How I Conquered Pesky Pantry Pests Using Just One Simple Oil
Are you finding small black bugs in your pantry? Here's why they appear and a proven method to get rid of them.
Discovering small, round black bugs in your kitchen cabinets can be alarming, especially when it seems like nothing you do makes them go away.
The recent invasion of these annoying bugs in my dark-colored kitchen cabinets made them particularly hard to spot. At first, I suspected they were creating tunnels inside the drawers and cabinets, but despite thorough searches with a flashlight, I found no signs of burrows. So where were they coming from? After a bit of research, I stumbled upon some unsettling findings:
Meet the Pantry Pests
Pantry pests like flour beetles, grain weevils, or "drugstore" beetles are exactly the kind of tiny creatures that recently invaded my space: small, round, and typically black or dark brown. As far as I could gather, they thrive on food products stored on shelves for too long, such as flour, grains, spices, and dried fruits.
If you're like me and sometimes leave cereal boxes or various products open in the pantry, stop immediately. They can definitely come from there—not to mention flour and other easily infested items like spices, which I always keep in the refrigerator or freezer, especially during the summer.
How much do these bugs love open bags? A lot. I found them in nearly every bag, even those closed with rubber bands. Needless to say, everything went into the trash. I cleaned the cabinets as if for Passover, leaving no nook without bleach or other strong cleaners. But, regrettably, it didn’t work—not bleach nor any other commercial cleaners (don’t worry, I aired out the space before restocking it with food). Nothing helped until one day, out of desperation while organizing the house, an idea popped into my head. It happened when I stumbled upon some essential oils I had ordered from abroad—one with a particularly potent scent: geranium.
Familiar with it? Of course, who isn't!
I gripped the small bottle like a woman possessed and dashed to the now-clean and aired-out drawers where rebellious little bugs continued their audacious strolls.
After wiping away the last of the brazen intruders, I cheerfully sprinkled a few drops of geranium oil in the pantry drawers, hoping to bid them farewell forever. At least that's what I hoped at that moment, and thankfully, I was not disappointed.
Now, more than two weeks later, the pesky and annoying black bugs have not returned. And I sincerely hope they never do.
