Preventing Weevils and Pantry Moths

[@judithtemblor1329]

I purchased a bag of red rice from the Anian Bazar. Not long ago maybe a month since I opened the bag, I closed it really tight. When I opened it yesterday I found some maggots about .5 inches long very tiny bugs with a hard shell almost like the Beatles it was expensive too I had to put them in the trash can and closely tighten There like a moth flying in my apartment I killed them when a fly swatters at the ceiling or wall get dirty and there are more inside my pantry even I cleaned it every other month.

[@bettypettigrew6471]

Hopefully this will deter the bugs in my sunflower bird seed! I’m got it a try. I keep it on my patio in a medal trash can. Thanks for the tip!

[@DIAMONDGIRL57]

Thank you for the great information. I haven’t cleaned out my pantry in over seven years! My project during spring break. I throughout all the grains, pastas, snacks, cereals in boxes away! I bought a bunch of glass jars to store rice and beans. I did see a few signs of pantry moths. Luckily I have wire shelves in my pantry. I hated the wire shelves until I watched others cleaning their pantries with made with traditional pantry shelves.

[@PecanCorner]

Good for you! I hope it goes well. It sounds like your pantry will be gorgeous when you are finished! :-)

[@MouseToes]

Great video and advice! I did not know about the bay leaves but I too am a container saver. I freeze my flour etc but still put into containers after freezing them 7 days. I think we have really lost the spring cleaning, food storage safety and pantry skills somewhere along the line. And wow your shelves are super sturdy and deep; great pantry with plenty of room! A few months ago I purchased parsley flakes and when I opened it and sprinkled some into my hand to do the pinch method to add to my food....there WERE live bugs! I about died and was SO thankful I was taught to NOT do that AT the pot; now I know WHY!

[@PecanCorner]

Hi Mouse Toes! This pantry was here when we bought the house - it is in the laundry room and has worked great. Great tip about not just dumping things straight from the package into our food. I break eggs into a small dish first too. We used to learn things like that in Home Ec even if we weren't taught at home. I guess in a SHTF scenario that would just be a little "extra protein" LOL! :-) Tina

[@dyesvillegirl1193]

I put my boxed goods in the freezer for a few days and store everything in containers. I didn't know about the bay leaves. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@PecanCorner]

Good to know that the freezer works too. Very smart, and thank you for the tip! :-) Tina

[@1meerkitty]

Sorry but I put bay leaves on everything ( Tehy were fro.a co-op food supplier) and they did NO GOOD AT ALL!! SORRY

[@courtneyd9438]

My mother has that same metal bowl with the ring handles on the sides..lol..it was part of a set she's had since the late 1950's

[@susannminall7456]

Oh thank you for posting this message. I do not have the weevils, but pantry moths have been a pest from time to time. You help is appreciated.

[@PecanCorner]

You're welcome! I hope this will help you, it is frustrating to lose good food to them. :-) Tina

[@mollylamberth5148]

Thank you. I remember once I had a can of something on my dryer and said what do I have in here? I opened it and hundred tiny moths come flying out and I shut can fast as I could threw it out. I am glad you told me where they cane from probably 8 years ago lol I never knew maybe it was peanuts!

[@tjmcghee100]

Thank you so much. I have fought Indian meal moths now it's weevils. OMG so much food thrown out and spices too.

[@AussieAngeS]

How wonderful Tina and guess what I found weevils in my oatmeal last week, I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. Thank you for this video I can’t believe that bay leaves stops them from hatching out.

[@PecanCorner]

It is almost like magic LOL But it does work. Bummer about your oatmeal, I hope that will be the last time that ever happens to you! :-) Tina

[@darbysharpe1900]

Great advice. We freeze everything for 72 hours minimum. Now that we are completely off-grid we have a friend with a deep freezer that does it for us....

[@PecanCorner]

Thanks! Freezing is another good solve. It is great to have friends who can help with things like that. "More power" to you and your off-grid way of life! :-) Tina

[@goldwolf0606]

You can’t get rid of weevils... the live in grain fields. They are in the bags of rice and corn meal and oatmeal when you buy them at the store.

[@PecanCorner]

That is what my grandmother told me. And the reason she told me to use the bay leaves in each container is to prevent them from hatching out. It works! :-) Tina

[@goldwolf0606]

Pecan Corner well, I’ll try it, but I am not hopeful. Bay leaves are yummy.

