Pests of spilled food and beverages are insects that consume foods and beverages that have absorbed into fabrics, often resulting in damage. These pests also include insects that regularly feed on food scraps that have collected in various indoor areas, particularly beneath kitchen appliances and within furniture crevices. Pests of spilled food and beverages often damage furniture upholstery, carpeting, clothing, and bedding, and they include Dermestid beetle species like carpet beetles and furniture beetles. Spilled food and beverage pests that are not typical fabric pests include cockroaches, ants, silverfish, firebrats, and occasionally termites when it comes to cellulose materials like paper that have been stained with food or beverages.
In Massachusetts, black carpenter ants, red carpenter ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants, ghost ants and little black ants are common pests of spilled food and beverages. Ants that forage indoors usually originate from outdoor nests, but nearly all ants that seek out human foods are capable of establishing nests within homes, typically within dark and inaccessible areas like wall voids. Indoor and outdoor nests where ant pests of spilled foods and beverages originate must be destroyed, and perimeter insecticide treatments can serve as a barrier that will prevent further invasions into homes. However, ant control methods differ from species-to-species, as some ant pests are well controlled with sweet baits, while others can only be effectively eliminated by means of multiple control tactics. Because of this, professional pest control expertise is often necessary when dealing with ant pests.
What Are Spilled Food And Beverage Pests, And How Can They Be Controlled?
Pests of spilled food and beverages are insects that consume foods and beverages that have absorbed into fabrics, often resulting in damage. These pests also include insects that regularly feed on food scraps that have collected in various indoor areas, particularly beneath kitchen appliances and within furniture crevices. Pests of spilled food and beverages often damage furniture upholstery, carpeting, clothing, and bedding, and they include Dermestid beetle species like carpet beetles and furniture beetles. Spilled food and beverage pests that are not typical fabric pests include cockroaches, ants, silverfish, firebrats, and occasionally termites when it comes to cellulose materials like paper that have been stained with food or beverages.
In Massachusetts, black carpenter ants, red carpenter ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants, ghost ants and little black ants are common pests of spilled food and beverages. Ants that forage indoors usually originate from outdoor nests, but nearly all ants that seek out human foods are capable of establishing nests within homes, typically within dark and inaccessible areas like wall voids. Indoor and outdoor nests where ant pests of spilled foods and beverages originate must be destroyed, and perimeter insecticide treatments can serve as a barrier that will prevent further invasions into homes. However, ant control methods differ from species-to-species, as some ant pests are well controlled with sweet baits, while others can only be effectively eliminated by means of multiple control tactics. Because of this, professional pest control expertise is often necessary when dealing with ant pests.
Cockroach species that enter Massachusetts to exploit human food scraps include American and Oriental cockroaches. German and brown-banded cockroaches do not invade homes because they dwell primarily indoors, and the former is the most common cockroach pest in Massachusetts homes. German cockroaches remain hidden within dark and moist areas during the day, but they emerge at night in order to forage in kitchens and other areas where food scraps are plentiful. Silverfish and firebrats are closely related and similar looking species that resemble marine organisms more so than insects. These two insects are dependent on moisture, and are therefore commonly encountered in kitchens and bathrooms. Silverfish feed on carbohydrates-rich foods, particularly starchy and sugary foods. Firebrats are similar to silverfish in their food preferences, but the former also prefers protein-rich foods, such as dog food. In addition to food scraps, silverfish and firebrats eat away at wallpaper, and glue in bookbindings. Cockroaches, silverfish, firebrats, some ant species and crickets occasionally eat holes in both stained and unstained fabrics, but each of these insects differ in the fabric materials they attack.
Have you ever found insect pest damage to indoor fabric items?
Cockroach species that enter Massachusetts to exploit human food scraps include American and Oriental cockroaches. German and brown-banded cockroaches do not invade homes because they dwell primarily indoors, and the former is the most common cockroach pest in Massachusetts homes. German cockroaches remain hidden within dark and moist areas during the day, but they emerge at night in order to forage in kitchens and other areas where food scraps are plentiful. Silverfish and firebrats are closely related and similar looking species that resemble marine organisms more so than insects. These two insects are dependent on moisture, and are therefore commonly encountered in kitchens and bathrooms. Silverfish feed on carbohydrates-rich foods, particularly starchy and sugary foods. Firebrats are similar to silverfish in their food preferences, but the former also prefers protein-rich foods, such as dog food. In addition to food scraps, silverfish and firebrats eat away at wallpaper, and glue in bookbindings. Cockroaches, silverfish, firebrats, some ant species and crickets occasionally eat holes in both stained and unstained fabrics, but each of these insects differ in the fabric materials they attack.
Have you ever found insect pest damage to indoor fabric items?