Please note that cereal moths can settle in different nooks and crannies of your apartment, so don’t be lazy, go over all the furniture, lamps and cornices with a damp cloth. Lyudmila Nikolaevna encountered a problem at home and asks us a question: “There are worms in the cereals. How can you get rid of them, how did they get into stocks?”
We'll tell you how to deal with uninvited guests.
Worms are the growing offspring of the cereal moth.
Most likely, the “invaders” are entering your kitchen along with groceries brought from the store. Inspecting the purchased flour and cereals is your primary task.
Why do cereals and flour contain insects?
How to get rid of bugs in cereals? This is the question asked by all housewives who have discovered these small insects in semolina, cereals, and peas. They do not appear because the cleaning was done poorly, but they enter the apartment “from the outside.” For example, they can be brought in a handful of flour borrowed from a neighbor , or in a cereal box purchased at the store.
The main problem is that insects are very small and almost impossible to see right away. They can appear in products due to errors made during grain production. In addition, poor testing of products before packaging leads to this. To prevent the appearance of bugs, the grain must be processed in a special way. But if they get started, how to get rid of them?
Shelf life
The best option is to purchase various cereals in 1 kg quantities. If you need to quickly cook buckwheat or rice porridge, you always have a small supply on hand. However, bulk products contain a certain amount of fat, which spoils before other substances. Based on this fact, it is important to strictly monitor compliance with deadlines, and bugs will not appear in the cereal.
- Semolina, rice, buckwheat and flour are stored for 6 months - there is little storage-resistant fat here.
- 4 months is the optimal time for keeping oatmeal, millet and kernels in the pantry. It contains more fat.
It is believed that polished rice tolerates storage well. For example, basmati, beloved by many, only improves its quality over the years.
For storing cereals, choose perforated polyethylene, glass jars or metal boxes, and linen bags.
Perforated polyethylene is an excellent option for storing cereals if the packaging is carried out in accordance with the requirements. The main condition is that the container must “breathe”, then the problem of how to remove bugs from the cereal will not arise. But it is difficult to determine the quality of polyethylene, so immediately after purchase it is better to replace the packaging with a more reliable one.
Glass or metal jars are ideal as long as they seal tightly. A poorly closed lid can allow pests to enter. Linen bags are pre-boiled in a salty solution (about 5 tablespoons per 1 liter of water).
What bugs can appear in the kitchen?
To understand how you can eliminate such uninvited guests, you need to understand what these insects are. Only in this case can you easily find the most effective way. Very common in the kitchen:
- flour-eating bug;
- food moth.
Flour eater and food moth
The flour beetle is a small brown pest that belongs to the order Coleoptera. It usually lives in granaries and mills, from where it subsequently ends up in bags of flour or cereals. Under favorable conditions, the mucoed eater lives for about three years and during this time lays up to 300 eggs.
What is food moth? This is a small butterfly, up to 1 cm long. Such an insect lives for only a few weeks, but during this short time one individual lays up to 400 eggs , which very quickly turn into caterpillars. They are the ones who begin to spoil the food they come across on their way. Then the larvae turn into pupae, and they, in turn, into butterflies, which again begin to produce offspring.
Human interaction
Often used for biological research. Its relatively large size, ease of propagation and handling, and status as a non-model organism have made it suitable for proof-of-concept studies in the fields of basic biology, biochemistry, evolution, immunology, and physiology.
Like a pest
Flour beetles are generally considered pests because the larvae feed on stored grain. Probably originated in the Mediterranean region, but are now present in many regions of the planet as a result of human trade and colonization. The oldest archaeological finds of Khrushchak can be traced back to the Bronze Age of Turkey. Finds from the British Isles and northern Europe date back to a later period, and archaeological finds from Ancient Egypt do not contain Khrushchaki.
Like food
Mealworms are commonly used as food for reptiles, fish and birds. They are given to wild birds in feeders, especially during the nesting period. Beneficial due to high protein content. Used as fishing bait.
Doll
Sold in bulk, usually packaged in bran or oatmeal food containers. In commercial breeding, juvenile hormone is added to the feed to ensure that mealworms remain in the larval stage and reach an abnormal length of 2 cm or more.
Larva
As food: entomophagy
Mealworms are edible for humans and are processed into several food products available at retail, such as hamburgers.
Burger with mealworms as the main ingredient
Historically used in many Asian countries, especially Southeast Asia. Commonly found in food markets and sold as street food along with other edible insects. Baked or fried mealworms have been sold as a healthy snack in the recent past, although their use dates back centuries. They can be easily grown on fresh oats, wheat bran or grain with chopped potatoes, carrots or apples as a water source. The small space required for breeding has made mealworms popular in many areas of Southeast Asia.
Mealworms in a bowl
Were included in new tequila-flavored candies. They are not traditionally served in tequila, and the "tequila worm" in some mezcals is usually the larva of the Hypopta agavis moth.
