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Fighting methods
There are several ways to get rid of moths in dried fruits and other contaminated products. The main control methods are aimed at destroying the larvae, but butterflies should not be left without attention.
If there is a moth in dried fruit, its presence can be detected by the presence of white caterpillars of different sizes, grains from the chewed mass, and cobwebs. At the same time, small moths may periodically flutter around the kitchen. How to get rid of moths in dried fruit depends on the degree of infestation.
- Sort through the dried fruits, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for a few minutes. In this way, eggs are destroyed, larvae, and butterflies are removed manually.
- After a thorough inspection, sort out the dried fruits and place them in places with bright sunlight. In this way, unfavorable conditions are created for the development of fruit pest larvae.
- In case of severe infection, it is easier to throw the dried fruits along with the container outside into the trash can. If food was stored in a cloth bag, it can be washed in hot water to destroy pest eggs.
To get rid of fruit moths completely, it is necessary to exterminate the butterflies and create unfavorable conditions for laying eggs. To get rid of moths in the kitchen, cabinets where infected dried fruits were stored are treated with folk remedies for moths: wiped with water with the addition of table vinegar, ammonia, and lavender essential oil.
To prevent re-infestation of the fruit pest, it is necessary to review all food supplies. Fruit moths can lay eggs in cereals, flour, tea, dry medicinal herbs, nuts, and cocoa. Avoids only coffee and spices.
External characteristics
The very name of fruit moth is collective. Both grain and granary varieties are not averse to eating delicacies such as nuts or dried fruits. If desired or necessary, they quickly switch their food priorities. However, in their many rows there is also a dried fruit moth, which is called more simply and briefly - fruit moth. Similar species, differing little in description and way of life: fig and raisin moths.
If there is a tropical guest in the apartment, then it is quite easy to identify it. Fruit moths are characterized by the large size of adult individuals - 15-22 mm with a full wingspan. In this case, the front pair has a grayish-ocher color, with whitish spots and light “bands” in the form of transverse stripes. The hind pair is light gray, heavily pubescent with darker fringe.
The eggs are white, wrinkled, reach 0.5 mm in diameter, and have an oval shape. The larvae are large – 12-14 mm, and resemble worms. The pupae are no smaller in size, grayish with a longitudinal seam.
If you have observed repeated appearances of butterflies over the course of three weeks, this is evidence that the infestation is quite serious and it is necessary to immediately take steps to eliminate the insects.
The caterpillar's head is brown. As a rule, infestation of dried fruits and vegetables with this type of moth will be indicated by small, neat nests and a thin cobweb around them. The larva will be inside the nest.
Destruction of moths
The moth is not distinguished by its quick reaction or strong flight abilities. It's easy to slam him. But there is no guarantee that this is the only or last butterfly in the room, so you should play it safe and use effective moth repellents in the apartment and in the kitchen in particular.
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No, it is very dangerous and not useful.
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- Sticky tapes are hung around the kitchen, anti-moth tablets and special traps are used in cabinets.
- Among the folk remedies, herbs such as lavender, peppermint, chamomile, and geranium will help repel the pest. These plants repel moths with their scent. Orange peels and garlic are also excellent repellents.
- Ventilating the kitchen for 20 minutes every evening during cold periods reduces the activity of moths and creates unfavorable living conditions for them.
- In case of severe infestation of the premises, aerosols and moth sprays are used. Initially, they carry out cleaning to destroy the larvae, wipe down the cabinets, and hide the food in airtight containers. Disinsection is carried out. Use any insecticidal agent - Raptor, Raid, Antimol, Clean House, Dichlorvos. After 20 minutes, ventilate, carry out wet cleaning by adding baking soda and laundry soap to the water. An alkaline environment completely neutralizes the effect of the insecticide.
Not only does dry fruit attract moths into the house, any food supplies can become contaminated if the insect gains access to them. Preventative measures are extremely important to prevent infection.
Choosing the right place and dishes
You can store dried fruits in glass jars, ceramic and wooden containers.
Having a tight-fitting lid is a must. Store dried fruits packed in containers on a shelf in a dark room at home - a pantry, closet. When the only free space for dried fruit is in the kitchen cabinet or refrigerator, try to keep the lids on jars of dried fruit tightly closed to prevent moisture from getting in. You can also use canvas, cotton bags, bags with thick paper (they are especially good for preserving apples): fill them with dried fruits, put a few sprigs of mint (to repel pests), tie tightly and hang on a hanger or clove in the pantry. To protect from excess moisture, place a saucer of salt near the dried fruits.
