What Bugs Live in a Refrigerator?

Most of the time, you won't find vermin like mice and rats in a refrigerator, but you can find bugs in fridge compartments. The reason you will find more pests in refrigerators over mice and rats is that those types of vermin don't like colder climates.

There is a variety of bugs that you can discover in your fridge, but according to Fantastic Services Group, the most common kinds are house flies, fruit flies, gnats and cockroaches.

Bugs in Fridge

House flies can quickly get in your fridge, especially in the hotter months. In the summer, you'll most likely find a housefly buzzing around the house, so you want to be careful that they don't fly into your fridge. On the plus side, a housefly won’t lay eggs in your refrigerator because the fridge is cold. But they can cross-contaminate your food, if they touch it.

Fruit flies are another common fly that can get into your fridge. Fruit fly infestations are super common, so you want to make sure you wash your fruit before stocking them in your fridge. They can also cross-contaminate your food.

If you get gnats in your fridge, expect them to stick around for a week, as they have a lifespan of seven days. Gnats can get into your fridge through vegetables, so according to Cleanipedia the best way to prevent gnats is the same as with fruit flies: wash all of your produce before you put them into the refrigerator

Cockroaches in Fridge

Cockroaches are probably the worst kitchen bugs you can experience out of the four because you can get an infestation super quickly. According to Knockout Pest Control, cockroaches cross-contaminate, and if you notice them in your fridge, you're going to want to call a pest control company immediately. You can try to get rid of them on your own, but dealing with an infestation of cockroaches needs to be dealt with promptly. Especially because although you may clean the surface level of the cockroaches, pest control companies will make sure they don't come back.

How They Got There

If you find bugs in fridge compartments or bugs in freezer compartments, it doesn't necessarily mean you're a dirty person or don't have the best cleaning habits. Most likely, they found their way into your fridge or freezer through organic matter like fruits and vegetables. They can also crawl or fly in, as well. The best way to not get kitchen bugs is through prevention.

When you are back from grocery shopping, wash all of your produce before you put it away in the fridge. You should be washing your fruits and vegetables regardless if you see bugs or not because of pesticides. If you don't have time to do a full wash, then rinse your fruits and vegetables with tap water. Then, you can put them in the refrigerator and do a deeper clean later on.

This is the best way to prevent bugs from trying to set up shop in your fridge or freezer. You can't use pest control methods in your fridge, so if you end up with bugs in fridge compartments, you're going to have to do a deep clean in your fridge or freezer.