There is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with bugs in your home. For some reason, these gate-crashers make it to our food stores, no matter how clean we keep our kitchens. One fact that takes many homeowners by surprise is that there are certain foods that attract pests more than others. Knowing what attracts them can help you prevent them before the infestation starts.
Insects can spoil food and carry disease, and can reproduce quickly when they find a good food supply. Rodents alone contaminate or destroy about 20% of the world’s food supply. Small infestations can soon turn into major problems, which can take a toll on your family’s general health and comfort.
This guide provides simple steps to prevent pests from bothering your food, but if you have a serious problem, you may need to consider calling in a professional, like saelapest.com. A certified pest control technician can recognize entry points and deliver targeted treatments that concentrate on your particular pest issues.
5 Foods That Are Bug Magnets
Pet Food
The high protein and fat content of pet food is enticing to many types of pests, not just ants, such as cockroaches, rodents, and even larger pests like raccoons. Leaving pet food in the open overnight is especially a problem.
What to do about it: Feed pets at consistent mealtimes and remove uneaten food after 30 minutes. Keep dry pet food in a sealed plastic or metal container and not in the original bag. Keep pet bowls clean, getting rid of any buildup, and vacuum kibble off the floor. Think about raised feeding stations that crawling insects can’t get to easily.
Grains and Cereals
Pantry staples like flour, rice, cereal, and pasta are frequent targets for pantry moths, weevils, and beetles. Such items frequently come into our homes infested with pest eggs, which hatch later.
What to do: Move grains and cereal into airtight containers as soon as you get them home. Freezing new bags of dry goods for 48 hours can kill any eggs present before storage. Rotate your pantry items on a regular basis, using the older products first. Correct storage of grains, the FDA says, can prevent 90% of typical kitchen pest issues. Inspect packaging for small openings or webbing before bringing things home from the store.
Ripe Fruits and Vegetables
Fruit flies and other insects are highly sensitive to the ethylene gas that ripening produce emits, and it sends them a very powerful signal. Plants Pests are just as attracted to bananas, peaches, tomatoes, and avocados as humans are, especially as they ripen.
What to do about it: Keep ripe produce in the refrigerator instead of on countertops. For fruits that aren’t to be refrigerated, you can use mesh covers or sealed containers. Wipe up juice spills right away, and throw out things that have become overly ripe. A study shows that timely storage of fruit can result in an 85% decrease in Drosophila infestations.
Sweet Treats and Sugary Foods
Since sugar is the favored food for most other types of insects, sweet treats like candy, honey, syrup, and even spilled juice can be irresistibly attractive to ants, flies, and cockroaches. Did you know that crumbs and even dried sugar residue can invite uninvited guests to your kitchen?
What to do: Keep sweets in airtight containers with tight-fitting lids. Wipe up spills immediately, even in out-of-sight places behind the toaster or beneath the refrigerator. Before placing honey jars or syrup bottles back in the pantry, use a clean towel to wipe off sticky containers. Cleaning cabinets with vinegar solutions at routine intervals may remove sugar trails for ants to follow.
Fermented or Aging Foods
Strong-smelling foods like cheese, beer, vinegar, and other fermented products release odors that lure fruit flies and fungus gnats. The minutest bit left uncovered can attract swarms of tiny insects.
What to do: Store fermented foods in a tightly covered or sealed container. Regularly clean recycling bins, particularly if there are beer or wine bottles in them. For homemade fermented foods, such as kombucha or sourdough starters, use tight-weave cloth covers or special fermentation lids that let gases escape while keeping insects out. If you are collecting your food scraps, empty and wash your kitchen compost containers daily.