In order not to disturb the moisture index of dried fruits of various types at home, try to store them in separate containers. When it is not possible to adhere to these rules, you can even out the moisture content of the fruits by drying certain fruits. For example, if your neighbors should be apples, prunes, berries and dried apricots, then you will have to put prunes and dried apricots in the oven.
Dried fruits with a moisture content above 20% (prunes, raisins, dried apricots) can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 months. It is best to store apples, pears, and berries at home in a dry pantry, and if you are going to put them in the refrigerator, then only in sealed packaging so that they do not become damp and begin to mold.
Nuts feel great in the refrigerator - when stored at about +6° C they will last up to six months, but how long can they last in the freezer? Under deep-frozen conditions, the fruits do not lose their taste for up to a year.
Ways to enter the house
An insect enters a person’s home in several ways. Sometimes the owner or housewife brings the pests themselves, but they notice the presence of living creatures in the house after about 2 weeks.
You can list several ways where moths come from in an apartment. How an insect gets into the house:
- Through open windows. The butterfly is active in the dark and is attracted by the light of evening windows and lanterns. It flies into a room, finds a suitable place to lay eggs, and dies a few days later. In most cases, one moth goes unnoticed; the owners learn about the infestation of the apartment after the appearance of voracious larvae.
- In the warm season, pest eggs may end up on apples and pears that people use for drying. Over time, dried fruits are placed in a dark place - a cabinet, closet, pantry, cardboard box, and this is a favorable place for the development of larvae.
- Fruit moths are brought into the house with food from the store. Moths do not always live in dried fruits. In the absence of these products, the moth lays eggs in cereals, flour, tea, and nuts. The moth actively feeds on these products. Only coffee and spices are not attractive. Even in closed containers or sealed bags there may be eggs, larvae and butterflies.
The life cycle of the fruit moth does not exceed 30 days, of which the eggs develop for three days, the butterfly flutters for only 14 days, the rest of the time is spent parasitizing the larvae, which pose great harm to humans.
Fruit moth is a type of food moth. The insect lives for about a month, and stays in the form of a butterfly from 3 to 14 days. The pests are carried out by moth larvae - voracious caterpillars that eat any food supply, not just fruit. In nature they are found on fruit trees, hence the name. Active in the warm season.
- Sort through the dried fruits, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for a few minutes. In this way, eggs are destroyed, larvae, and butterflies are removed manually.
- After a thorough inspection, sort out the dried fruits and place them in places with bright sunlight. In this way, unfavorable conditions are created for the development of fruit pest larvae.
- In case of severe infection, it is easier to throw the dried fruits along with the container outside into the trash can. If food was stored in a cloth bag, it can be washed in hot water to destroy pest eggs.
Method 1. Hot processing
In this case, it is recommended to sift the cereal through a very fine sieve, pour it onto a baking sheet and fry at a temperature of +110 degrees for 20 minutes. After processing, use these bulk products first.
To get rid of bugs and larvae in cereals, you need to fry it in the oven - the insects will die immediately
Shelf life of dried fruits
Dried fruits can be stored for the longest possible time at low temperatures down to +10 degrees. These are refrigerator conditions. In kitchen cabinets and pantries the parameters are much higher. On average 18-24 degrees above zero. Consequently, shelf life is significantly reduced.
| Name | Shelf life at +2-10, in months | Shelf life at +18-24, in months |
| Raisins, cranberries, pears, apples | 18 | 6 |
| Dried apricots, prunes | 12 | 3 |
| Figs, dried mango, dates, banana chips | 10 | 3 |
| Rose hip | 24 | 12 |
| Cherries, dried cranberries | 18 | 12 |
To preserve the product for more than a year, we recommend storing it in the freezer. Only with this method some of the beneficial substances are lost. Also, do not defrost it repeatedly and then put it back into the chamber. Reliable packaging is also required.
You cannot store steamed, soaked, washed dried fruits. They are saturated with moisture, and putrefactive processes will begin inside over time.
It is also important to check inventory periodically. Damaged, darkened, questionable specimens should be removed
The presence of moldy dried fruits in the total mass threatens rapid spoilage of the entire quantity.
