There Are Probably Bugs In Your Cayenne Pepper, Sorry To Break It To You

Last Friday, after work, I spotted a tiny bug on my kitchen counter — no big deal. I killed that little guy and moved on with cooking dinner. While my famous jambalaya was cooking, I grabbed my cayenne pepper for the final touch, glanced at the jar before pouring, and noticed that the cayenne was moving…and completely filled with bugs. Again: the cayenne pepper was alive!

This nightmare gets worse. I frantically called my grandma (because I trust her more than Google, duh) and she had the nerve to tell me to stop being so dramatic. “Pipe down. I promise, you’ve eaten plenty of bugs at my house,” she said. What!? I was officially traumatized.

When did pantry pests become a common thing, and why didn’t anybody warn me?

Every kitchen should come with some sort of a warning label about this, right? For goodness’ sake, my jambalaya was almost done.

After my extermination and investigation, I found that my grandma was correct. A pest-free kitchen is never guaranteed — especially in areas where dry food is stored. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this infestation from occurring.

Sadly, honey, your cleaning doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to these critters. No matter how clean your kitchen is, there are four main types of pantry pests that can still find their way into your home. They are Indian meal moths, grain weevils, drugstore beetles, and cigarette beetles.

Indian Meal Moths

According to the Penn State Department of Entomology, Indian meal moths are the most common pantry pest in the United States. These moths are commonly found in dried fruit, grains, nuts, and cereals. They enter food products through small holes and crevices in the packaging. They also have a short life span of approximately 5 to 28 days, depending on the climate of your home. However, a female moth lays between 100 to 300 eggs during that time. Yikes!

Grain Weevils

Grain weevils are small reddish-brown beetles with snouts that can bite their way into your food packaging and set up shop in your grains, beans, and seeds like they received an invitation. So even if you wrap your items up tightly, weevils can still get in. (Ugh, I can’t even deal.)

Drugstore Beetles and Cigarette Beetles

Are you ready for this? Both species are small reddish beetles that fly (you might even hear them flying around in your cabinets). The beetles start off as worms that easily camouflage in your food, and they rapidly reproduce (ahhhh!).  The main difference between these beetles is the regions of the world in which they flourish. Cigarette beetles are prominently found in tropical regions, while drugstore beetles are found in milder climates. Both beetles are commonly found in flour, grains, and spices. According to the Huffington Post, the nutrients within pepper products help these beetles thrive, but they can also be found in turmeric, ginger, cumin, fennel, and coriander.

How can you prevent a bug invasion in your kitchen? 

First, check every dry packaged food item thoroughly before purchasing it from the grocery store. This is the most common way these bugs enter homes. I know that when you’re shopping on a budget, buying in bulk saves money. But with dry food items that are prone to infestation, I suggest buying smaller portions. The longer the food items sit in your pantry and cabinets, the higher the risk for bugs and reproduction.

These bugs can enter the home through windows and doors, so make sure you have screens on your windows and that your doorways are closed off. Also, even though some of the bugs, like beetles and weevils, can bite into packaging, they cannot bite through hard plastic and glass. By buying sturdy and sealed storage containers, you can prevent all bugs from entering your dry food items. Continue to keep your kitchen clean and free of spills. Lastly, all of these items can be placed in the fridge. These pests are less likely to inhabit food items in cold temperatures.

If this is too late and you’re already plagued with pantry pests, get rid of everything that’s been infested and check all nearby items as well. Not with a simple glance, though — take the time to remove the food from the package until the bottom is visible (there could be eggs there). Wash your cabinets and pantry and all surrounding areas with soapy water. Be gentle with the bleach and pesticides when cleaning, because your food still has to be stored in these areas.

Luckily, eating a few of these bugs by accident won’t kill you, so we’ll survive. We might suffer from a loss of appetite and a month of goosebumps, but we WILL take our kitchens back.