Weevils, canning, deseret products, questions

[ruthiechan]

Okay, so my family was receiving help from the church food wise. This was done so that we could afford to take our daughter to the chiropractor after she fell off a slide at school. Before Christmas was our last order. I being a paranoid type of a person was always worried about running out of things, so I ended up with a few extra bags of flour, oats, granola, that sort of thing.

This morning I am eating some granola for breakfast with soy milk and I noticed a black spots. Upon closer inspection they looked like bugs! Instantly, I'm thinking OH NO, WEEVILS. So I confirmed with my husband what they were and he's giving me permission to take our stuff to the cannery. (It's about a dollar a can right?)

Well, I know you're not supposed to make a "food storage" with food orders (like they'd let me do that anyway, it goes through the RS Pres and the Bishop for approval).

So, would it be all right to get deseret products canned to prevent weevils from taking over? I really do not want any of this stuff we got from the church, and other stuff I've since obtained, to go to waste!

I have never seen a weevil before this either.

[applepansy]

If you put whole Bay Leaves in the products, weavils will not be a problem no matter how they are packaged.

applepansy

[georgia2]

Where do the bugs come from?

I got food from the church years ago and have had problems ever since!

i clean out, throw away, strip the pantry, redo everything, then in a few months, I see one hanging out! EEEKKKK !!!! I have been rebuilding the food storage and yesterday I saw a couple in my pancake mix!

Also, you can take your own food to the cannery>? I was told you had to use the food they had there. Our cannery is so busy you can't get in even when you have a reservation! I also heard they were out of cans because of the demand.

Edited January 10, 2009 by georgia2

[applepansy]

Most Church canneries do not allow people to bring their own food to can there, precisely because they cannot control quality. Some Stakes have canners that can be used at home. You can purchase the cans, lids and oxygen removing packets and then can whatever you wish at home. If your Stake doesn't have one ask around. Maybe a neighboring Stake has one.

When I open a new package of pancake mix I drop a whole bay leaf in. I also store flour in large Rubbermaid containers that will hold 50 lbs. I slide 3-4 whole bay leaves along the sides.

In my experience, once cupboards or pantries have had weevils it doesn't matter how much you clean, even with bleach or borax. You'll miss some eggs. In the older homes we lived in, after cleaning and putting down new shelf paper I would put a whole bay leaf in the back corners of each shelf. This took care of any weevil problems.

In our new home I've never had a problem with weavils. The bay leaves have been a preventative measure, which I put directly in all dry foods that will be stored for awhile (includiing pasta).

It is my understanding that weevils get into all sorts of grain, and that can happen at any stage of processing from the field to the mill to the cannery to the home. Not just the church canneries can have this problem either. Commerical food processors have the same problems. Weevils can even be introduce at the grocery store or the warehouse.

applepansy

Edited January 10, 2009 by applepansy

[applepansy]

BTW, Weevils can cause E. coli infections depending on what the little pests have been eating.

Weevil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Palerider]

we have a portable canner in our stake that local wards and branches in our stake can use as long as they schedule to use it. I believe its mostly for Dry pack canning.

[Iggy]

Where do the bugs come from?

I got food from the church years ago and have had problems ever since!

i clean out, throw away, strip the pantry, redo everything, then in a few months, I see one hanging out! EEEKKKK !!!! I have been rebuilding the food storage and yesterday I saw a couple in my pancake mix!

Also, you can take your own food to the cannery>? I was told you had to use the food they had there. Our cannery is so busy you can't get in even when you have a reservation! I also heard they were out of cans because of the demand.

They come in the packaging. They will leave the packaging and head for the glue in your wallpaper, or the processed wood of your cupboards (unless your cupboards are made of real wood and not pressed wood), also the paper in your sheet rock.

What you need to do is put your items that have the weevils in the freezer. I put them in plastic bags, toss them in the freezer for about two weeks, then remove them. If flour, I sift into a new container. If I am not going to be using the flour for some time, then I sift into a plastic zip lock bag large enough to hold it. Then I vacuum seal over that bag and put into my storage cupboard.