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Types of kitchen parasites
The following pests can appear in the kitchen:
- Bread borer - small (length - 3 mm) light brown insects. They are attracted to book bindings, crushed grain mixtures, coffee, dried herbs, tea, animal feed and dried bakery products (crackers, crackers, cookies, biscuits). The bread grinder flies well - it can fly into a window, guided by the light. But most often, bugs enter the house along with store-bought food and animal feed;
- Weevils are small dark brown or black bugs with a long proboscis. Under favorable conditions, they produce offspring up to 6 times a year. Most often they can be seen in packages with buckwheat, pasta, rice, flour and legumes;
- The flour bug is a small insect (4 mm long) with a red-brown body. These pests are brought into the house along with flour and starch. The flour bug easily penetrates into any container. They happily live in all types of flour, buckwheat, rice, semolina, dried fruits, and rolled oats. These insects reproduce incredibly quickly. Eggs are laid not only in food, but also in the crevices of furniture, as well as in home textiles. Hatched individuals are able to crawl throughout the house in search of food;
- Food moth - the adult resembles a gray butterfly with a body 10 mm long. The reason for its appearance is inadequate processing and storage of food products. Moths can also fly into the kitchen through open windows. Most often it settles in packages of tea, pasta, cocoa and dried fruits. Infected products are covered with a thin cobweb; yellow worms appear in them;
- Red flour beetles are miniature bugs (length - 2.5 mm), the source of infection of which is low-quality grain food for pets. It is a frequent inhabitant of bakeries, mills, and factories. They like to eat grains, cereals and spoiled flour with a moisture content of more than 15%. Unable to find suitable food, the red mucous eater dies.
These photos will help you recognize these bugs.
Attention! If there is a strong infestation of bugs, the nutritional value of the food is reduced to zero. Together with insects, bacteria settle in them, which can lead to allergies and food poisoning.
Method 2. Freezing
Freezing food for 24 hours will also help kill the bugs.
With flour the situation is a little different. Experts recommend sifting it through a special sieve with very fine holes, and then heating it in an oven set to 50 degrees.
How to keep dried fruits from moths
Experienced housewives know how to preserve dried fruits from moths at home. To do this, they will think about what the container will be like, as well as the place where it will stand. If they make fruit preparations themselves, then responsibility for quality lies with them.
Preparing dried fruits for storage
You can check the readiness of dried fruits by squeezing a handful of this product in your fist and rubbing it a little with your fingers.
But if, after compression, they stick together to form a lump, then the heat treatment must be continued.
First, not completely dried fruits are kept in the open air for 24 hours, and then sent to the oven (temperature should be 60-80 °C) for 60 minutes.
You should consider how to store dried apples to prevent moths or other varieties of dried fruits, since they all have their own moisture index.
It is not advisable to store different fruits together. However, apples and pears do well when stored together.
Selection of containers
Dried fruits that have undergone proper heat treatment are stored safely and for a long time in glass containers with a tight-fitting lid. If vacuum lids are used, then dried fruits can be stored for several years, since the lack of oxygen does not allow pathogenic microorganisms to multiply.
Glass containers are indicated for fruits with a high sugar and moisture content, for example:
- dates;
- prunes;
- dried apricots;
- raisin.
Plastic containers are acceptable for storage, but are undesirable because drying there becomes damp and mold appears on it.
It is not recommended to store dried fruits in plastic bags, as condensation often forms in them, which promotes rotting and mold formation.
In dried apples you can see not only food moths, but also bugs and sugar mites, so they should be stored correctly in cardboard boxes, bags made of thick fabric, glass containers with lids, and plywood boxes. All of them block access for small insects.
Deciding on storage location
Heat and high humidity are the main enemy of dried fruits. Industrial producers store dried fruits in dark rooms with good air circulation at a temperature of 2-10 °C.
In residential premises, creating such storage conditions is quite problematic, so housewives sometimes do not know how to properly store the dryer.
Hermetically sealed glass jars with a dryer are best placed in the pantry or on a separate shelf in the kitchen cabinet, where they are least likely to be looked at. And also this place should be away from the stove or heat appliances.
Some types of dried fruits can be stored in the refrigerator.
If you need to preserve dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dried peaches or pears, then they can be placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where they will remain soft longer and will also be protected from moths or other pests.
