If you discover any kind of animals in your or your company’s kitchen, especially in food, it is necessary to examine where the animals come from. Most of the time, the animals come from bags of grains, flour, dried fruits, spices, almonds, and nuts, that have not been touched for a long time. It is important to react on pest in food stuff. Various insects can infect food stuff, contaminate products, and cause damage.
Some animal species spread through pipes, while other species live in the environment. This means that the animals not necessarily have evolved in the food, and there may be other reasons for their presence. If there are other reasons for their presence, such as high humidity, special control methods must be used – Those special control methods are not described below.
Common food pests
Among the most common pests in food stuff, you will find:
- Skin beetles (typically in dry feed for cats and dogs)
- Skin beetles (typically in dry feed for cats and dogs)
- Bread beetle
- Flour mites
- Merchant grain beetle
- Saw-grained beetle
- Rice flour beetle
- Indianmeal moth
- Tobacco beetle
Pest control in kitchen foods
First and fore most it is important to examine all contaminated food stuff and discard them. If an item is simply suspected of being attacked, it can be saved by heating it at 60 degrees for an hour or 80 degrees for a few minutes. In addition, the food stuff can be placed in a freezer for a few days at -18 degrees. All three control methods will kill the insects and all stages of them.
Then thoroughly clean shelves, cabinets, and drawers. Vacuum all cracks and crevices and remove any shelf paper before cleaning. You may be tempted to wash the area with water, soap, or ammonia, but this does not affect the pests. This may have the opposite effect, as added moist will benefit them. In most cases, thoroughly cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is enough.
Since the pests can spread far and wide, you can still encounter the animals after the treatment for a period. For this reason, it is essential that you also take measures preventing pest infestations.
In some cases, it may be necessary to use insecticide. This will quickly reduce the number of pests. It is important that you only use insecticide which are approved for the purpose. Follow the instructions and be aware that not all insecticides may be used in areas where food is handled and stored. You can read more about this on the product label. Typically, the insecticides will be some sort of varnish, powder, spray, or aerosol. Remove all food stuff and then use the insecticide in kitchen cabinets and drawers as well as along panels, between wall and cabinet, at pipe penetrations and in other areas where it is not possible to vacuum.
Prevention of pests in food
As mentioned, it is essential to prevent pest infestation in food stuff. To prevent attacks, all food stuff should be stored as cool and dry as possible. It is an advantage to use closed plastic bags and containers with air-tight lids. If there are food stuff that are rarely used, it is a good idea on a regular basis to check them for pest.
If the kitchen has previously been infested with pests, it is recommended to purchase smaller amounts. It is also an advantage to store the exposed food stuffs inside the refrigerator until the pests have been completely removed.
Make sure to vacuuming in cracks and crevices as well as at panels, as this removes stray pests. To be sure that new pests are not brought into the kitchen again, foods such as almonds, nuts, grains, and flour can be placed in the freezer at -18 degrees for two days before the products are placed in the drawer or on the shelf. By doing this, you minimize the risk of new pests.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)