The Pests That Sneak Into Your Kitchen

the pests that sneak into kitchen

Most pests at least have the common courtesy to hide in your basement most of the time. Not kitchen pests, though. Oh no. Kitchen pests are a special kind of upsetting. They come after YOUR FOOD. You could end up biting into your favorite snack only to find something… considerably less appetizing inside.

Yeah. That’s just untenable. The last thing you want to is to be paranoid about the food you eat every day. To avoid that situation, you have to do everything you can to keep pests out of your kitchen. We’re here to help. These are the four most common kitchen pests in Michigan, and how to keep them out of your food.

Indian Meal Moth

There are several species of pantry moths that will wreak havoc on your stored food. The most common and problematic of these pests is the Indian meal moth. Indian meal moths lay eggs in dry, stored food like cereal, bread, and sugar. When these eggs hatch, Indian meal moth larvae feed on your food continuously. In the process they produce waste and excrete a fine, web-like silk. Indian meal moths inflict a surprising amount of damage to your food, and they inflict it surprisingly quickly.

Indian meal moths generally get into your home when you accidentally bring them in on food packaging. Adults are brown or tan and tend to blend in with brown paper bags or packages. Larvae can chew through cardboard and some plastic, and often sneak into boxes. Check your groceries carefully before you bring them inside. Don’t buy food items with damaged packaging. Clean your pantry regularly to prevent crumb build-up and clutter.

fruit flies

Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are attracted to organic foodstuffs that’s ripe, fermenting, or moist in any other way. The food that attracts fruit flies constantly produces a thin film of moisture that coats its surface. Fruit flies lay their tiny eggs inside this thin layer of moisture. A single fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs, and the flies complete their life cycle very quickly. Unfortunately, that means fruit fly infestations grow rapidly. Virtually any amount of food moisture will foster fruit fly eggs.

To keep fruit flies out of your home, you have to deprive them of nesting environments. Pay close attention to where you’re keeping your food. Never leave fruits or vegetables sitting out in the open for extended periods of time. Store fruit and vegetables in their appropriate fridge cabinets, and keep them in bags. Clean surfaces thoroughly after preparing meals and eating. Fruit flies are also attracted to garbage, so make sure you take your garbage out regularly.

Cockroaches

The most common cockroach in Michigan is the German cockroach. Roaches are attracted to dark, moist areas where they can feed in peace. Generally, you’ll find them under your sink or in and around your garbage. They may also congregate around spills or puddles you didn’t find fast enough, especially in your pantry. Roaches contaminate any food they come into contact with. They’re also capable of spreading potentially dangerous pathogens like E. Coli.

Roaches are attracted to moisture, especially in dark and messy places. As always, garbage duty should be your first consideration. Make sure you store your garbage in a tidy, sealable plastic bag. Thoroughly rinse and dry food containers before you throw them away. You should also clean out the space beneath your sink frequently and check for leaks or puddling. Cockroaches don’t need much moisture, and they’re very attracted to humidity. Keeping your kitchen clean will help keep them away.

rodent in kitchen

Rodents

Yes, every home’s eternal nemesis is also a particularly common kitchen pest. Rats and mice find hidden or secluded routes through your home into your kitchen. They follow utility pipes, squeeze through holes in cabinets, or just run beneath furniture. Once they reach your food, they chew holes through packaging to munch on whatever they can. In the process, they often contaminate a lot of food at once. Rodents can also carry and transmit diseases.

Rodents will pretty much always be able to smell your food, but you can stop them from getting it. Keep your stored food in airtight, hard plastic containers. Clean out your cabinets and pantry frequently to prevent crumbs. Wipe down kitchen counters and dining tables after every meal. As always, take your garbage out frequently, and make sure you don’t leave any behind. Patch up holes leading into your food areas, especially around pipes and other utility lines.

If you find a pest in your kitchen, it’s important to act fast. The longer you wait, the more extensive kitchen infestations tend to become. There’s also the psychological factor: no one deserves to be afraid of their own food!

Next time you notice a pest in your kitchen, give Griffin a call right away. We’ll be able to identify the full extent of your infestation and wipe it out just as quickly. You’ll be able to go back to using your kitchen without preparing meals for any unwanted guests.

The Indian Meal Moth in Michigan

Close-up of an Indian Meal Moth

At first, the Indian meal moth probably doesn’t seem like that scary a pest, all things considered. It doesn’t look big or dangerous, it’s not destroying your home, and it’s not biting you while you sleep! If that’s how you feel, then consider yourself lucky. If you’re not afraid of Indian meal moths, then you’ve probably never encountered one… in your food.

Food-infesting pests are a special kind of scary. You might accidentally eat them. It’s gross. Indian meal moths are one of the most notorious food-infesting pests in Michigan. Every year, they infest thousands of Michigan cupboards and pantries. You don’t yours to be one of those pantries, trust us. Here’s everything you need to know to make sure it won’t be.

What is an Indian Meal Moth?