Video
How to store dried fruits at home. Personal experience
Protective measures
Looking for sensible recommendations on how to store dried apples at home, housewives find advice that they need to check their supplies at least once every 3 weeks. If there is mold, the affected fruit should be thrown away, and it is advisable to cook compote from the contents of the container as quickly as possible.
After each check, dried fruits (dried apricots, dried apricots) should be mixed to ensure even distribution of moisture.
To reduce the overall humidity in the storage area, you can place a container with salt, soda or rice there.
These products perfectly absorb moisture. These moisture-absorbing products should be renewed every 14 days.
Where do pests most often occur?
If the kitchen is already infected and there are these insects in flour or cereal, you need to detect foci of infection. You will need to review each of the products.
The following subtleties need to be taken into account:
- It is important that you will need to examine any product, without exception, that is stored in the kitchen. Each type of such bugs has certain gastronomic tastes. But if his favorite food is not available in sufficient quantities, the bug can emigrate from other grains to cereals, as well as sugar, sweets, and nuts. For this reason, you should not skip a single product, so as not to waste a lot of time.
- These parasites become strongly attached to their places of residence, so they do not go far from them. If you see them on the shelf, you must first inspect the products stored nearby.
- Even if the package is hermetically sealed, it will need to be inspected. These insects easily chew through materials such as cardboard, cellophane and foil. For this reason, without opening the cereal, you should not think that it does not contain parasites.
- The best option is to pour the cereal into a plate and watch carefully. These bugs also live hidden - for example, the grinder can gnaw holes in grains and live in them, crawling to the surface only to change the grain. Therefore, a superficial inspection is ineffective.
Harm to humans
The main harm caused by kitchen moths is food spoilage
. If she “visits” the product, it can no longer be eaten. It is also not recommended to put up contaminated groceries for sale.
Insect-infested products sometimes end up on the secondary market. After such a purchase, a person runs the risk of bringing food moths to his home.
Food moths cannot cope with clothing fibers
due to the lack of enzymes in her stomach and intestines. She eats everything that a person eats, only cardboard, polyethylene, fabric and paper are added to this food. Actually, she eats these “products” to get to the most delicious things.
What types of bugs are found?
Tiny pests can live in the kitchen:
- Surinamese mucoeds.
These exotically named beetles love cereals and thrive in them. Females of these insects often breed in warehouses. Tiny eggs cannot be seen by humans with the naked eye. Adult beetles and larvae can enter living spaces in bags of bulk foods such as cereals, pasta and rice. However, the Surinamese flour eater (its maximum length is 2 millimeters) loves not only cereals. It can spoil nuts, crackers, concentrates, dried fruits, dried fruits, and cookies.
- Flour beetle. This is the name given to a small beetle with a maximum body length of 4 millimeters. These insects in the kitchen settle in bags containing cereals, kitchen containers for bread, and cabinets.
They have an orange color, which is clearly visible on light-colored surfaces. They feed on flour from wheat and rye, as well as semolina, rice and other cereals.
- Grinder. These parasites, often found in the kitchen, have oval-shaped heads. The maximum length is 3 millimeters. These insects in cereals have a color ranging from dark yellow to brown. They easily gnaw their way through floors, doors, and window sills. Found in flour, cereals, they also love nuts, dried fruits, and cookies. In addition, they often eat wood, sweets, and pasta.
Bugs in croup: types
The most common types of insects are:
- Suriname mucoed;
- bread grinder;
- flour beetle;
- food moth;
- weevil;
The Suriname flour beetle is a small brown beetle. An adult reaches 3 mm in length and feeds on flour, grain, dried fruits, and pasta.
These insects once lived on the coasts of Latin America, but in the 18th century they arrived in Europe on the ships of the Dutch colonialists, where they successfully adapted to new living conditions.
Bugs in rice are most often the same flour bugs, known for their gluttony and omnivorousness. They can gnaw through dense fabric, in which cereals, paper and packaging materials are often stored, to get to food.
The bread borer is a small insect that can fly and easily penetrate packages of food, cereals, medicinal herbs, tea, coffee and animal feed.
In addition to food, they are not averse to chewing paper and unvarnished wood. Sometimes they enter a home through open windows and cracks in frames. They can go without food for a long time, eat in reserve at every opportunity, are very tenacious, and easily adapt to any conditions.
