Common kitchen bugs and how to kill them

In the world of bugs, there are many considered to be common house bugs for homeowners; this is especially true for bugs in the kitchen that like to infiltrate the area in search of food and water. These kitchen bugs carry germs, bacteria, and disease, so eliminating them is a priority. While there are times you can use over-the-counter sprays, bug strips, bug sprays, and natural remedies to clear your house of common kitchen bugs, with a severe infestation, it’s best to hire an experienced pest control service.

Ants

The tiny bugs in the kitchen that you see scurrying around is most likely an ant species. These may include Argentine, pavement, or odorous house ants. Regardless of which type has conjured a plan of action to acquire food, you will want them to move their base elsewhere out of your home. If large black ants are winding their way around your countertop, stove, and inside the cabinets, they are probably carpenter ants. They, too, get hunger pangs and thrive on a variety of food items, including sugary products such as honey, syrup, jelly, and cookie crumbs, as well as invading a pet’s food bowl, which may contain dry food or a combination of dry and canned food. Carpenter ants are also meat-eaters. Ants may be interesting to watch as they are organized, with each having a job to do. They are diligent, intelligent, and in the case of ant hills and underground dwellings, adept engineers. One thing the Argentine, pavement, and odorous ants have in common is their voracious appetites. Each has specific items that they are drawn to, which narrows down the type that is infesting your home. The pavement and Argentine ants enjoy a diverse menu of items that include bread, meat, and cooking oil. Odorous house ants have a penchant for sweets. Ants usually set up their nest in an area that has easy access to moisture. In the home, this can be near leaky fixtures under the kitchen or bathroom sink, in the laundry room, and near water pipes running inside the walls. All provide access to moisture, which they must have to survive. A good place to start to eliminate ants is in the kitchen; look for areas where moisture is present and fix the problem by caulking around cracks and crevices where ants can enter and repair any leaking pipes or hoses.

Cockroaches

By far, cockroaches are one pest that has earned its reputation as a common kitchen pest. They are adept at survival and masters of travel using any opportunity such as newspapers, cardboard boxes, and other items where they can hide while being transported into your home. Eliminate opportune food sources by keeping counters free of spills, remove pet food bowls when they’ve finished, seal cracks, use bait traps, and sprays to get rid of random cockroach sightings.

Fruit Flies and Tiny Black Bugs

As the name implies, fruit flies are attracted to fruit; this can be a banana peel in the garbage can, apples in a bowl on the kitchen counter, and bits and pieces of fruit remaining in the garbage disposal. Avoid fruit flies by storing items in the refrigerator, refrain from leaving exposed food on the counter, and keep the lid tightly secured on the trash can, or, if you use trash bags, secure them with a twist tie to keep bugs out. It’s also a good idea to periodically clear out any leftover residue by frequently running your garbage disposal. If you see tiny black bugs hovering around the drain in the kitchen sink, that is a clear sign of a problem. These bugs are interested in the dark, damp recesses of the drain as a place to lay eggs. Not only does it supply a source of moisture, but also a readily available food supply from food debris that has built-up in the drain. In the case of drain bugs, the drain itself needs to be cleaned and cleared of buildup by using a brush. To carefully scrub the sink’s piping, start at the top and clean the u-trap. Clean the u-trap by unscrewing it from the pipe, so there’s nothing for the bugs to feed on.

Pantry Pests

With pantry pests, you may see signs of an assortment of small bugs in the kitchen and pantry area. These may be a form of pantry moths, weevils, or beetles. These pests thrive on items such as flour, grains, rice, cornmeal, bread, and pancake mix, for example, and are found in cabinets and pantries where the items are stored. Removal of the damaged goods is the first step in eliminating these pests since the food items will contain eggs laid by the pest. Once you see these pests in and around your packaged food products, you will most likely need to throw out the food stored in the pantry and cabinets. If the items have been opened and stored in plastic containers, these may be infected, as well, with eggs. You will need to carefully check all packages for any signs of the pest or their eggs. If found, throw the items away and thoroughly clean the kitchen, pantry, cabinets, and storage containers where the food was stored. A thorough cleaning is necessary, as the pest larva may be located outside of the infested area. An added precaution is to carefully check the packaged items before buying them to check for signs on the store shelves or the packaging that pests are present. After purchasing items, you can place them in the freezer for a short period, which will kill the larva before it has a chance to mature and create another infestation. If you see bugs in the kitchen, do a home assessment to determine the type of bug, where they’re located, and when you see them most often. Once you have this information, contact a professional pest control service to remove the pests quickly, efficiently, and permanently.