Learn about some safe food storage techniques that you can use in order to keep pests such as cockroaches out of your stockpiled supplies.

Three Food Storage Tips to Keep Pests Out of Stockpiles

Many people enjoy the security and peace of mind that a stockpile of food provides. Stockpiled foods may be a way to save money by buying in bulk, preparation for a natural disaster or part of your belief system. Unfortunately, insects such as cockroaches can get into your stockpiled food and contaminate it. These tips can help you to keep your stockpiled goods free of infestation. If you do notice signs of pests, prompt assistance from a professional service for cockroach extermination in Las Vegas can help to safeguard the rest of your supplies.

Checking Food First

The first part of making sure that a food stockpile does not get infested with cockroaches is making sure that there are no eggs or larvae in the food when you bring it into your home. After visually inspecting your food, consider freezing it. A chest freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit kills larvae and adults. Leave the foods in the freezer for one week, take them out to warm to room temperature for 48 hours so that any eggs can hatch, and then freeze again for one more week.

Sealing Containers

Proper sealing of your storage containers is also important in preventing pest infestations in stockpiled supplies. You could use a heat-sealing system that uses plastic bags and squeezes the air out of the food. Another option is to use food-grade buckets with threaded seals. You could also can the food and store it in sealed glass jars.

Clean Any Spills

Even the smallest crumb or drop of a sticky food residue can attract a colony of cockroaches and other insects and rodents. If you see just a slight spill, clean it up right away with soap and water. Make sure that the outside of all storage containers are also free of foods. Even a dusting of flour or sugar on the outside of the container could be enough to attract an unwanted visitor.