The flour beetle is a red-brown beetle, 3–4 mm long, that breeds in food, kitchen furniture and dishes. Likes to eat flour, millet, semolina and oatmeal. Sometimes he shows interest in buckwheat, rice and dried fruits.
The food moth looks like a regular moth; an adult moth reaches up to 1 cm in length. An extremely prolific creature, it can lay up to 500 eggs in two weeks. It settles in cereals, grains, and flour, which hatched caterpillars feed on. This flying parasite is difficult to remove due to the volume and speed of reproduction.
Weevils are bugs known for many varieties; these pests destroyed supplies in the pantries of the ancient Egyptians. A small beetle with an elongated nose is omnivorous. Here are its most common types:
- the granary weevil grows up to 5 mm in length, is very prolific, there are 300 eggs in a clutch, and reproduces up to 5 times a year;
- the walnut weevil grows in places where walnuts and hazelnuts are stored;
- the oak weevil eats acorns, but is also not against getting into the house and feeding on food supplies;
- The rice beetle is a weevil that feeds on cereals, grains, legumes, and bread.
Bugs in croup: why they are dangerous
We use cereals, flour and pasta every day and sometimes store them for a long time. This is practical and convenient, but even the most careful housewife runs the risk of seeing small parasites and wondering where the bug in the cereal came from in her ideal kitchen. Let's try to figure out how dangerous bugs in cereals are, the harm from which is not always obvious.
Bugs in cereals in the kitchen feel great, feeding on food and actively reproducing, leaving larvae and eggs in containers and bags of food, inside kitchen cabinets, crevices and corners of furniture. One of the problems is that small bugs in the rump are difficult to see, and the same is true for their offspring. And if black bugs in the rump are more or less noticeable, their light and brown relatives perfectly mimic their environment.
How did the bugs get into the cereal, how did they get into my house? This is the first question that arises for those who are faced with this unpleasant problem. If there are bugs in cereals in your house, most likely you brought them with you from the store or market. Bugs in cereals are inhabitants of factories, warehouses, granaries and elevators, where they appear when food storage rules are not followed. It is very likely to bring uninvited guests into your home if you buy cereals and flour in bulk at the market or supermarket.
If bugs in cereals get onto the table along with the finished dish, a person may experience a severe allergic reaction and gastrointestinal upset. The fact is that parasites leave waste products, excrement, husks from molting and uric acid in food.
Their toxic effects are especially dangerous for children, since their immunity is not fully formed. In addition, bugs in cereals lead to an increase in humidity and local temperature, resulting in food spoilage.
No one is safe from them, because these pests enter the house unnoticed. Even if all hygiene rules are followed, bugs can appear in cereals, flour, beans, dried fruits, rice and even spices. This does not depend on how carefully you keep things clean and tidy. We will tell you what to do if small bugs appear in the cereal and how to deal with them.
How to deal with mold on dried fruits
It is not so difficult to protect food from mold growing on them; it is important to observe the correct storage conditions:
- maintain a low level of humidity, preventing the development of dampness;
- Once every 3 weeks, sort through the stocks, removing damaged fruits;
- after inspection, be sure to stir the dried fruit evenly;
- On the floor of the room where they are stored, place a container with salt or rice poured into it.
If you follow the rules, mold will not appear on dried fruits. If it appears, then the damaged fruits should be thrown away, and those lying next to them should be thoroughly calcined in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 70 degrees.
Bugs in the croup: how to get rid of them
If bugs appear in the cereal, how to remove small invaders is a pressing question. If there are bugs in the house, it is best to completely get rid of the contaminated product. In this case, you need to throw the food along with the pests immediately onto the street, having first packed it in a bag and tied it. If you pour the spoiled product into the trash, the persistent parasites will crawl around the kitchen again within a few hours.
If you still want to preserve your supplies, you should use tips on how to lime insects. Remember that after getting rid of pests, traces of their activity will remain in the products.
When choosing a way to get rid of bugs in cereals, it is important to take into account the specifics of the affected product. When it comes to flour and cereals, heat treatment will be effective. It is necessary to fry the bulk product in the oven at a temperature of + 50 °C.
You can also put the product in the freezer for several hours or, in winter, at temperatures below –15 ° C, take the supplies out onto the balcony. Exposure to high or low temperatures will kill insects and larvae. You can also microwave cereals and pasta for a few minutes.
