“I keep finding bugs in my kitchen” is something we hear all the time. Most people believe the kitchen is the most problematic area of the home for pests.  I would have to agree, we get numerous reports about pests being in the kitchen more so than any other part of the house.

The kitchen is an assembly area for a lot of bugs, insects, and rodents who are seeking food to eat, water to drink, and shelter from outdoor weather conditions. So what are the most common bugs, insects and rodents you will find in the kitchen?

What Are The Most Common Kitchen Bugs, Insects, and Rodents?

Although there can be different types of bugs throughout your house, a select few will always find a way to your kitchen and make themselves at home. It’s a good idea for you to know what to expect when it comes to bugs living in and around your kitchen.

Ants, cockroaches, flies, rodents, and pantry pests are the five most common kitchen bugs, insects, and rodents to be on the lookout for.  Be on the lookout for each of these and take immediate action if you see them crawling or flying around your home.

How To Identify Kitchen Bugs, Insects, and Rodents

Ants

Ants in the home can be problematic. From time-to-time, you will see an army of ants marching in a single file line around your kitchen. They can enter your house through tiny cracks and crevices. But most often they take a more direct route into your kitchen by traveling through open doors and windows. The three species of ants you are most likely to see are:

* It’s important to note, the only health risk associated with these ants is they can contaminate your food and water by leaving their body waste behind.

Cockroaches

One of the last things you want to see is brown cockroaches crawling around where you eat and cook. They are by far one of the most common kitchen bugs you will ever see. When it comes to kitchen pests more people are concerned about roaches than any other bug, insect, or rodent and rightly so because roaches are not okay to have around.

Roaches can spread disease and contaminate your food. So if you see any around the house, don’t scream or step on them. Later on, I will tell you how to get rid of roaches. Only 5 of the 69 species of roaches in the United are frequently found in the kitchen.

Flies

I hate to see flies in the kitchen and dislike hearing the sound of them buzzing around my ears for hours on end. They can be very annoying, to say the least. Do you feel the same way about the kitchen fly? So what is it exactly about the home that flies are so attracted too?

They are mainly attracted to your rotting fruit, meats, and vegetables. But they do find other foods and situations in your kitchen appealing too.  They like the smell and contents of your trash can.

If you leave dirty dishes in the sink they like this just as much as any food you leave out uncovered for them to land on and feed off.  The two most common flies you have to worry about are

• Housefly
• Fruit fly

House flies are annoying nuisance insects for sure but they don’t bite. However, they can cause major problems. They can carry dangerous bacteria like E. coli and salmonella and infect your food supply. This can make you and your family sick.  Fruit Flies are small, pesky, and hang around to feed off of decaying fruits and vegetables.

Rodents

Next to cockroaches, the last thing you want to see is a mouse or rat scurrying across the floor in your kitchen. Everyone is afraid of being bitten, which makes small mice and larger rats the scariest pests of all. They are a significant threat to your health and property too.

Rats and mice carry disease — hantavirus, salmonella, and plague. They also chew and gnaw through just about anything and can cause significant structural damage to your home.  Rodents can easily squeeze their way into your home. Mice are contortionists and can fit through holes the size of a dime.

Pantry Pests

Your cabinets and pantries are not off-limits to pests. They can easily squeeze through cracks and crevices to gain entry to your pantry supplies.

If given enough time and under the right condition pantry pests like beetles and moths can eat through your stored packaged products. They are after food items such as grains, flour, cereals, crackers, dried fruit, pet food, nuts, seeds, and spices.

Why Are Bugs Insects, and Rodents Attracted to Your Kitchen?

Pests are like humans and all other living creatures. They need food, water, and shelter to survive which makes your home an ideal place to be. Kitchen bugs, insects, and rodents have access to all the essential elements they need for life and reproduction all in one place.

So they don’t have to go very far to get the things they need to live and multiply. This means if they set up in and around your kitchen they will not want to leave. You will have to use force to get them out or make them go away. Take control of the situation.

How to Get Rid Of Kitchen Bugs, Insects, and Rodents

So far you’ve learned that ants, cockroaches, flies, moths, and rodents are the most typical kitchen bugs. You now know how to identify these bugs, insects, and rodents and understand why they’re interested in your kitchen.

At this point, it’s time you discovered how to do away with kitchen bugs, insects, and rodents.

Source: PCT

Related Questions

What are pantry bugs? “Pantry bugs” is a name given to beetles and moths. These insects feed off dry food products and dog foods that are stored in your kitchen cupboards and pantry.

What bugs can get in your house? If given access and opportunity nearly any bug can get inside your house. That said, the most typical household bugs are ants, bed bugs, beetles, cockroaches, dust mites, fleas, spiders, rodents, termites and ticks.

How do I keep bugs away from my porch light at night? To control and keep bugs away from your porch light at night you should switch to an LED or yellow bulb. These types of lights are less attractive to bugs of all types. You could also hang an electronic bug zapper nearby. Bugs and insects would be drawn away from your porch light to the bug zapper.