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Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,197
Registered: ‎07-29-2014

Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home

[ Edited ]

12 Mistakes That Make Your Kitchen More Attractive to Bugs

 

If you want a pest-free kitchen, the name of the game is CLEAN.
                                                                                                                   
You’ll be more successful in deterring bugs if you keep crumbs and food waste to a minimum.   
                                                                                 
So, to keep insects out of your kitchen, don’t make these careless mistakes.
 

BobVila.com        May 15, 2019

 

 

  1. Not Running the Dishwasher Regularly
  2. Bugs In Dishwasher

     

    Even if you rinse dishes before you put them in the dishwasher, there is bound to be food residue left behind that will be a beacon to bugs. Sure, dishwashers are well sealed to keep water from coming out, but it’s no problem for little six-legged critters to find their way in.

     

     

  3. Leaving Dishes in the Sink
     
    Bugs In Sink

     

    A sink of dirty dishes is like a smorgasbord for bugs. Don’t put off doing the dishes. Wash all your plates, pots, and pans immediately after each meal if you want to avoid attracting an army of insects to the kitchen.

     

  4.  
  5. Using Cardboard Boxes for Storage
     
    Bugs In Cardboard Boxes

     

    Cardboard boxes are good for deliveries, but they’re not the kind of thing you should rely on for storage purposes. Because they’re corrugated, they provide lots of lovely little spaces where cockroaches and other insects can lay their eggs. When those eggs hatch in your home, you’ve got a heap of trouble—and plenty more bugs! Put cardboard boxes in the recycling bin as soon as you finish unloading them.

     

     

  6. Leaving Crumbs on the Table
     
    Crumbs Attract Bugs

     

    Be sure to wipe down tables thoroughly after clearing all the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. Any crumbs left on the table are a potential food source for a host of bugs.

     

     
  7. Not Sealing Food Tightly
     
    Bugs In Food

     

    Open containers of cereals, crackers, pasta, rice, and even bagged flour and sugar are major bug-attractors. At the very least, roll the interior bag down a few folds before clipping it closed with a clothespin or chip clip. It’s best to keep loose grains, flour, and sugars in airtight canisters or containers, or at the very least to seal an opened bag in a large zip-lock.

     

     

  8. Not Taking Out the Trash
     
    Garbage Bugs

     

    Just as you shouldn’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, you should not let the trash can get too full. It’s best to seal it tightly and take it out at the end of every day.

     

  9.  
  10. Leaving Out Leftovers
     
    Storing Leftovers

     

    Put away any leftover food as soon as the meal is over. If you don’t, you're just inviting bugs to set up camp.

     

  11.  
  12. Not Wiping Down the Counters and Stove
     
    Tiny Black Bugs In Kitchen Countertop

     

    Just as you should clear the dishes off the table after every meal, you should also wipe down the counters and the stove after every meal too. Any crumbs or spills you leave will be an irresistible temptation for the six-legged set.

     

  13.  
  14. Not Sweeping Regularly
  15. Sweep Kitchen Floor

     

    Crumbs and stray pieces of food are bound to go wayward during meal prep, and some of them will inevitably end up on the floor. After you wipe down the counters, do a quick sweep of the kitchen floor at the end of the day. That will go a long way toward reducing the food supply for any unwanted critters.  

     

     

  16. Not Wiping Down Bottles
     
    Bugs In Syrup

     

    If you don't wipe down bottles, particularly syrup bottles, before you put them back into the pantry, you’re making a big mistake. Any sticky residue left behind on bottles and containers can be a food source for bugs.

     

     

  17. Ignoring Your Appliances
     
    Bugs In Coffee Maker

     

    Don’t leave for work before emptying out the grounds from your coffee maker. While you wouldn’t think old coffee grounds would be a desirable food source, plenty of bugs would be happy to take up residence in there and chow down.

     

     

  18. Not Rinsing Recyclables
     
    Clean Recycling

     

    Those last few sugary drops left in a soda bottle can make a scrumptious meal for insects. Do yourself a favor and rinse your recyclables out before putting them in the recycling bin. Not only will you discourage bugs, but you'll tamp down odors too.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,685
Registered: ‎07-21-2011

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen

Excellent tips.  

kindness is strength
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,857
Registered: ‎06-24-2012

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen

This is ALL exactly what I do, and it works.  I can NOT stand a bug in my house.  I also do not keep grabage in my garage.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,902
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen

'Tis the season. Time to be extra vigilant.

I will add one more: do not store dry pet food in the house, even in sealed containers, if possible. That brought pantry moths in my walk-in pantry in the past. Now I am fortunate to have an attached garage, and that's where the sealed pet food stays.

If you must store it indoors, place the bag or it's contents in a heavy duty resealable food grade container and reseal immediately after serving your pet(s).

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,930
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home

[ Edited ]

Never had any problems with any kind of bugs in the kitchen.

We see an occasional spider in the house but that's it. 

You won't find anything on your list like that in my house. LOL!!! I'm a clean freak.

Never have left dirty dishes in my kitchen sink not happening. 

My dad told me when we got married not to store stuff in the house or attic in cardboard boxes because the glue attracts insects.

I remove everything from the kitchen counters & wipe it down & appliances with clorox wipes once per week. I use the clorox wipes daily but remove everything weekly.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,389
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home

I can't stand bugs, and have only ever had an ocassional spider, or fly here and there.....I keep a super clean house, and am very particular about kitchen and bathrooms......

 

It is amazing how little things like the above mentioned can be a problem, but it can........

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,310
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen

I have ants every spring, so far none this year but when I did there were no crumbs, dirty dishes, etc on the counter top or sink, and I always used a squirt of bleach on the countertops...nothing worked until I used the terro ant spikes outside under the kitchen window, never saw another ant after that.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,869
Registered: ‎09-08-2010

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home

Great tips. Need to send these to my daughter. Cat LOL

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,857
Registered: ‎06-24-2012

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home


@Nightowlz wrote:

Never had any problems with any kind of bugs in the kitchen.

We see an occasional spider in the house but that's it. 

You won't find anything on your list like that in my house. LOL!!! I'm a clean freak.

Never have left dirty dishes in my kitchen sink not happening. 

My dad told me when we got married not to store stuff in the house or attic in cardboard boxes because the glue attracts insects.

I remove everything from the kitchen counters & wipe it down & appliances with clorox wipes once per week. I use the clorox wipes daily but remove everything weekly.


HeartHeartHeart clorox wipes.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,219
Registered: ‎07-27-2015

Re: Tips for a bug-free kitchen & home

Interesting tips...especially the one about the dishwasher. I always run the cycle with hot water and wipe the top off but never thought about bugs being able to get in through the dishwasher.