Sift the flour in which parasites are found through a fine sieve, sort out the cereals, legumes, nuts, dried fruits and wash in plenty of water, then dry in the oven; sort out the pasta.
Having dealt with small animals, you need to thoroughly wash the dishes in which supplies were stored, treat kitchen cabinets and shelves with detergents, and then wipe the dishes and surfaces with a vinegar solution.
An effective way to kill insects is Dichlorvos. It is worth remembering that after using this product for a couple of days, the apartment will not be suitable for living. So, if you decide to resort to this drastic measure, think in advance about where you can live during this time. When using Dichlorvos, it is necessary to use chemical protection products.
It is better to prevent any trouble than to heroically fight it. Here are some tips on how to prevent parasites:
- buy products from trusted manufacturers with a good reputation and give preference to packaged goods in original packaging;
- do not buy cereals, flour and dried fruits by weight at markets, where the presence of pests is almost guaranteed;
- store cereals, flour, beans, beans, spices, medicinal herbs, nuts, pasta, tea and coffee in closed glass or metal containers;
- periodically sort through the products, sift flour and cereals;
- buy products in small quantities;
- check the quality of products when purchasing and do not buy suspicious goods;
- Before pouring the product into a storage container, check it carefully.
By following these simple rules, you can avoid unpleasant encounters with bugs and always eat clean, tasty and healthy food.
It is better to prevent any trouble than to heroically fight it. Here are some tips on how to prevent parasites:
What to do if dried fruits are contaminated
Even knowing everything about moths and ways to protect against them, it is not always possible to protect dried fruits from infection. It is not surprising that housewives are often interested in how to remove moths if they have already reproduced.
In this case, the following recommendations may help:
- dried fruits are thoroughly washed and then placed in the oven for 30 minutes (temperature 75 °C) in order to destroy the moth larvae.
- Drying storage bags are washed at 60-90 °C and carefully ironed with steam. Pay special attention to folds, as moth eggs may remain there.
- Instead of heating, drying is frozen at a temperature of -15 ° C, but their beneficial properties are significantly reduced.
The cabinet for storing dried fruits should be thoroughly washed with vinegar.
Thermal fighting - what effect does it give?
If there are bugs in the cereal, you can try to remove them by raising the temperature to +50 degrees Celsius. We are talking about treating containers with pests with boiling water or steam. The method is especially effective for removing pests in hard-to-reach places.
To free cereals and other bulk products from insects, you can dry them in the oven at temperatures up to 70 degrees for half an hour, or achieve the result by placing contaminated products in the freezer. Most bugs die at a temperature of -15 degrees Celsius.
After destroying the larvae and bugs from the kitchen cabinets and shelves, it is important not to forget to treat the surfaces, as well as all existing cereals, nuts, and beans. As a result of this treatment, it will be possible to get rid of the remaining insects that will simply float to the surface. However, given that products contaminated with insects are unfit for consumption, it is easier to get rid of them by replenishing supplies with fresh cereals and flour.
Preventive measures: how to prevent infection?
To prevent insects in cereals from complicating your life by requiring a number of operations to destroy them, you can follow simple recommendations regarding the prevention of their appearance. These include:
- Warm up the purchased cereals in the oven at low temperature for half an hour.
- Freezing bulk products in the freezer for 24 hours (use dry, ventilated packaging).
- Dried fruits are treated with boiling water, followed by washing and storing exclusively in the refrigerator.
- Thorough inspection of purchased products (including vacuum packaging) with disposal of cereals and flour with signs of contamination.
Bulk materials should be stored in perforated polyethylene or closed glass containers. As an alternative, metal boxes and ecological bags made of natural linen are suitable.
One of the reasons why bugs appear in flour and cereals is failure to comply with the shelf life of products. To avoid creating conditions favorable for pests, it is worth buying cereals and other bulk products, as well as dried fruits, coffee and tea with a minimum supply.
It is believed that rice, semolina, flour and buckwheat can be stored for no more than six months; oatmeal and millet can be stored for no more than 4 months due to their high fat content.
The record holder for shelf life is polished rice. Many varieties become even better after several years of storage, acquiring additional taste.
If you still cannot avoid contamination of food in the kitchen, you can get rid of bugs in cereals, flour and spices in several ways.