[@Norenay45]

Thank you so much for posting this video!!! I have seen mealy worms and bugs in flour and oatmeal, but I had never seen a rice weevil until now.. I had to Google this to find our what kind of bugs was in ALL of my bags of rice. I threw out all of the bags- cleaned the cabinets. And won't be buying any more until I purchase the containers that you show in your video. Thank you again! Love learning new things everyday!

[@PecanCorner]

Aw, that is so frustrating! I love having KZbin to be able to learn how to do things.. such a blessing! I hope you'll be able to get hold of containers easily. Have a lovely April! :-) Tina

[@renaeb7081]

Once I ordered some wheat seeds (for my garden) and those weevils hatched out of them and ate the seeds! I was so disappointed. This time I will freeze them first.

[@PecanCorner]

Hi Renae. That is so sad! Thanks for the tip to protect garden grain seeds too. Not something I would have thought of. Tina

[@MariaReyes-fz4rv]

Thank u for ur tips ma’m.

[@mountainflower7753]

Freezing flour keeps the flour fresh or freezing the flour for 1 week then put containers would help. Using the vacuum system for your jar storage is helpful

[@PecanCorner]

Thanks for sharing your tips! Have a lovely weekend :-) Tina

[@SJones-kk5lg]

How about also placing bay leaves directly on the selves and inside container. I heard fresh ginger works too.

[@marcysikes]

Just wondered, is there any reason I shouldn’t put a couple of bay leaves in with my pancake mix? Great video! I learned a lot!

[@PecanCorner]

That is a GREAT idea. Good thinking! The bay leaves will help protect your pancake mix, Bisquik, anything like that. And they won't affect the flavor at all because they are dry. Thank you for sharing such a good tip! :-)

[@Nightrain76]

That brush is a good idea.

[@MyThoughtzAndOpinionz]

Everytime I eat something, inspect my food like🔬

[@peggy6192]

works for pantry moths because have bay bushes and used them and rid myself of them

[@bevmacmillan7079]

If you use bay leafs to get rid of them where do they go?

[@survivaltrekker6677]

Do we use fresh or dry bay leaves? It would be good if dry bay leaves could be used because that is all we can find in the stores.

[@SJones-kk5lg]

Shouldn't you sift out unhatched eggs and bugs that's already in the rice, oats, flour, and any other dried grains prior to storage?

[@justwondering3048]

I got some little black they weren't ants they weren't roaches WHAT ARE THESE ?? I had a small paper bag like a lunch bag that was given to me one had rice and one had beans And when I went to pick it up I noticed some little black bugs around.. so now that you mention that they come in through other things I got this at a food pantry.. so I'm checking things from now on whenever I get anything from anybody..

[@gaelcrane8008]

Great job easy to follow.

[@cass77788]

i didn't find out for a long time that just soap and water in a spray bottle kills most insects i think you have to hit them with it though...good organic killer

[@moblackbird]

Thanks for these tips! I have had occasional problems with pantry moths (I think they are also called Indian moths?) and have gone to using mostly glass mason jars and some plastic like you have. I will definitely go through and add bay leaves. Do they work with cornbread mix? Also, one year I found black specks in unopened containers of powdered pectin. They had been on the shelf for a couple of years. Have no idea what the specks were or why. I had to throw them out since I didn't know what it was. And pectin is expensive! Has this ever happened to you?

[@PecanCorner]

So far, I have not had trouble with pectin but I appreciate hearing about it "just in case". I use Sure Jell, which has citric or ascorbic acid in it, so that might help keep critters from eating it. I've had success with the bay leaves & closed containers on everything, always, except ONE package of *organic* non-GMO corn meal I bought a couple years ago and boy was I glad I had that package in a glass jar. The only thing I can think is that it must have had a very high proportion of insect eggs in it. Since then, I have not had it happen again but I am extra careful with cornmeal as a result. Lots of folks are saying they have good luck with freezing things before storing. If I get obsessive I might add that to my routine LOL

[@moblackbird]

Pecan Corner I tried looking up the pectin problem online but couldn't find an explanation. It was the Ball brand that comes in the little round cannister. I've since bought some fruit pectin from Hoosier Hill Farm to try.

