Common Kitchen Insects: How to Get Rid of Kitchen Bugs

There's a simple reason that household pests always seem to show up in the kitchen: that's where we keep our food. Plus, there's running water and lots of great places to hide. These factors attract insects into our kitchens, where a problem that begins with a few bugs can quickly escalate into a full-blown infestation.

Have you been having problems with kitchen bugs in the Raleigh area? Keep reading to learn more about local insect species that like to invade our kitchens, and what you can do to stop them.

Local Kitchen Bug Species & How to Get Rid of Them

These are some common kitchen pests in Raleigh, along with what attracts them to the kitchen, how you'll know they're there, and how to get rid of them.

• Cockroaches
  ○ Attracted By: Roaches are voracious scavengers that can easily sustain themselves on crumbs and grease on kitchen floors and cooking surfaces. Additionally, cockroaches thrive in the dark, moist spaces beneath kitchen sinks.
  ○ Signs of Infestation: You'll likely begin to notice pellety cockroach droppings scattered around your kitchen. A large roach presence can also create a distinct musty odor.
  ○ How to Remove: Deep cleaning your kitchen on a routine schedule will minimize the risk of a cockroach infestation. You can get rid of an ongoing roach problem by placing gel baits near their hiding places.

• Ants
  ○ Attracted By: Ant infestations usually start after scouting ants discover a source of food in your kitchen, then bring their whole colony in for seconds. While ants are not picky eaters, sugary foods seem to be the biggest ant attractants.
  ○ Signs of Infestation: You'll probably begin to see lines of ants marching through your kitchen. In severe cases, there may be hundreds or even thousands of ants swarming in the kitchen.
  ○ How to Remove: Install ant bait stations in areas with high ant activity to wipe out these persistent kitchen invaders. To prevent more ants from marching in, seal entry points such as gaps around windows.

• Pantry Moths
  ○ Attracted By: Pantry moths are attracted into kitchens by dry goods like flour, cereal, rice, and pasta. These moths use dry food products as both a source of food and a place to nest.
  ○ Signs of Infestation: When you have a pantry moth infestation, you'll likely begin to notice moth webbing or larvae inside of dry goods containers. As the infestation worsens, you'll also see the moths themselves fluttering about your kitchen.
  ○ How to Remove: Throw out any food items that you believe may have been infested by pantry moths to prevent them from multiplying. Store all of your dry goods in airtight bags or containers to keep pantry moths out.

• Wheat Weevils
  ○ Attracted By: As their name suggests, wheat weevils enjoy feeding on grains, as well as other dry goods like nuts and flour. Unfortunately, weevils often arrive in your kitchen unnoticed inside of food containers.
  ○ Signs of Infestation: You might see the wheat weevils themselves crawling their way through your dry foods. Another thing you might notice is that grains appear dusty; this is the result of frass, weevils' tiny droppings.
  ○ How to Remove: If you have a wheat weevil infestation, you'll need to dispose of any contaminated items in your kitchen pantry. Thoroughly vacuum and clean off the pantry shelves afterwards to fully eliminate weevils and their eggs.

• Fruit Flies
  ○ Attracted By: When fruit gets too ripe, the resulting smell is extremely alluring to fruit flies. In addition, fruit flies often swarm around garbage disposals in kitchen sinks.
  ○ Signs of Infestation: You'll see the fruit flies themselves swarming around fruit or liquids. If there's a large infestation, you'll have a veritable cloud of tiny bugs in your kitchen.
  ○ How to Remove: You can make a do-it-yourself fruit fly trap by combining apple cider vinegar with a little dish soap. If the flies seem to congregate around your sink drain, you may need to give it a deep clean.

Experienced Kitchen Pest Control Company in Raleigh

Are you tired of trying to get rid of annoying bugs in your kitchen? Contact Sustainable Pest Systems today if you're looking for household pest control services in the greater Raleigh area! Our service area includes the cities of Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Holly Springs, and Wake Forest.