How to Remove Bugs from the Kitchen: Ants and Weevils

Have you ever found small brown insects in your flour or ants in your sink and pantry? These pantry pests are a common problem, but that doesn't mean you have to share your space and food with them! Learn how to get rid of pantry ants and weevils, and how to deter them from coming back.

What Attracts These Pests?

What attracts weevils: Weevils are attracted to whole grains and water sources. These small brown beetles with long noses can make their way into your kitchen by sneaking into bags of flour, rice, or grains during packaging. They lay their eggs there to give their larvae easy access to food when they hatch. Larvae can be much harder to detect than grown weevil beetles; that’s why it’s important to cook these food products before consuming them.

What attracts ants: In the kitchen or pantry, ants enter in a much different way than weevils. Ants can easily slip through cracks around your doors or windows on their quest to find a viable food source.  An ant infestation typically begins when a worker ant finds a food source inside and then communicates their finding with the rest of the colony. If they find crumbs or spills in your pantry, they'll be back with their whole crew!

How to Get Rid of Weevils and Small Ants in the Kitchen

Ants and weevils may arrive and multiply quickly, but they're not invincible. Learn how to get the problem under control!

Here’s what to do if you have a pantry pest problem:

1. If you notice weevils in flour or ants congregating in a cupboard, first, take everything out of the pantry so you can inspect it.
2. Throw away contaminated food. If you don’t think a bag of flour or grain has been infested, we recommend still taking extra precautions by freezing the product to kill any pests and cooking the product before consuming it.
3. Wipe down your pantry shelves with a mixture of hot, soapy water and white vinegar. This will remove traces of food or ant scent trails. The vinegar smell will also help deter the pests from coming back.
4. Once your pantry is sparkling clean, transfer your dry goods (rice, flour, cereal) to airtight containers.  Try glass jars or plastic containers with secure lids, as ants and weevils may try to come back looking for food.
5. Finally, remove bugs you can see, and set traps for the rest. Ant traps are widely available in stores. Weevils are harder to trap, so it’s best to vacuum up the ones you see. Setting out small trays of water, or even sticky moth traps, may trap some remaining individuals.

And here’s how to get rid of ants in the kitchen sink:

1. Wipe down the area around your sink using diluted white vinegar. Clean the countertop, faucet, drain cover, and backsplash.
2. Fix faucet leaks promptly. Leaks are a steady source of water for ants.
3. Avoid leaving food and drinks exposed or unsealed. Clean up spills right away.
4. Place bowls of white vinegar or lemon juice near the ant trails to disorient the ants with the strong scent. Alternatively, spray diluted peppermint oil or sprinkle cayenne pepper around entry points.
5. Be consistent with your chosen method, and you should see results within a few days or weeks. If the infestation is relentless, consider using store-bought traps.

Ants and flour weevils aren’t the only pests that can wreak havoc in your kitchen! Moths can also infest stored food. Learn how to identify and deter pantry moths in our related article.

If your pest problem persists, or if you’d like someone to do the dirty work for you, hire a professional cleaning service from The Cleaning Authority and get the job done right!  

Stop the Bugs while They’re Still Outside

The best way to avoid an infestation inside is by deterring pests outside! Nothing deters outdoor pests quite like a professional insect control spray. Mosquito Squad’s traditional barrier treatment kills pests on contact and then continues to protect the area for up to 21 days. While our pest professionals can’t prevent a weevil from sneaking into food at a factory or store, we can manage ant populations and more with professional pest control services. Pair reliable professional pest management with regular kitchen cleaning habits and proper food storage, and you’ll successfully maintain a bug-free kitchen and pantry.

Contact the Squad today at (877) 332-2239 or request a quote online.