On the market in Germany
The larvae contain a significant amount of nutrients. For every 100g of raw mealworm larvae there are 206 calories and 14-25g of protein. They contain such a percentage of potassium, copper, sodium, selenium, iron and zinc that they compete with beef. Also contain essential linoleic acids. They contain more vitamins by weight compared to beef, excluding B12.
Freeze-dried mealworms as food
In the field of waste management
In 2015, it was discovered that mealworms can break down polystyrene into usable organic matter at a rate of about 34–39 milligrams per day. In addition, during the month-long experiment, no differences were found between mealworms fed only polystyrene foam and those fed regular food.
A newly hatched beetle, its exuvium and prepupa
Microorganisms in the intestines of the mealworm are responsible for the destruction of polystyrene, and larvae receiving the antibiotic gentamicin show no signs of decomposition. However, isolated colonies of mealworm gut microbes were found to be less efficient at decomposition than bacteria in the gut. There were no attempts to commercialize this discovery.
On wheat
Is it possible to eat foods that have bugs in them?
If these insects appear in the cereal, many begin to doubt whether it can be eaten after that. Some immediately throw it away, others wash it and sort it out . But it is best not to eat such cereals. The fact is that even if you wash it, larvae may remain in it, which secrete excrement that does not bring any benefit to the body.
If bugs are infested in flour, then it can be sifted through a fine sieve, leaving both adult individuals and their larvae in it. To disinfect flour, it should be heated in the oven at a temperature above 50 degrees.
Tips from experienced housewives
The centuries-old fight against kitchen “evil spirits” has enriched folk experience with several effective recipes to block the path of voracious parasites:
- you need to put an aluminum spoon or a piece of foil into the flour and cereal;
- use fabric bags for bulk provisions, previously soaked in a strong solution of table salt;
- some housewives are sure that any metal storage container is an excellent preventive measure against worms;
- Many people recommend adding cloves of garlic to cereals.
Most likely, the “invaders” are entering your kitchen along with groceries brought from the store. Inspecting purchased flour and cereals is your primary task.
How to get rid of bugs in cereals?
Of course, using toxic insecticides in the kitchen is not the best option, since food is stored in this room . Therefore, instead of such drugs, you can use more practical and also safe means. These could be the following methods:
- heat treatment;
- exposure to sun and water.
Let's look at them in more detail.
Heat treatment
Bugs that have settled in flour or cereals cannot tolerate heat and frost, so to get rid of them, heat treatment is carried out. If insects are found in winter, you should take the spoiled food out to the balcony. But the main thing is that the air temperature is below 15 degrees . Within a few hours spent in the cold, all the bugs die. This method is very preferable for semolina and flour, because after “freezing” such products do not change their color and taste.
But for cereals, the “heat” processing method is preferable. To do this, pour the contaminated rice and pasta onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes. It should be heated to 50 degrees, as a result, all insects die within 15 minutes. After such heat treatment, the cereals should be sifted through a sieve.
Exposure to sun and water
You can get rid of bugs not only through heat treatment, but also in another way. You need to take a small amount of cereal and add hot water. Thanks to this method, you can easily get rid of food moths and mucoeds . This method is very simple: cereals are much heavier in weight than bugs, so the insects simply float to the surface. All that remains is to rinse off the water, rinse the cereal and use it to prepare various dishes.
To destroy mucoeds, you can use a method such as exposure to ultraviolet light. For this purpose, the cereal is taken outside and after 5-10 minutes the insects begin to feel uncomfortable and try to find a better place. But this method is only suitable for extreme heat.
Why did worms appear?
If the moth is not brought in from outside, figure out what reasons caused its appearance in your food supplies:
- Expired shelf life. Don't forget to look at the manufacturing date on the packs. Do not buy “tons” of cereal in anticipation of a hungry year. Throw away expired cereals without regret.
- Violated storage conditions. Do not create a tropical climate in the kitchen with high temperature, humidity and stuffiness: moths will perceive this as a signal to reproduce. Ventilate your galley more often, and send bulk provisions to the balcony in winter - for prevention.
- Wrong container. The ideal option is a glass container with a tight-fitting or airtight lid. The less air enters the jar, the longer the shelf life of the product.
If the larvae of the cereal moth have already penetrated your food, radical advisers demand... throw it away, since even by removing the living creatures, you are unlikely to clear your supplies of its microscopic excrement
Bugs in cereals: how to get rid of them forever?
To ensure that these insects never appear in the house again, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- After the cereals have been cleared of bugs, you need to wash all the drawers and cabinets with any disinfectant, both outside and inside. If you don’t want to use household chemicals, you can use a vinegar solution for these purposes. This product copes well with various contaminants. Jars in which cereals and flour are stored must be washed with laundry soap and doused with boiling water. Fabric bags intended for storing cereals and flour products should be treated with a salt solution and dried.
- The shelves of the cabinets should be covered with paper, and laurel leaves, garlic or dry lavender should be placed on top.
As a preventative measure, it is recommended to keep tables and cabinets clean, and store food in an airtight container, on the bottom of which you can put a bay leaf : it will not smell of the food, but it will repel bugs. Cereals and flour should be checked regularly for insects. The room should always be dry, as kitchen bugs love humidity.
