs, and you could use citronella, tea tree oil, or eucalyptus. Bay leaves are also known for stopping bugs like this.

Finding bugs in your food is alarming, and you may wonder how long they have been there. Once you discover that you have this problem, take these three steps to protect your food and family, and make sure you hire a reputable pest control company like Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control to receive the best service.