Indian meal moths are a common stored food pest insect in Michigan. The name “Indian meal moth” references the fact that it frequently feeds on cornmeal (or “Indian meal”). Adult Indian meal moths are around ⅝ to ¾” long, reddish-brown or copper-colored torsos. Their wingspan is about ½” long. The wings are also copper-colored, but they have a distinctive light tan or grey-colored top section. When Indian meal moths aren’t flying, they fold their wings together along their bodies.

Indian meal moths actually spend a good deal of their lives in their larval or caterpillar form. These larvae are a very light, clear white, yellow, pink, or greenish shade, with a brown head. They start very small and grow consistently longer. Mature larvae grow to around ½ to ⅝” inches long. They often crawl along sheer walls and produce a silk which they spin into cocoons. An Indian meal moth’s entire life cycle completes in about six weeks.

What do Indian meal moths want?

What Do Indian Meal Moths Want?

Contrary to popular belief, adult Indian meal moths lack mouthparts and can’t actually eat anything. Instead, they only live long enough to reproduce and lay their hundreds of eggs. Adult meal moths lay their eggs on (or in) any number of food sources. That way when these offspring hatch, they’ll have food to eat right away. Indian meal moth larvae actually do all the eating–and damage–that you’ll want to watch out for.

Indian meal moth larvae feed on all kinds of stored dry pantry foods. They’ll eat cereal, pasta, bread, sugar, flour, cornmeal, pancake mix, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, cornmeal, and more. Larvae eat constantly until they’ve stored enough energy for adult metamorphosis. Often, they’ll eat their way inside the food they’re feeding on. When they’ve feed enough, larvae spin themselves into cocoons made of a fine silk. Pupation and metamorphosis takes around 30 days. When it’s finished, an adult moth emerges and the cycle begins again.

Where Do Indian Meal Moths Come From?

There are two common ways Indian meal moths infiltrate homes. Either they get in through regular access points, or homeowners inadvertently bring them in themselves. Like all moths, Indian meal moths are attracted to light at night. They may fly toward home lights and, in their confusion, accidentally enter homes through cracks in window and door frames. Moths often enter homes by flying through damaged window screens during the summer time.

More frequently (and upsettingly), however, Indian meal moths get inside your home by stowing away in your food. Meal moth larvae can be very difficult to see, particularly when they’re young. They often eat their way inside the food they inhabit, so they’re not visible from the outside. Many meal moths work their way inside food boxes, as well. Homeowners buy this food and bring it inside. From there, the meal moths can spread to other food sources in their pantries.

How can I prevent Indian meal moths?

How Can I Prevent Indian Meal Moths?

The best way to prevent Indian meal moths is to pay close attention to the food in your pantry. Store all your dry goods in airtight, hard plastic containers. Take cereal out of its cardboard boxes and transfer the bag into hard plastic. Keep pasta boxes inside hard plastic containers. Make sure you fasten the lids of these containers tightly whenever you’re not using them. Clean out your pantry itself frequently, as well, to prevent crumb buildup.

If you’re worried you have pantry moths, take all the food out of your pantry. Thoroughly scrub down the shelves and walls of the pantry. Look for cocoons, silk, or other signs of moths. Then, examine the food itself for silk or signs of damage. Pull apart bread or other foods larvae or eggs could hide in. Throw out all the food that Indian meal moths could have infested. Both at home and when you’re shopping, watch out for food with broken packaging.

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If you’re worried you might have an Indian meal moth infestation, don’t panic! Just clear your pantry and give Griffin a call right away. No matter how big or entrenched your infestation may be, we will root it out and eliminate it permanently. Call us, and we’ll make sure you can get back to enjoying your food bug-free.

Keeping Pests Out of a Restaurant

Dead cockroach on a restaurant linen

A pest infestation is pretty much every restaurant owner’s worst nightmare, and it’s not hard to understand why. Running a restaurant is an unbelievable amount of work. It combines all the trials and tribulations of running a business, and adds food preparation and customer service besides. Imagine losing all that blood, sweat, and tears because of a bug!

Unfortunately, pest infestations are one nightmare that’s all-too-real. All kinds of pests are especially attracted to restaurants. They’ll do whatever it takes to get at the food and shelter waiting for them inside. Keeping them out is just one more important job a restaurant has to do. Luckily, it’s not as hard as you’d think–and certainly not as hard as many other aspects of restaurant management. By keeping these four tips in mind, you’ll go a long way toward keeping your restaurant pest-free*:

Watch the Garbage

manage your restaurant's garbage carefullyGarbage management is probably the single most important way restaurants can prevent pest infestations. Restaurants have more garbage to worry about than just about anywhere else. Not only do you have your kitchen’s garbage, but you have to manage your customer’s, as well. When food spoils, the smell and liquids it produces attract pests like nothing else. Flies, moths, roaches, and even rodents all flock to the smells of rotting food.

Making sure pests can’t smell rotting or spoiled food is your top priority. Pay careful attention to where all your garbage ends up. All solid garbage (food, containers, etc.) should go into sealable, airtight plastic bags. Throw these bags out at least once a day, and ideally twice. Be especially careful with liquid waste, such as grease. Never pour grease into drains or let it collect in the garbage. Rinse out all garbage bins and dumpsters at least once a month.

