The kitchen is always the heart of every home, as it’s often filled with love, family, and delicious food. While the aromas of cooked meals and fresh fruit from your kitchen can bring together your family and friends, unfortunately, these are not the only hungry creatures that might find their way into your kitchen. Your kitchen can also draw the attention of unwanted visitors looking for a quick snack or meal.
Pests, including rodents, ants, and cockroaches, are often attracted to the food in your kitchen. These pests can contaminate your food and spread diseases when not adequately controlled. To keep these pests out of your kitchen, it’s important to know the common kitchen pests you may encounter and the necessary steps to prevent them from getting into your home.
Here are the common kitchen pests you should be aware of in your Kansas or Missouri home:
Rodents
Mice and rats are the most common type of rodents that invade homes. They can enter through small cracks and holes, and once they’re in, they’ll start looking for food. These pests can contaminate your food and spread diseases, so keeping them out of your kitchen is essential. If you see signs of rodent infestation, you can try and slow down the problem by finding and sealing the entry points immediately and setting traps inside of crevices and rodenticide baits outside your home. This can help with your peace of mind and can kill some time until the rodents are eradicated. But as soon as possible, you need to contact your local pest control, who will eliminate the problem through and through and let you relax in your home once more.
Signs of rodents infestation include:
- Rodents droppings in cabinets, under the sink, and near food packaging
- Holes chewed through the walls and floor
- Holes or signs of chewing on food packaging
- Rodent nets made from materials like fabric and shredded pepper
Ants
Ants are also a common type of household pest. They can enter your home through cracks and crevices and are attracted to food, particularly sugary spills and stains. Like rodents, ants can contaminate your food and spread diseases. Causes of ant infestation include dirty garbage, leaking pipes or faucets, food leftovers, and grease or sticky residue on the counters, stovetop, and food containers. If ants infest your kitchen, contacting a pest control professional is essential to ascertain the situation.
Signs of an ant infestation in the kitchen include:
- Ants crawling on kitchen counters and in pantries
- Ant hills in the yard
- Swarms of ants around your home
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are one of the most common and unwelcome household pests. They’re attracted to food and water, and they can spread diseases. Cockroaches can also trigger allergies and asthma attacks in some people.
Signs of a cockroach infestation include:
- Cockroaches crawling on kitchen counters and in pantries
- Cockroach droppings
- Scurrying bugs when switching a light on at night
- Swarms of cockroaches around your home
If you see any of these signs, check the room immediately, clean scraps and dust from surfaces and floors, and attempt to seal the cracks, crevices, and holes where cockroaches might enter. You can also try to eliminate them with home remedies like baits and other eco-friendly pest control treatments. But if the infestation is severe, you’ll need to call a pest control professional.
Flies and Bugs
Flies and bugs in the kitchen are more than just a nuisance; they contaminate food and spread diseases like dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever. Grease, moisture, food, and other organic matter will attract flies infestation in the kitchen, but they can be prevented or eradicated.
To prevent flies and bugs from getting into your kitchen and multiplying:
- Locate and eliminate their breeding site
- Regularly sanitize drains, equipment, and trash cans or dumpsters
- Use microbial foam gels, liquids, or sprays and insecticides labeled for kitchen use
Brown Recluses
If you live in Kansas City or the Kansas City metro area, you might have already seen a brown recluse spider. This pest is among the creepy crawlies you may find in Missouri and Kansas. While Brown recluses prefer to hide in quiet and dark places like closets or cabinets, as they seek an undisturbed place to build their nest, they will attack and have an incredibly venomous bite if disturbed. A brown recluse bite is dangerous, causing necrosis (tissue death) in the area surrounding the bite, and requires medical attention.
To prevent brown recluses, maintain a clean, tidy home. If you find a brown recluse in your home, don’t panic. They are not aggressive creatures and won’t attack unless contacted. Nevertheless, it’s important to call pest control to eliminate brown recluses from your home due to the toxicity of their venom. A brown recluse infestation requires an extensive treatment plan to get rid of the infestation, which DIY products alone can’t fix.
Pantry Pests in the Kitchen
Moths, Indian meal moths, saw-toothed grain beetles, and rice weevils are pests with a particular affinity for stored grains, cereals, and other dry goods in the pantry. They are often introduced into the home through infested food packaging. Signs of pantry pests include small bugs in the kitchen cabinets or on walls and ceilings and unpleasant odors or secretions in cabinets.
To prevent pantry pests infestation in your kitchen:
- Keep the pantry and other storage areas clean
- Eliminate food sources responsible for the infestation
- Treat cracks and crevices with insecticides safe for kitchen use
Bottom Line
Keeping your kitchen clean and germ-free is vital for your health and preventing infestations of pantry pests. To ensure your kitchen is pest free, try and keep a clean kitchen, wipe up food spills quickly and check your kitchen for any cracks or crevices in the walls. If you think you have a pest or insect infestation in your kitchen, it’s important to look for ways to eliminate the problem fast by getting in touch with Advantage Pest Control.
Get assistance from Advantage Termite and Pest Control in Kansas City. We are the experts in pest elimination and extermination and are happy to give your kitchen pests the boot! Contact us today and let our professionals take care of your pest problems in your kitchen, yard, and home.
