If you don’t prevent pests in the pantry, they’ll eat whatever food they can access, and they often spoil it in the process. We’re not talking about two-legged pests that you can keep out with threats of punishment, but much smaller ones that fly or walk on four, six, eight or more legs — specifically bugs and rodents.
These marauders sometimes seem to have magical powers to get at your provisions, but it’s more opportunism than it is magic. They’ll exploit any small passageway they can find to get to your food, and sometimes they’re already in the food before you store it. If keeping them out feels like a battle you’re losing, these tips from pest control experts, cleaners and a home inspector will help you prevent pests in the pantry and put you back on the winning side.
Store Food in Airtight Containers
If you want to keep pests away from your food, it’s a no-brainer to store it in a sealed container, but cleaning expert Isabella Flores reminds you that the type of container matters. “Insects such as weevils and moths will easily destroy cardboard and paper packaging to get to the inside of your dry goods, such as flour and rice.”
She recommends glass, metal, or heavy plastic containers, but home inspector Ahmed Harhara advises sticking with glass or metal. At our house, we’ve had mice chew through plastic containers, so I agree with Harhara.
Keep the Pantry Clean
“Wipe down your shelves, sweep and vacuum around corners and immediately wipe up spills or open packaging. Crumbs and spills attract pests,” advises Flores. She recommends cleaning every area and shelf of your pantry thoroughly once a month. Move all of the items off the shelves for cleaning or vacuuming. Also, avoid storing trash in the pantry. “It’s a magnet for rodents and bugs.”
Seal Off the Entire Pantry
Your pantry may look like a sealed space to you, but it looks very different to tiny critters that can crawl through gaps too small for you to see. “There’s no point trying to hunt for every tiny gap,” says pest expert Nicole Carpenter. “Instead, just seal the entire perimeter where walls meet the floor. Vacuum everything first, then run a thin bead of caulk along the seams where the wall meets the floor and in every corner joint.”
Don’t forget the door. If you can see light when it’s closed, pests can definitely pass through. Solve this problem with weatherstripping and a door sweep at the bottom.
Freeze Grains and Flour Before Storing Them
This recommendation is from Joseph Passalacqua, who owns a cleaning service in NYC: “I recommend putting items you don’t use often, like specialty flours or seeds, in the freezer for about three days before placing them in the pantry. This helps get rid of any hidden bugs or eggs that might still be in the packaging and keeps the food safe from future infestations.”
Check Storage Boxes for Sneaky Pests
“It’s not uncommon to find pests hiding in boxes that contain goods and bulk items,” warns entomologist Daniel Baldwin. If you move boxes from other parts of your home into the pantry, be sure to check them for pests such as rodents, cockroaches, or silverfish. Be wary also of boxes you bring home from the grocery store. Unpacking them, checking them thoroughly and repacking them will help prevent pests in your pantry.
Avoid Shelf Liners if Possible
“Small crumbs, dead insects, and other debris can collect under shelf liners, creating a tasty buffet for pests,” says Baldwin. That’s a good reason to avoid them, but you may prefer to use them anyway, because they help prevent items from slipping off the shelves. If so, go for smooth ones instead of textured ones. “Textured liners might seem fine at first, but they trap crumbs and give pests quiet spots to hide or lay eggs,” says Passalacqua. “Smooth liners wipe clean in seconds, making it easier to spot dirt and help your pantry stay fresh and organized longer.”
Get Rid of Contaminated Food
If you find a pantry infestation, such as from pantry moths, it’s important to discard all contaminated food. “Be sure to closely inspect all food not in sealed cans or jars, including pet food, unopened products, spices and seasoning packs,” advises pest control expert Scot Hodges. “Larvae can chew through boxes, plastic bags, foil packaging, seed hulls, nutshells and more. Once all contaminated food has been removed, clean the infested area thoroughly with a vacuum and soap and water.”
Keep the Pantry Dry
Besides food, bugs and rodents also need water, and if they find it your pantry, that may be enough to keep them coming back. “Most people focus on cleaning, but the real trigger is moisture — it softens packaging and accelerates food spoilage, which attracts insects fast,” says Harhara. If you have a moisture problem, he recommends improving ventilation, if possible, or deploying a dehumidifier or moisture absorber.
Try Natural Deterrents
A number of natural deterrents can help prevent pests in the pantry. Several experts recommended peppermint oil. It’s non-toxic and creates an environment that pests, especially rodents, don’t like. Baldwin recommends mixing a few drops with water in a spray bottle and spraying the solution wherever you see pest activity. You can also soak cotton balls with the mixture and spread them around.
Lavender also works, according to Flores, who also says that a good way to keep pantry bugs away is to put a few bay leaves in containers of rice, flour or grains. If you have an especially vexing problem with mice, try spraying a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water along the baseboards. This is a little intense, but according to Baldwin, “a vinegar-treated pantry can feel confusing and inhospitable to them,” and that’s often enough to keep them away.
Deploy Live Traps for Rodents
Mice always seem to be one step ahead of your best efforts and may still find a way to get into your pantry. The way we deal with them at my house is to deploy live traps baited with peanut butter along the baseboards. When we catch one (and we’ve caught a lot), we release it in the state park several miles away. Be sure to wear gloves when handling the trap, warns Baldwin, “to minimize scent transfer and, more importantly, to protect yourself from germs or bites, as mice can pose health risks.”
Use Bug Traps for Flying Insects
Live traps won’t catch fruit flies, gnats, moths or mosquitoes, but sticky traps and light traps will. A sticky trap is simply a piece of sticky paper that captures small insects that land on it when you place it on a surface or hang it from a wall. A light trap does much the same thing, but it actually attracts bugs with a soft UV light when you plug it into a wall outlet. Neither type uses insecticides, and both are safe to use around food.
About the Experts
- Isabella Flores is a professional organizer and Cleaning Expert at Sparkly Maid San Diego.
- Ahmed Harhara, PhD. is an engineer and the Founder of Houston Home Tools — a data platform that helps residents understand neighborhood-level environmental and housing risks.
- Nicole Carpenter the President of Black Pest Prevention, a company that helps with pest control in Charlotte and serves both North and South Carolina.
- Joseph Passalacqua is the CEO of Maid Sailors Cleaning Service, which operates in New York City.
- Daniel Baldwin is an entomologist with over two decades of experience. He’s the current Vice President of Technical & Training Services at Hawx Pest Control.
- Scot Hodges is the Vice President of Professional Development and Technical Services at Arrow Exterminators, which operates throughout the Southern U.S.
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