Thus, if insects appear in cereals or flour in the kitchen, then it is best not to consume such products, since they are already contaminated, which can negatively affect human health. To prevent bugs from getting in, preventive measures should be taken and then they will definitely not appear in the house.
Causes of flour bugs
It's easy to get bugs. Both the owner and the manufacturer of the product can provoke their appearance. This may be a violation of GOST technologies or storage conditions and incorrect “neighborhood” in the warehouse, a violation of the tightness of the packaging, the expiration of the cereal, or ingress from the outside.
Through the fault of the housewife, infection can occur at home:
- Improper storage of cereals. Increased dampness in the house and storage in unsealed conditions create conditions for the appearance of insects. Cereals should not be stored in a warm place.
- Storage of expired products. Cereals that have been stored for a long time have a much higher chance of becoming food for pests. You should always check the expiration date and throw away bad cereals promptly.
- Incorrect packaging. When storing in bags, they should be closed, avoiding open areas. Ideal containers are glass or plastic containers with lids.
Treats from relatives and neighbors can also cause infection. Especially if you take from your hands products that are loved by pests. These are not necessarily cereals; sometimes insects can enter the house with other household items.
Some places are favorite among harmful insects. Especially because they are the hardest to find there:
- Food products and their remains in bags, unsealed containers and other containers. Especially tea leaves, seasonings, dried fruits.
- In a kitchen set, they become the sole owners of the shelves and are able to gnaw holes in them.
- Other furniture.
Risk areas include the cooking area, where waste particles are regularly left behind.
Attention! They can get into the house in a thousand ways, from barley borrowed by a neighbor to purchased furniture and equipment.
In some cases, bugs can settle in places that are “inedible” for them. Therefore, when buying products secondhand or borrowing products from someone, it is better to be vigilant. Goods purchased by weight or at fairs are also dangerous.
How do aliens get to us?
Where do these guests come from? Most often they end up in bags in warehouses. There, all bulk products are in open containers. Once you hit one bug, it will quickly lay eggs. And now the bag is inhabited by larvae, from which small insects emerge. Then they move into kitchen cabinets, where they multiply beautifully.
According to technology, manufacturers of packaged products must treat them with a special composition that destroys unnecessary living creatures. But not all workers in this industry carry out processing, so the animals end up in cabinets from bags where bulk products are packaged.
What should you do to avoid bringing these animals into your home? When buying pasta, cereals, flour, pay attention to the following signs:
- Presence of tiny lumps in the package. These could be bugs matted in clumps;
- If the packages have small holes, this is a sure sign of the presence of harmful animals;
- An incomprehensible rustling sound in the product package;
- Rice or buckwheat grains can be eaten. This means that there are bugs in this package;
- There is flour at the bottom of the bag of cereal, which means the bugs are gnawing on the grains, and the remains fall to the bottom.
The most popular methods of struggle
When you buy a lot of bags of bulk products, after a thorough inspection, pour them into glass containers, then put them on the balcony. In winter, all parasites will freeze well.
You can bake the cereal in a preheated oven. Calcination time - 15 minutes. This also applies to bulk products packed in vacuum bags.
It is recommended to store dried fruits and nuts in the refrigerator. Dried fruits can be kept in the freezer for a day. Why do bugs appear in dried fruits? Fruits are most often sold by weight. While they are waiting for their consumer, pests appear in them from small larvae.
The sifted flour can be calcined in the oven for 30 minutes at 50 degrees. At the same temperature you can calcinate semolina and oatmeal. The rest of the cereals are at a temperature of 110-200 degrees.
If it is possible to treat products with ultraviolet light, then it is worth trying this method. How to protect products: Sprinkle the products onto a clean material and expose them to ultraviolet rays for 2-3 hours. The rays are destructive for parasites; they will die or leave the products.
Prevention of occurrence
It is easier to avoid the appearance of any insects with the help of simple manipulations than to then spend a lot of time and effort fighting them.
Tips on how to prevent beetles:
- When buying bulk products, look at the production date and expiration date.
- Check the packaging for integrity.
- If possible, inspect the product for quality (presence of debris) and the presence of living creatures in it.
- Regularly clean food storage areas.
- It is better to keep bulk products in plastic or glass, but always transparent containers. This makes it easier to control the presence of inedible additives in it.
By taking standard precautions when purchasing food, you can protect your home from insect infestations. You should not stock up on cereals, flour, or pasta for future use. Large amounts of food are harder to keep track of.
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Are pests dangerous to health?
Why are small insects dangerous to health? For an adult in good health, they are not dangerous, it’s just unpleasant to realize that someone is rummaging through the cereal. Another thing is children or people with weak immune systems. They may develop allergies after eating these foods.
Parents do not understand where it comes from in their child, and the cause may be harmful insects.
They can also cause poisoning of the body, which will lead to gastrointestinal upset, even an increase in body temperature.
Before using these products as food, the bugs must be removed. It is more difficult to get rid of their waste products. In this case, more careful processing will be required.
