Pests in Food FAQs

Common signs of food insects may include finding damage, adult insects (small moths or beetles), larvae, pupae or silken webbing on food storage bins on shelves or holes on the outside of packets and bags.

Infestations in your home can be contained quite easily by removing the source of the infestation in a manner that will not disperse the infestation and sealing all other susceptible food sources. Removal and cleaning of any crumbs and other food material that may have accumulated inside and under cupboards, shelving and in cracks and crevices.

Yes. In order to control insects within food, the infested food must be removed or destroyed in a manner that it will not disperse the infestation, and / or treated in a way that presents no hazards in its end use.

Pests in food, also known as Stored Product Insects (SPIs), covers a very large range of insect species. Some of these include:

Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia kuehniella)
Biscuit Beetle  (Ahasverus advena) 
Booklice (Various species - Liposcelis bostrychophila, Lepinotus patruelis) 
Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne) 
Merchant Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus Mercator) 
Rice Weevil (Sitophilus Oryzae)