Pantry Pests in London

What or who is pantry enemy number 1 in London? The first thing that comes to mind is ants or even cockroaches. But what about weevils? Yes, that's correct the evil weevil. These pests might be small but they can cause huge damages to your food supplies.Weevils can affect the quality of the produce, resulting in wasteful disposal of food such as grains, rice, flour and pasta. Luckily these insects don't carry viruses or diseases, so there is no threat to your health.What is Weevil?Weevils are often called flour bugs because that is where they could be found easily. As a matter of fact, there are more than 90 000 types of weevils. Weevils are a type of beetle with an elongated snout. Most of them are less than 0.25 inch in length. Usually, their colour is grey or brown.How do Weevils get In Your Food?Like most pantry pests, weevils infest whole grains, beans, rice, cereals, corn, nuts and seeds. These pests live and feed inside the food. The female weevils chew a hole into the grain or seed and lay eggs inside and then seals up the hole, leaving the eggs behind. When the eggs are hatched, the larva will feed on the meat inside until it is fully grown. The weevil life cycle is up to 8 months.What To Do If You Have Weevils Infestation In Your Pantry?The most common sign of weevil infestation is finding larvae, which is most likely to be found in grains, tea bags and cereals. In case you have weevils infestation you have to dispose of the food. Next thing is to find the source of the contamination, which might be another food container. The key to eliminating the problem is finding the original source.After finding the source of the contamination and removing all of the infested food, you must take everything from the pantry and vacuum it thoroughly. Make sure every corner and crevice is cleaned. You can wipe down all cupboards with natural cleaners such as tea tree oil or vinegar.5 Tips To Prevent Infestation-Store food in insect-resistant containers made from plastic or metal-Keep your pantry and cupboards nice and clean all the time-Don't mix new fresh food with an old one-Always clean out the food containers before refilling-Keep your pantry and cupboards dry as weevils love moisture.