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.

Rentokil’s solution for control of stored product insects follows three phases:

Reducing the probability that stored product pests enter the premises by implementing methods to discourage and exclude pests which includes high standards of sanitation and hygiene.

Regular vigilant inspections and monitoring of premises and incoming stock with the use of monitoring devices such as pheromone lures and traps.

Control using approved pesticides, fumigants or techniques utilising controlled atmospheres such as high temperatures to prevent, manage and eliminate pests.

Learn more about how our stored product pest management can help to get rid of pests in food.

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:

• Indian Meal Month Plodia interpunctella
• Almond Moth Cadra cautella
• Tobacco Moth Ephestia elutella
• Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia kuehniella
• Rust-red Flour Beetle Tribolium castaneum
• Khapra Beetle Trogoderma granarium
• Confused Flour Beetle Tribolium confusum
• Foreign Grain Beetle Ahasverus advena