Common Pests and Insects Found in the Kitchen

Ants are probably the most common kitchen pests you'll encounter. They are searching for two main things: sweet foods and protein. Sugar, honey, syrup, and sweet drinks attract them like magnets. They also enjoy greasy foods, meat, and even pet food left in bowls. Once one ant finds food, it leaves a scent trail for others to follow.

The most obvious sign is seeing ants marching in lines across your counters or floor. You might notice them around the sink, near the trash can, or crawling on food packages. If you do spot them, ant traps make great pest control in kitchens.

Flies are another common reason people need pest control for kitchens. Ripe or rotting fruit, vegetables, and open bottles of juice or wine can attract fruit flies. At the same time, house flies are seen flying around garbage, dirty dishes, and food scraps. Even small spills and crumbs can bring these kitchen insects swarming.

All types of flies reproduce quickly, so it’s important to act quickly if you spot these common kitchen insects inside your home.

Cockroaches are among the most unwelcome common kitchen insects. They will eat almost anything, including crumbs, grease, garbage, and even cardboard or glue. Kitchens provide not only food, but also the water they need, thanks to leaky pipes or standing water. 

During the day, roaches hide behind appliances, inside cabinets, under the sink, and in cracks along baseboards. At night, they come out to search for food and water.

While less common than other pests, scorpions do sometimes wander into kitchens, especially in warmer regions. They’re typically hunting other insects, seeking moisture, or looking for a cool, quiet place to hide during warmer weather.

Scorpions hide in dark corners, under appliances, inside cabinets, and even in dish towels or oven mitts. If you live in an area where scorpions are common, always shake out towels and check inside shoes before using them.

Kitchen insects aren’t the only uninvited guests that can cause issues in your home. Mice and rats are serious kitchen pests that can contaminate food, damage property, and spread diseases.

Rats and mice are particularly attracted to kitchens because of the availability of food, water, and shelter. If you notice nibbles on your food packaging or little bites out of food on your counter, chances are that you have these common kitchen pests.

Kitchen pantry pests are small insects that infest stored foods like flour, cereal, rice, and pasta. The most common pantry pests include Indian meal moth, flour beetles, and weevils.

These pests lay eggs inside food packages. You might find small holes in packaging, webbing in flour or cereal, or tiny bugs crawling in your pantry. They can quickly spread from one food item to others.

Check for small moths flying near your pantry, tiny bugs in stored foods, clumps in flour or sugar, and webbing inside food packages. Even sealed packages can have eggs inside from the store.