[@helengmilligan6387]

I've had bay leaves with flour/cormeal/rice, still got weevils!

[@saucy_jeff8134]

I found little works that have a red dot on their head in my rice

[@carolynmoody9460]

Great advice 👌👏

[@debrahogue9262]

I use bay leaves!

[@PecanCorner]

YAY! Such an easy solution. Thank you for the comment! :-) Tina

[@sandrastar8141]

Nice video

[@PecanCorner]

Thank you! :-) Tina

[@antoniohardin2736]

I have most of my dry food in container but my rice and pancakes mix’s I still get those lil black bugs I am sick of trashing food I don’t know what else to do can any help me?

[@PecanCorner]

The only thing I know to do is to clean everything out as shown in my video, and then put each product into airtight containers - including mixes - with some bay leaves. This has worked for me in everything except organic corn meal. Another thing that might help would be to run each food product in the microwave for a minute or so before putting it into the storage container. That would help kill any insect eggs that might be in the flour from the factory. I do that with my cornmeal now and it seems to make a difference. I also microwave bird seed before putting it into my bird feeders so that it won't sprout in the grass. Good luck to you in finding a solution. If you try something else that works, please do come back and share! :-) Tina

[@Jay-po4kh]

GRAND MA IF YOU TALK LESS THAT WOULD HELP

[@gaelcrane8008]

What are u talking about rude person? Her delivery was perfect!! You even had the nerve to capitalize everything!

[@warriorchild2521]

@ RUDE....NO BROUGHTUPSY!!!

[@jadedoptimist6364]

Please help us out. Type ALOT less. Thanks.

[@bbbunny66]

Ugh I love you! I wish I had your number! I literally don't know anyone who knows about weevils! Yesterday we had an infestation of them like 50 I swear! And I'm so clean so I was so upset! But I cleaned everything sprayed bleach and used a toothbrush let it dry. Threw everything away Then bought a weevil spray we did over night and still a few were there in the morning. Why? Ugh, what did I do wrong? I'm just utterly disgusted and you are the only one who knows about them

[@PecanCorner]

You didn't do anything wrong, and I know how you feel! I was so mortified when I first found them. It sounds like you are on the right track by cleaning good and throwing away. When you put things back, put it all, even boxed stuff, into ziplock baggies or big jars or plastic containers, and put 2 or 3 whole Bay Leaves in with each. As I think I said in the video (it's been a long time since I made it so can't remember), my grandmother told me that weevils "come in the flour", so the object is (1) to keep them from hatching out - that is what the bay leaves do! and (2) if they do, to keep them from getting into anything else - that is what the airtight containers do. If you have freezer space, some people freeze things for a week before putting it into the cabinet, but I don't do that. Weevils are why sifters were invented! LOL! Our Home Ec teachers always claimed it was so flour will be light and fluffy but that's not why everyone had a sifter - it was to sift the weevils out back in the day when they might starve if they threw out the flour. Thank goodness we don't have to choose that today. All best to you! :-) Tina

[@bbbunny66]

@@PecanCorner oh my gosh thank youuuuu!!! We are on our way to get bay leaves and cloves now! Thank you so so so much!!!

[@BayDave]

Living in a 10 year+ old apartment :( been seeing weevils come out from bottom cracks and crevices of a countertop. I see some appear on carpet also but I don’t think it’s possible for them to crawl in from under carpet because that’s insane! Went to multiple stores to find traps in hopes of getting rid of them all so they don’t find another way in similar to when I had an ant infestation few month ago and I bought TERRO ANT BAITS and they worked. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a similar bait for weevils at stores :(. I bought cloves and bay leaves though and I put them in areas where I don’t want them to come near but it’s not going to get rid of them permanently I know for sure ;(. Ant infestation and now this..... ;/

[@BayDave]

Pecan Corner they seem to come up also through the carpet ;( any suggestions

[@bbbunny66]

@@BayDave yes call the land lady have them spray Sorry I'm just seeing this. Also, sprinkle pepper and leave the empty canister open in the cupboard. Buy bay leaves and sprinkle it in the cupboard and cloves too. They hate those. Then make sure you go and buy canisters that seal good (we bought a 20 piece set at Costco) and put your dry food in there. Flour and pancake mix I keep in fridge or freezer now.