Your kitchen is likely the busiest room in your home, a place for creating meals and memories. 

But because it’s a hub of food, water, and warmth, it’s also a five-star resort for pests like ants, roaches, and rodents. 

If you want to keep your food safe (and your sanity intact), you don’t need a complicated strategy. Just a few consistent habits integrated into your daily cooking routine. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Store Ingredients the Right Way

Many common pantry pests, such as flour beetles and Indian meal moths, enter your home as eggs or larvae inside paper or cardboard packaging. They thrive on grains, cereals, flour, and spices. Leaving a bag of flour clipped shut or a box of crackers loosely folded over is an open invitation for them to come inside and party!

The fix is simple: transfer your dry goods into airtight containers. Glass, hard plastic, or metal containers with tight-sealing lids create an impenetrable barrier. 

When you bring home a new bag of rice or flour, immediately pour it into its designated container and toss the original packaging. This habit not only prevents pests from entering but also prevents existing pests from spreading to other foods. 

And as a fringe benefit, an organized pantry with clear containers also lets you see at a glance what you have, reducing food waste and making meal prep easier. It’s a win-win!

Clean as You Cook (Not Just After)

It’s tempting to leave the cleanup until after you’ve enjoyed your meal, but those little spills and crumbs are a homing beacon for pests. 

A drip of sauce, a sprinkle of sugar, or a few pasta pieces that fell on the floor might seem insignificant to you. But to an ant scout, it’s a jackpot. Roaches are also drawn to grease splatters on the stovetop and food residue left on countertops overnight.

Get into the habit of cleaning as you go: keep a damp cloth handy to wipe up spills the moment they happen, and use a small bench scraper or brush to sweep crumbs from your cutting board directly into the compost or trash. 

If you drop something on the floor, pick it up right away. A clean-as-you-go approach means that by the time you sit down to eat, the kitchen is already 90% clean and pests have nothing to feed on.

Manage Trash and Recycling Carefully

Your trash can is the ultimate attraction for pests, offering a consistent supply of food scraps and strong odors that can draw everything from fruit flies to rodents. If your trash can doesn’t have a tight-fitting lid, or if you let it overflow, you’re essentially rolling out the red carpet.

Make sure your kitchen trash has a lid that closes securely, and take it out frequently, especially if it contains smelly items like meat scraps or old leftovers. Don’t wait for it to be completely full. 

The same principle applies to your recycling. Remnants of soda in a can or yogurt in a container are enough to attract ants and other insects, so give recyclable containers a quick rinse before tossing them in the bin. 

Don’t Forget Hidden Moisture Sources

Pests need water just as much as they need food. Cockroaches, for example, can survive for a month without food but only a week without water. 

And your kitchen is full of hidden water sources you might overlook. A slow drip from the pipe under your sink, condensation on a cold water line, or a perpetually damp sponge left in a sink basin can create the perfect hydrating station for pests.

Routinely check under your sink for any signs of leaks or moisture. Wring out sponges and dishcloths and allow them to dry completely between uses, rather than leaving them in a wet pile. Don’t let water stand in the sink, and run your dishwasher regularly to prevent it from becoming a damp, dark pest sanctuary. 

Seal Entry Points Around the Kitchen

You can have the cleanest kitchen in the world, but if there are easy ways in, pests are sure to find them. Some of the most common entry points include gaps around pipes under the sink, cracks in the foundation or walls, torn window screens, and worn-out seals around doors. Rodents can fit through a hole the size of a dime, and insects can get through even smaller crevices.

Take a few minutes to inspect your kitchen. Look for any visible gaps where plumbing or wires enter your home. Check the seals on your windows and doors. Use caulk to fill small cracks and steel wool for larger gaps around pipes, as pests can’t chew through it. 

These simple fixes are especially important in older homes or as the seasons change, when shifting foundations can create new openings.

Be Mindful of Fresh Produce

Sometimes, pests hitch a ride directly into your home on the food you buy. Fruit flies are a classic example: their eggs are often already on the surface of fruits like bananas and tomatoes. Once you bring them home, they can quickly hatch and multiply, especially if produce is left sitting on the counter. Other pests, like spiders or beetles, can hide in bunches of leafy greens or grapes.

Wash your fruits and vegetables as soon as you get them home. This not only removes dirt and pesticides but also dislodges any potential insect hitchhikers. Store produce properly. 

Don’t leave overripe fruit sitting out on the counter; either use it, refrigerate it, or compost it. A bowl of browning bananas is a fruit fly’s dream come true, and you should also regularly check your potato and onion bins for any rotting items, as they can attract a variety of pests.

Know When to Call a Professional

You can do everything right and still occasionally face a pest problem. Sometimes, an infestation is too established or the source is too difficult to locate for DIY methods to be effective. 

Seeing a single ant is one thing; seeing a trail of them marching across your counter every morning is another. Droppings, gnaw marks, or seeing pests during the day (when many are typically hiding) are all signs that you may have a larger issue.

Don’t view calling a professional as a failure. Instead, think of it as a proactive step to protect your home and your food. That’s when you know it’s time to invest in professional pest control.

Leave stubborn infestations to someone with the gear and know-how, and focus on what you do best: cooking and creating in a space that feels safe and clean. Kick pests to the curb and keep the heart of your home beating strong.