Even well-maintained homes can be infested by pests. Pests cause a range of problems, including allergic reactions and asthma, staining of fabric and paper, and the spread of diseases like rat-bite fever and plague.
Pest Control Fort Worth TX prevention methods are key to reducing or eliminating household pests. Sanitation is a powerful tool, especially when used alongside decluttering and storage practices that deprive pests of their food sources.
Stored-Food Pests
There is hardly a pantry or food storage area in the world that is immune to some sort of pest infestation. These bugs can come in on untreated products from the field, or infest old products that have been stored for a long time. No one pest infests foods; it is usually a combination of moths, beetles, and weevils. These insects attack whole grains and cereals, as well as flour, dried fruits, and pet foods. Their damage can be quite serious, costing the industry millions of dollars in lost sales annually.
Infestations of these bugs are usually a result of poor insect screens and door seals, so it is important to repair torn doors, window screens, and attic vent screening. In addition, caulking cracks and crevices around the home are important.
Keeping food items stacked neatly in closed cabinets, drawers, and pantries prevents easy access to them by insects. Regularly cleaning the pantry and storing unused goods toward the back of cabinets also makes them less attractive to these insects. Keeping trash receptacles tightly closed and removing debris, leaf piles and dead weeds from around the house will limit hiding places for these pests.
Clutter in the kitchen, basement, and garage provides harborage for these insects as well. Eliminating these cluttered areas will eliminate hiding spots for these pests and make them more vulnerable to baits and aerosols. Regularly putting out fresh baits in these areas will also deter them from gaining entry.
When using pesticides, always follow label instructions. Keep children and pets away from areas where pesticides have been applied, and be sure to use them only in the spaces they are intended. Use baits, granules, or other control measures first, and only resort to chemicals when all other methods of prevention have failed.
Some of the least toxic household pesticides can be effective against these pests. Space sprays and liquid products containing the active ingredient pyrethrins are some of the most effective control products against stored-product pests. Other effective household pesticides include eucalyptus oil, mint oil, and tea tree oil.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are a serious problem in homes, apartments, and multi-family buildings. They feed on human and animal blood and can cause skin welts and extreme itching. They are excellent hitchhikers and can travel between dwellings, so a single infestation can quickly spread to multiple rooms and even the entire building. They can also transmit diseases to people through their feces.
The most common way that bed bug infestations start is when someone brings them home from work or a public place, such as a school, movie theater, or hospital. They then migrate to other rooms where people sleep, such as bedrooms and living areas with couches or sofa beds. Once in a room, they can crawl on ceilings and walls, making them hard to detect and eliminate.
Before a pest control specialist can effectively treat an outbreak, the occupants of an infested apartment or home must cooperate with the exterminator. This means eliminating excess clutter that offers hiding places for the bugs and allowing access to infested rooms and furnishings. In addition, residents should vacuum their rooms and furniture with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum cleaner.
HEPA-filtered vacuuming can remove many allergens and pathogens associated with bed bugs and their droppings. In addition, residents should be instructed to wipe down all surfaces with a disinfectant, such as isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol.
During the treatment process, all mattresses, pillows, and box spring covers should be removed. Bed bug interceptors, which are plastic, dish-like structures, can be placed under the legs of a bed or upholstered furniture to prevent the bugs from climbing up and around the leg. Interceptors should be checked every 1-2 weeks and wiped down with a cotton ball dabbed in talcum powder to keep them functioning properly.
When the pests are gone, it is important to continue monitoring for signs of recurrence. These might include the presence of live or dead bugs, fecal spots on bedding and harborages, or a distinct, musty odor. It is also important to review a pest control company’s service plans to ensure that all possible infestation sites are addressed and treated.
Flour Moths
Flour moths (Ephestia kuehniella) are pantry pests that feed on flour and other grain-based foods. They also infest dried fruit, mushrooms, and other food items. Moths are a serious problem in food processing facilities, where they can cause costly damage to machinery by chewing through materials.
The moth’s life cycle begins when a female lays eggs on or near the food it is infesting. Eggs can be deposited on food in specks or sticky clumps that are often difficult to detect. The moth larvae then chew through the material to feed on it. The moth’s larval feeding creates silken threads and webbing that can be seen in the food product. Larvae then spin cocoons to pupate, which are often hidden in the cracks and crevices of pantry walls or ceilings. Once pupation is complete, adult moths emerge from the cocoons. The moths mate and lay more eggs, continuing the cycle.
Infestations of this common kitchen and pantry pest can quickly become severe if the correct steps aren’t taken to eradicate them. To protect your food, move bulk foods to sealed plastic or glass containers as soon as you bring them home from the grocery store. Discard any contaminated items immediately and wash all packaging before reuse.
Regularly sweep and vacuum your pantry shelves to remove any moth eggshells or webbing that might have fallen onto the food products. Organize your pantry so that items are stored together, making it harder for moths to spread from one item to another. Use pheromone traps for flour moths or natural repellents around your pantry to deter this storage pest.
The North American high-flyer, also known as the pantry moth, weevil moth, or Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), is a common household pest of cereals, flour, corn starch, pasta, breads, dried pet food, dry dog and cat food, bird seed, dried flowers, spices, nuts and other plant-based food stuffing for pillows and upholstery. The moth can be found in a wide range of homes, but it is especially problematic in industrial settings, where it can contaminate large quantities of expensive food products.
Flour Beetles
The confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum) and the closely related red flour beetle are common pests of stored food products, including flour. These beetles lay eggs in tight spaces around the foods they infest and both larvae and pupae feed on a wide variety of food materials. The confused flour beetle has a very flat body that is well adapted for crawling into cracks and crevices. Its antennae are longer at the tip and resemble a club shape.
Infestations can be a serious problem for people who bake, especially if they use whole wheat flour which tends to spoil more quickly than white flour. They also give off a foul, odor and encourage the growth of mold in grain products. Infestations of grain and food products can be very difficult to get rid of once established.
The larvae of the confused flour beetle feed on a broad range of food products, including cereals, breadcrumbs, cake mixes, nuts, grains, rice, oats, pet foods, spices, dried fruits and flowers, cottonseed, tallow, lard, and wool. This beetle prefers dry foods and does not feed on meat, fish, or vegetables. It can also infest animal feed which can then contaminate livestock and poultry, making the animals reluctant to eat.
Adult beetles are light to dark brown and are also flat in shape, allowing them to crawl into narrow spaces. They have three pairs of legs and a forked projection on the last segment of their bodies. Unlike the red flour beetle, this beetle does not fly.
Control of the confused flour beetle is primarily a matter of sanitation and eliminating the food attractive to these insects. Regularly inspect and vacuum shelves in cabinets, pantries, and other food storage areas. Make sure that the products you store are not more than a few years old, and that they have been sealed in airtight containers. Use sticky traps to monitor the level of insect activity in your pantry and food storage area.
While IPM programs are designed to eliminate the need for chemical application, this cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of the customer. Keeping stored foods in airtight, dry containers and cleaning and disinfecting the pantry and food storage area will make the environment unattractive to these and other household pests.