How to Prevent Pest Contamination in Food

By Joanna Young

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Household cleaners
Expanding foam sealant
Airtight food containers

Step 1:
Thoroughly clean your kitchen. As simple as that sounds, a clean kitchen is one of the best deterrents for keeping pests out. For instance, to keep roaches at bay, the NCEH recommends routinely cleaning and sanitizing shelves, floors and under appliances.
Step 2:
Keep your kitchen clean. If you spill some sugar, immediately sweep it up. If you drop an egg on the floor, promptly mop it away. Wash your dishes every night before bed; don't leave them for the morning.
Step 3:
Seal pet food in airtight containers and only leave enough out for regular feeding. Fluffy and Ranger might not like it, but the NCEH suggests not leaving bowls of pet food out overnight.
Step 4:
Seal up crevices in your kitchen. Use expanding foam sealant (found at your local home improvement store) to fill cracks and other spaces where household pests might gain entry.
Step 5:
De-clutter your kitchen. Bugs and rodents love places to hide and nest. Remove their hiding places by clearing away stacks of paper, piles of laundry and other messy clutter.

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