In a recent TikTok video, a woman's holiday baking spree came to a halt when she discovered bugs in her flour. While initially alarmed, the woman was also intrigued. What are they? Where did they come from? How did they get into the container?
There are many kinds of bugs, or pantry pests, that could infest your baking ingredients like flour, oats, and even dried fruit. And they are quite common–even in the cleanest kitchens! These pests can be brought into your home with infested packages of food. Since these insects and their eggs are very small, they are easily overlooked. You might not notice you have a pantry pest infestation until you see...
If you have insects invading your kitchen or pantry, or if you've ever opened stored food products and discovered pests inside, you'll want to watch this new video from UC IPM. It describes several types of pantry pests, foods they are attracted to, and includes steps on how to prevent, manage and eliminate them from your home.
For more detailed information, read the Pantry Pests Pest Note. You can also read an article about pantry pests in the Retail and Garden Center IPM News at
- Author: Steven Swain
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
[From the July 2015 issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News]
Pantry pests sometimes find their way into our homes undetected and can infest stored products like flour, cereal, pasta, dried fruit, nuts, and even pet food. Often, by the time these pests are noticed, they have infested and contaminated foodstuffs and may already be reproducing in your home, making management difficult. Below are some tips to help you clean up, monitor, and prevent pantry pest problems.
What are Pantry Pests?
Beetles and moths are the two...
