What to Do If You Find Cockroaches in Your Food

“I saw a cockroach in an open bag of food in my pantry. Should I throw it all away? How can I check the rest of my food?”

If you find cockroaches in food, stop eating or using it, discard the affected food in a sealed bag, and inspect nearby supplies for contamination.

Don’t simply remove the insect and keep the food. While contamination is not always visible, cockroaches can carry bacteria, and contamination may not be visible. However, this doesn’t mean you don’t automatically need to throw away everything in your pantry.

To spot signs of cockroaches and take action:

• Check surrounding packages for holes, plus nearby droppings, shed skins, egg cases, or live insects. 
• Discard any food in packaging that’s broken, or that has evidence of pest contact. 
• Inspect intact cans and sealed jars, and clean their exteriors before opening.
• Empty affected storage areas, vacuum any crumbs or debris, then clean shelves and food-contact surfaces thoroughly. 
• Follow disinfectant labels, including any required rinsing. 
• Transfer uncontaminated dry goods into clean glass jars or sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Place sticky monitoring traps along wall edges and near suspected hiding places, away from food and out of children’s and pets’ reach. These help locate activity but won’t eliminate an infestation alone. 
• Never spray insecticide onto food or food-contact surfaces.

If you do these things but roaches keep returning, contact JP Pest Services for Cockroach Control Services to address hidden populations and entry points.