Clean the Drains

Clean your restaurant's drains regularlyIt’s all-too-easy to depend on your drains, especially in the hectic restaurant world. You just pour the whatever-it-is down the drain and move on to your next task. The whatever-it-is is gone, and you can keep working! It’s perfect, right? Unfortunately, that’s not really how it works. The stuff you pour down the drain often stays in the drain, where it can rot, congeal, or build up. Before long, you could have a nasty clog–or worse.

All the gunk that builds up in your drain does just cause clogs, either. It can also provide a suitable and consistent source of food for pests. Drain flies and all kinds of other frustrating pests are attracted to drain gunk of all kinds. Some types of drain fly even lay eggs inside or near drains, which makes them a long-term problem. You should have your drains professionally cleaned once a season, or whenever you notice a problem.

Mind the Gaps

Make sure your restaurant's entrances seal properlyUnfortunately, this is another situation where restaurants are at a disadvantage. Think about how many doors and windows your restaurant has. There’s the front entrance for sure, a back entrance, probably a supply entrance, any emergency exits, and more. Pests can use these entrances, too. Then there are the restaurant-specific access points to worry about. Pests can come down ventilation just as easily as smoke and food smells can escape.

Try to figure out where pests could get in. Start by examining thresholds. Make sure all your doors seal properly and snugly. Replace any damaged sealant or weatherstripping immediately. Look for cracks and gaps near window and door frames, and feel for drafts. Remember: some bugs only need the tiniest gap to get in, so you have to be thorough. Check the perimeter from the outside and the inside. Use caulk to fill in gaps. Make sure all your vent systems have appropriate grating and screens.

Clean Spills

Keep an eye out for hidden spills or leaks in your restaurantThis probably seems obvious to you, but spills can be tricky. We’re not just talking about the ones out on the dining floor. We’re talking about the spills that can go overlooked. The tiny leaks in the employee bathroom. The condensation pooling in the corner of the freezer or outside by the HVAC. The grease ring around the floor drain in the kitchen. Pests don’t need much moisture to survive, and they’ll use whatever you give them.

Liquid spills are a particularly big deal for pests, because many bugs lay eggs in liquid. If you think a fly infestation is tough to deal with now, try a multi-generation infestation. To prevent a nightmare like that, you have to become a spill-eliminating machine. Figure out where moisture tends to build up and dry it out as frequently and completely as possible. Keep an especially close eye on customer’s sugary drinks.

 

Running any business is tough work, but running a restaurant is a whole new level. If you’ve made it this far, there’s no way a few pests are going to be your downfall. As long as you and your team follow these tips and work together, you’ll keep the pests at bay.

If ever things are getting out of hand and you need a little help, you can always call Griffin. We’re always ready to help you reclaim your business as effectively and discretely as possible. Keep fighting the good fight!

Fending Off Fruit Flies: A How-To Guide

Fending off Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are a perfect storm of small, fast, persistent, and hardy. They love to creep into your kitchen and make their home on overripe fruit, unwashed dishes, and similar sweet places. Nobody wants bugs in their banana bread!

That’s why we put together this list of five easy fruit fly prevention practices. Following these easy steps will help make sure those annoying bugs don’t make your home their home.‍
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Keep rotten fruit out of your home

This is the most obvious answer to the question, “How can I prevent fruit flies?” Fruit flies, unsurprisingly, love rotting fruit. It’s what they most enjoy eating and it’s the reason they have the name they do. Any fruit that is past ripe should be cleaned up, bagged up, and taken out.

Make sure your drains and garbage disposal are free of food waste

Fruit flies love food waste, and drains and garbage disposals are popular places for food build-up to occur. Remove their potential food source by maintaining their cleanliness. Slow drains are usually a sign that there’s a clog or build-up.

In many cases, that clog or build-up is made up of the sort of organic materials fruit flies love. Pouring boiling water down problem drains can help loosen up these clogs, but if they’re still problematic afterwards, it’s best to call a professional and have them cleaned.

Clean out your recycling and garbage bins

When you drink a canned beverage and then throw it in the recycling, it’s never completely empty. There are always a few drops left. If your recycling bin isn’t lined with a bag, those few drops can build up. When they do, they’ll attract fruit flies.

Using trash bags in your recycling bin is one way to help prevent this. You should also regularly wipe and clean out all bins so that there isn’t a chance for icky sticky sweetness to collect. Cleaning your bins will be a big step toward keeping fruit flies away from your home or business.

Rinse dishes and cups as soon as you’re done using them

Do you see a theme with all our suggestions? Staying on top of cleaning food waste is the number one defense against fruit flies.

That extends from drains to bins to your dishes themselves. Never leave half-empty cups sitting around, and rinse your dishes before setting them in the sink to keep pests away.

Replace any old sponges or mops

Fruit flies are kind of gross. They’ll live in whatever filth they can find, as long as there’s a little sugar or moisture nearby. We recommend replacing the sponges you use for washing dishes in your kitchen at least bi-monthly, because these sponges are another place where their preferred food waste can hide.

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Even if you try your best, sometimes things don’t go your way. If fruit flies have moved in despite your best efforts, you can call on the experts at Griffin Pest to get them taken care of quickly and permanently.