No one is immune to having an infestation of bugs that get into the food in the pantry.

When a bug is spotted on the shelf or in food, it is important to know how to get rid of them and what can be done to decrease the chance that it will happen again.

“The first sign that you have pantry pests is the presence of small brown beetles, moths or worms in your cupboards or even on the kitchen counter,” said Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

These bugs can come from a lot of places. They can be brought home in a package bought at the grocery store. They can even fly in the house through an open door or window or crawl through the tiniest crack.

Two of the most common types of pantry bugs are grain and flour beetles and flour moths.

The grain and flour beetles are small flat brown bugs. They like to eat flour, cornmeal and cereal.

“You can also find these pests in your dry dog and cat food and even nuts, candies and dried fruit. These bugs do not like light and will move away when a container is opened. They multiply rapidly so you may see a large number of them,” said Roberts.

Flour moths are one of the most common pantry pests in Missouri. Damage to food is actually done by the caterpillars and not the mature moth according to Roberts.

The caterpillar is only about one-half inch long and can be off-white, greenish or pinkish. They leave a “thread” trail along anything they move over which forms webs across the infested food.

To get rid of these unwanted bugs Roberts says to begin by removing all food from the shelves and sealing any infested food in an airtight bag before discarding. Use a vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean shelves.

“It is especially important to use the vacuum cleaner because these bugs like to get in tiny cracks and crevices in your pantry. Make sure you dispose of the vacuum bag in another airtight container so the bugs don’t come back,” said Roberts.

There are several ways to help protect your kitchen from pantry pests.

“For starters, buy only small portions of grain foods if you don’t use them that often. Store susceptible foods in airtight containers and don’t buy opened or crushed packages. They are more likely to be contaminated,” said Roberts.

It is also a good idea to remove all food from your food storage area once per year for a thorough cleaning.

For more information on nutrition issues, contact any of the University of Missouri Extension offices in southwest Missouri, go online to http://extension.missouri.edu or contact one of the two nutrition and health education specialists working in the Ozarks: Tammy Roberts, (417) 682-3579 or Terry Egan, (417) 866-3039.