Stored Product Pests
Clothing Moth
Appearance
About 3/8-inch long. Cream, with a tuft of red hair on the top of the head. The larvae are white. Larvae will be found on fabrics among thin sheets of webbing that they spin to shield themselves. They often leave strands of silk on fabrics they infest.
Habitat
Clothes moths tend to stay confined near clothing, which makes them easier to control.
How do they affect you?
Fabric pests such as clothes moths, although not particularly dangerous, can sometimes cause irreparable damage to personal belongings. These moths are able to digest animal hairs and, therefore, feed on almost any item made of natural fibers, particularly wool and cashmere.
What can we do?
We Stress do not store boxes of clothes in the attic, garage or basement, if possible. If clothing must be stored in boxes, thoroughly clean the boxes before storage and seal all corners and openings with tape. Prior to storage, clean woolen and natural fiber clothing according to the manufacturer's instructions. In closets, store natural fiber clothing items by covering them with individual plastic covers. Consider storing clothing in large zippered plastic units. Clothing Moths are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
Appearance
1/8” brownish yellow in color. Two antennae, with six teeth located on each side of its body.
Habitat
Stored product beetles are found, in stored products! Cereal, pasta, dried fruit, sugar, candy and tobacco are some of the many products that this beetle will feed on. They are not attracted to light, and do not fly.
How do they affect you?
These pests will do a lot of damage to food. They are responsible for over damaging 10% of stored products in the United States a year.
What can we do?
There is not much you can do to prevent these pests. They can chew through boxes and enter the container from there. Keep all grains and loose food in plastic containers. If an infestation is found it most likely started at the manufacturing process. Sawtooth grain beetles are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
Cigarette & Drugstore Beetles
Appearance
Adults are very small, brown to reddish, with the head tucked under the overhanging pronotum. The Cigarette beetle is shinier, more rounded, with antennal segments all small and equal in size. Life cycle completes in about one month, with both larva and adult actively feeding.
How do they affect you?
Drugstore and cigarette beetles are two of many "stored product" beetles. Infestation can destroy both food and nonfood items. Look for these beetles in stored dried food, bulk food, dried flowers, arts & crafts, decorative items, and fur. Even small amounts of infested food can quickly result in major infestations of these nuisance insects.
What can we do?
We recommend do not store large quantities of dried food products for long periods of time. Check bulk food carefully. Discard dried flowers or crafts items at the first sign of infestation. If you have had rodent problems, be aware that rodents will store food in walls and ceilings and that this stored food often causes major infestations. These beetles are covered under our Seitz Brothers Pest Control Home Protection Plan.
As part of our pest control service, we have 3 PA locations
covering places like Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton at our Trexlertown
location in the Lehigh Valley; or Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Stroudsburg at
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at our Tamaqua Headquarters in Eastern and Central PA. We also service other parts
of PA, New Jersey and New York. Call today to schedule an appointment and see
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