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In November and December, the scents of gingerbread and sugar cookies waft through kitchens around Bend. But you are not the only one eyeing those bags of flour, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries piled up to bake holiday treats. To pantry pests, your stocked shelves are an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the unique Bend climate makes homes particularly appealing to local pantry pests. 

Just a few Indian meal moths, flour beetles, or weevils can turn your holiday baking into an expensive affair with tainted ingredients. After Bend households shell out roughly $300 for holiday groceries and baking supplies, they most definitely do not need a pest infestation ruining those carefully chosen ingredients. 

However, if you see signs of pantry pests this time of year, contacting pointepest.com can save your holiday baking and your investment.

Why Bend Homes Are Especially Vulnerable

During the winter months, pantry pest problems become a perfect storm in Bend’s high-desert climate. Indoor humidity levels in the city are usually 25-30% during cold months, which sounds dry but is just perfect for many stored-product pests. However, once it gets cold outside, the temperature drops to an average low of 23°F in December, and those bugs will be seeking a warm place to spend the winter. Well, it seems your warm house has become a warm shelter with a buffet. 

With the city’s population growing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, more food shipments are entering local stores, and the likelihood that food containing contaminants reaches your shelves increases. Combine that with Bend’s penchant for buying in bulk at Costco & natural food stores, and you have ingredients that sit longer in pantries, giving pests time to cycle through.

The Common Culprits in Holiday Kitchens

Every year, three primary pests ruin Bend’s holiday baking parties. The most obvious culprits are Indian meal moths. These tiny, bronze-colored moths will fly around the kitchen at night. The larvae of these pests spin webs in flour, cornmeal, and dried fruit. The red and confused flour beetles are minor reddish-brown bugs that live in grain products and give off a stale smell that ruins the flavor of your baked goods. 

Perhaps the most clever of the lot, rice weevils and granary weevils come in on the sly with whole grains, dried beans, and decorative corn displays. These little guys pack a punch in their own right, with hard-to-spot snouts that chew through paper and cardboard packaging with ease. In the warm climate of your pantry, all three pests breed rapidly, with some capable of producing multiple generations in just one holiday season.

How These Pests Find Their Way In

Pantry pests usually do not come from inside our house; they are squatters that arrive with our groceries. Before you even grab that bag of balance between all-purpose flour, most infestations start in warehouses, processing centers, or on store shelves. These pests are highly effective spreaders once they get into your Bend home. Moths can fly  to other food sources as adults, but beetles crawl from package to package, and very often the items are close together. 

Cardboard boxes and paper bags, meanwhile, give no protection at all; moth larvae and the like will chew straight through them. Small gaps around pipes, electrical outlets in pantry walls, or even improper cabinet construction can give these little bug buddies access to new food sources in your kitchen.

Preventive Pantry Practices for Bend Homeowners

• Transfer bulk items immediately 
• Check expiration dates religiously 
• Inspect before you buy
• Keep it clean
• Store pet food properly 

Professional Solutions for Holiday-Ready Pantries

Prevention is not always sufficient; some pests may have come with infected groceries. The holiday season presents its own unique set of challenges for Bend homeowners, but Pointe Pest Control knows just how to help. They conduct extensive pantry inspections that identify not only existing infestations but also the conditions that attract pests in the first place. Their technicians assist in identifying hidden breeding sites and provide guidance on which products should be discarded and which can be retained. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Almost overnight, a construction boom rapidly improves the face of Prosper, Texas. Although new homes offer enduring conveniences and a fresh start, they also come with an unwelcome reality: they are pretty appealing to termites. Prosper’s latest neighborhoods, with their disturbed soil, freshly sawn lumber, and landscaping practices that, unfortunately, promote these destructive pests, are ripe for takeover. 

Even homeowners who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new homes, assuming they are safe, find termite damage within the first few years. With the North Texas climate and the way homes are built around here, it is a game of keeping a close eye on things from the very first day. 

Whether you are moving in or already residing in one of Prosper, TX’s new buildings, it is not just a brilliant idea to get a professional termite inspection from romneypestcontrol.com; it is essential to protect your investment.

Prosper’s Growth and the Rise of New Housing Developments

Prosper has justified its name in more than one way. In 2010, the town had a population of approximately 9,400, and as of 2023, that figure had exploded to over 37,000 residents, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States. That has triggered a housing boom, with thousands of homes built in neighborhoods such as Whitley Place, Lakes of La Cima, and Star Trail. 

You can find construction crews breaking ground on several of them at once by driving down Highway 380. Fighting termites was not necessary in the past, as it was open land out there, but now street after street of new homes attracts established termite populations to the new residents.

Why New Construction Attracts Termites

1. Soil Disturbance Creates Access Points

In Prosper, when builders push dirt for new developments, they run into underground termite nests. Instead of eradicating the pests, construction spreads them, and then termites have to go foraging for new sources of food, such as the wood framing in your new house. The scale of the grading and excavation creates avenues through previously tight soil, giving termites a channel to travel.

2. Fresh Lumber Is Termite Candy

Brand-new houses are constructed with freshly milled timber that is still wet. Moisture content is also a factor that attracts termites, as research shows that subterranean termites can detect wood from more than 130 feet away. Your fresh framing lumber is basically ringing a dinner bell for all the termite colonies nearby.

3. Landscaping and Irrigation Systems

To be clear, the mulch beds placed right up against foundations in many of Prosper’s new developments create the ideal termite Highway. Include irrigation systems that keep the soil consistently moist around the perimeter of your home, and you have just built five-star lodging for a termite colony.

The Termite Threat: Why Early Detection Matters

Termites do not announce their arrival. They operate in secret, hidden in walls, beneath floors, and within structural members, causing damage to houses at a cost to U.S. homeowners of over $5 billion annually. This danger is especially alarming in Prosper, given its new homes, because folks tend to think new construction offers better protection. In reality, termite damage can begin months after construction is completed. 

By then, there may already be a problem: sagging floors, wood that sounds hollow when tapped, or mud tubes along foundations. Termite inspections can identify termite activity long before it reaches catastrophic levels and will save you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.

Seek Assistance And Stay Ahead!

For professional help from Terminix, it takes local expertise and proactive monitoring to protect your Prosper home from termites. Romney Pest Control has been in North Texas and knows the specific termite species common in Collin County. They are aware that Prosper has unique risks, including its specific soil composition, the clay-heavy ground that retains water, and its construction practices in new developments. They do not just inspect your home; they also examine crawl spaces, foundation perimeters, and those trendy landscaping features that might be harboring colonies.