The 9 most common kitchen bugs are:
- Weevils
- Dermestid beetles Ants
- Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
- Confused Flour Beetle
- Indian meal moth
- Cockroaches
- Ants
- Firebrat
- Silverfish
These pests can certainly cause some distress when found near our stored food. Some of these pests can transmit serious infectious diseases and eating foods that have come into contact with these pests can be extremely harmful.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
- How do bugs get into our kitchens?
- What problems can kitchen bugs cause?
- In-depth descriptions of each bug.
- What signs to look for in case of infestation?
- How to manage an infestation of kitchen bugs.
- What, if anything, can be done to prevent infestations in the future?
How do bugs get into our kitchen?
According to Safeguard, our pantries and cupboards can be particularly susceptible to infestations of bugs because we tend to not move the contents of our cupboards around very often at all.
These pests will lie there undisturbed, growing in numbers, until the day you reach for that bag of oats or flour, and find tiny bugs everywhere.
Stored cupboard pests are generally brought into your home accidentally from buying flour and other cupboard products that have been contaminated.
Other pests, like ants and cockroaches, are attracted to food spillage and the lights inside the house.
What problems can kitchen bugs cause?
Having bugs in your kitchen is unsightly and causes a huge ick factor. Not only that, but certain bugs can also carry diseases.
House flies, for example have been known to transmit over 100 different pathogens. Cockroaches can spread 7 human pathogens, 33 different types of bacteria and 6 different parasitic worms.
How can I tell which pest is which?
Each pest has its own description, habitat, and lifecycle. Let’s start with stored food pests.
Stored food pests
Stored food pests usually come home in infested packages of cupboard foods, like rice, wheat, and flour.
- Weevil
Weevils, often called flour bugs, because that’s where they are usually found, are a type of beetle. They are easily identified because, unlike other pests, they have an elongated snout.
There are over 97,000 distinct species of weevils, including rice weevil and granary weevils. They are generally small blackish/brown beetles. An adult rice weevil can fly.
2. Demisted Beetles
These beetles are known as scavengers and feed off of animal hides and wool, However, three different species, the black carpet beetle, the larder beetle, and the varied carpet beetle feast on stored cupboard foods.
They vary in color from browns to almost black, as well as size and shape. The larvae are recognizable by the tufts of long hairs which stick out from their bodies.
3. Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
This is the most common kitchen pest. It’s a slender, brown, and flat beetle approximately 1/10 inches long. Its name is derived from the 6 points sticking out of its thorax. Both the adults and larvae feed on a variety of dried foods.
Eggs are laid in food and then hatch 3 to 5 days later. The larvae mature in about two weeks. Then pupate and emerge as beetles in about a further week,
4. Confused Flour Beetle
A reddish-brown beetle about 1/7” long, this beetle has minute punctures decorating its head and thorax area. This beetle is similar to the Sawtoothed Grain Beetle, but its life cycle takes about six months, start to finish.
The Confused Flour Beetle feeds on all types of grain, flours, cereal products, beans, peas, and spices.
5. Indian meal moth
Often referred to as the pantry moth and is considered widely to be the most problematic pest that infests stored food. They attack all cereal products, whole grains, nuts, dried fruit, even pet foods.
These moths are grey in colour, about 5/8-inch wingspan, and their outer forewing has a coppery-reddish-brown colour. You will notice an infestation due to their larvae which spin thin webs to help gather food particles to eat.
Spilled food pests
Spilled food pests are bugs that come in from outside while foraging for food.
- Cockroaches
Cockroaches are not technically considered a pest, but they are not a fun thing to find roaming your kitchen. They usually come in from outdoors due to the lights.
The most common variety is the German cockroach which is slightly over 1/2” long. This cockroach is brown, with two black parallel lines, which run just behind its head. They do have wings, although they rarely fly.
Cockroaches feed on all manner of food and even things, like glue, feces, and makeup so it’s not just your leftovers that are tempting them inside.
7. Ants
If you have ants in your house, chances are you have a nest of them nearby outside your house. General small black ants are known as ‘odorous ants’ or ‘nuisance ants ‘.
They are good at climbing walls, you can see them not just in your kitchen, but pretty much anywhere in your house.
They usually have established colonies outside your home and are foraging for crumbs on your kitchen floor and in your cupboards. They are also looking for water. There are also carpenter ants.
Carpenter Ants
If you see large, mostly black ants, then you have Carpenter ants. Carpenter ants play a vital role in the ecosystem by getting rid of decaying trees, however they can be a real issue when it comes to your house.
They use the wood to build their nests and forage for food at night.
8. Silverfish
Silverfish are attracted to spilled food but they also enjoy book bindings, rayon fabrics, wallpaper paste. Silverfish are silver-grey to a greenish color with a three-tail-like structure.
In the wild, silverfish live in leaf litter, under rocks and logs. They are attracted to damp, dark places, which is why they find their way into your home.
They are no more than ¾ of an inch long. These creatures live anywhere between 2-8 years, and they have long antennae.
9. Firebrats
Firebrats are similar looking to silverfish, but they are a brown colourcolor instead of silver. Unlike silverfish, firebrats prefer warmer temperatures.
You are most likely to find them in boiler rooms or near ovens. They like to eat things high in starch and carbohydrates, but they too also enjoy glue, book bindings and non-food things similar to silverfish.
What are some signs of a kitchen bug infestation?
More often than not, you will not notice an infestation until you go to use the item. However, there are some things that might tip you off.
You might notice small brown beetles, worms, or moths on your kitchen worktops, in your cupboards, or near any cracks or crevices.
Other signs include:
- Discolouration of your flour
- Small holes in your packaging
- Foul smell
- Webbing left by the pantry moth larvae
- Little flour tracks made by traveling insects
If you spot any of these, it’s really important that you investigate your cupboards thoroughly, including any unopened packages because even those could be infested.
How to deal with an infestation of kitchen bugs?
The first step is to investigate thoroughly to figure out what sort of infestation you have. If it’s a storage cupboard pest, seal the infested item in a plastic bag and put it in your outside bin, not the kitchen bin, lest you end up with returning bugs.
Then clean the cupboard thoroughly and transfer any non-infested food to airtight jars and containers to help ensure no pests can get to them.
Keep a close eye for a couple of weeks, as storage pests can go a couple of weeks without food.
If it’s ants or other bugs that forage for spilled food the best thing is to be sure to vacuum your floors regularly and clear up spilled food. Seal up any cracks or crevices to prevent them from entering your home.
Most people also enlist the help of a professional pest control person to help eliminate unwanted bugs permanently. This is because generally, these pests are so hard to eliminate without some professional help.
What can you do to prevent an infestation of kitchen bugs?
The single best way to prevent an infestation of kitchen pests is to maintain a clean and tidy kitchen. Make sure you keep your countertops, oven, cupboards, and floor clear of all food debris.
Another clever way is to put pantry items that will be stored for a long time, like flours and large bags of rice, into airtight containers. This will stop bugs from getting into your flour.
Make your house bug proof by sealing any cracks or crevices. Make sure all doors are fitted properly and all holes around pipes or cables that breach the outside walls of your house.
Conclusion
Kitchen bugs can be a real pain for you. Weevils, pantry moths, silverfish, cockroaches, and ants can wreak havoc in your homes.
Kitchen bugs live in stored food and enter from outside. Remember to keep your kitchen tidy. Putting your flours, grains, and rice in airtight containers can help prevent infestations.
Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:
Tiny Black Bugs In Kitchen? What They Are And What To Do!Small, Tiny White Bugs in My House – What Are They?
How Do I Get Rid of Little Black Bugs in My House? 3 Easy Steps
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