We have all been there – you return home from the grocery store, excited about the fresh produce and delicious leftovers you have stocked up. After a tiring day, it is tempting to leave your groceries or leftover food out on the kitchen table, thinking you will deal with it later. However, this seemingly harmless act can turn your home into a sanctuary for pests like ants and flies, who are more than willing to help themselves to your food.

Just as unsettling as it sounds, pests getting into your food look unpleasant and can introduce harmful bacteria into your food, as well as droppings and other contaminants. So, read on to avoid food waste and stop sharing your food with kitchen invaders using these helpful suggestions!

Store your leftovers in airtight containers

After a meal, it can be tempting to simply leave the plates as they are for the next household member to eat. However, this gives pests time and a chance to help themselves to your leftovers. While some may try to protect the food using a mesh food cover, ants are tiny and can slip through the gaps between the mesh and the table.

The best way to prevent pests from getting into your leftovers is to store them in airtight containers, such as recycled plastic takeaway containers or higher-quality containers. This also seals in the freshness of the food for the next person and makes it impossible for bugs to slip in.

Refrigerate groceries immediately

Purchases such as fruit and vegetables are exposed and can attract insects, creating holes in such produce and resulting in contamination.

That said, don’t procrastinate on putting them away! As soon as you get home from the supermarket, put your edible groceries away in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place to give pests much less chance to help themselves to your food before you.

By refrigerating your groceries, you also keep them fresh for longer. This combination of retaining freshness and keeping bugs out can go a long way to stretching your groceries over a period of time.

Clean up thoroughly after meals

If you have returned to a table full of ants even after putting your leftovers away, it could be due to the table not being cleaned thoroughly enough. Even the smallest food debris can attract pests, with insects such as ants patrolling around the kitchen table in the hopes of more food debris left behind with subsequent meals.

The next time you finish a meal, take care to give the table a good wipe down to clear food debris and give those pests much less of a reason to visit your dining table. Additionally, crumbs and food particles on the floor can attract ants and other pests – remember to sweep and mop your kitchen and dining room regularly to keep the area clean.

If you would like to take it a step further to ensure no insects are lurking around, don’t forget to clean your appliances, such as toasters and microwaves, where food particles can accumulate. When you are done eating, it would also be best to wash the dirty dishes promptly and not leave them out; all kinds of pests are attracted to food residue on dirty dishes.

Conclusion

Leaving your groceries and leftovers on the kitchen table might seem convenient, but it is an open invitation to pests that can contaminate your food and create health hazards. Following the tips in this article can help you protect your food, wallet, and peace of mind from these unwelcome guests.

Are unwanted pests still coming to your dining table even after trying all the abovementioned remedies? You might be dealing with an infestation on your hands. Pest infestations like ant nests and cockroach nests are not uncommon in homes, especially larger apartments and houses. These make getting rid of pests by yourself difficult due to their persistence and the fact that insects like cockroach dwellings are often well hidden out of view in hard-to-reach places.

Given the difficulty of uprooting a pest infestation in your home, consider engaging professional pest control services with PestClinic! With the right tools and equipment, combined with a wealth of experience, PestClinic brings 30 years of pest control to the mix. From industrial pest control services to home termite inspection in Singapore, you can’t go wrong with PestClinic.