To prevent weevils and bugs from getting into any food product that comes in a paper bag (flour, sugar, etc.) I vacuum seal. For RiceARoni, I vacuum seal -box and all, toss into the freezer for two weeks, then put into food storage.

Freezing will kill the bugs and eggs. If there are eggs in the packaging, freezing for two weeks will kill them. (So say my food extension guy).

Dry canning does NOT kill the bugs, eggs or larvae. It just puts them in stasis.

I also repackage my Oats. Both the regular and quick Oats. They are stored in cardboard containers. Either vacuum seal the box, or remove from the box and vacuum seal in as large of a bag as will fit.

To repeat: If the food is packaged in cardboard or paper or even thin, crackly plastic (pasta mostly) then repackage and/or VACUUM seal it, freeze for two weeks to kill the insects, put into your regular storage.

[applepansy]

They come in the packaging. They will leave the packaging and head for the glue in your wallpaper, or the processed wood of your cupboards (unless your cupboards are made of real wood and not pressed wood), also the paper in your sheet rock.

What you need to do is put your items that have the weevils in the freezer. I put them in plastic bags, toss them in the freezer for about two weeks, then remove them. If flour, I sift into a new container. If I am not going to be using the flour for some time, then I sift into a plastic zip lock bag large enough to hold it. Then I vacuum seal over that bag and put into my storage cupboard.

To prevent weevils and bugs from getting into any food product that comes in a paper bag (flour, sugar, etc.) I vacuum seal. For RiceARoni, I vacuum seal -box and all, toss into the freezer for two weeks, then put into food storage.

Freezing will kill the bugs and eggs. If there are eggs in the packaging, freezing for two weeks will kill them. (So say my food extension guy).

Dry canning does NOT kill the bugs, eggs or larvae. It just puts them in stasis.

I also repackage my Oats. Both the regular and quick Oats. They are stored in cardboard containers. Either vacuum seal the box, or remove from the box and vacuum seal in as large of a bag as will fit.

To repeat: If the food is packaged in cardboard or paper or even thin, crackly plastic (pasta mostly) then repackage and/or VACUUM seal it, freeze for two weeks to kill the insects, put into your regular storage.

Thank you Iggy. . . great Info.

[hankpac]

This is from a university extension web site:

Grain Weevils

Weevils, or snout beetles, are characterized by a head elongated into a snout. Two species of this large family, the rice weevil and the granary weevil, are common pests of stored whole grain and may become pantry pests. The adults feed on the outside of grain kernels. The larvae are small, white, legless grubs that develop inside the kernel.

Granary weevil: This weevil is about 3/16 inch long and is chestnut brown to black. There are no wings under the wing covers, so it cannot fly. Both adults and larvae feed on a wide variety of grains. The adult female uses her mandibles to bore a small hole in a kernel, into which she lays an egg. The larva develops entirely inside the kernel. Developmental time from egg to adult is about four weeks.

Rice weevil: This weevil is almost 1/8 inch long, reddish-brown to nearly black and marked with four light red to yellow spots on the wing covers. Unlike the granary weevil, it has a second pair of wings under the wing covers and can fly. Its biology and habits are very similar to that of the granary weevil.

Methods of Control

Sanitation is the best method of control and prevention at present. Removal of all cereal refuse does away with possible breeding places for the insects. Therefore, controlling insect pests in stored cereal products should include the following steps:

Discard all infested foodstuffs and place all newly purchased flour, sugar, breakfast food and similar products in canister-type containers.

Thoroughly clean the cupboard and storage bins of all refuse material. Be sure to clean out the cracks along the shelves and top of the cupboard. Scrub out these areas with soap and water, adding a little household disinfectant.

Purchase foods in quantities small enough so they may be used up rapidly.

Keep all food storage space clean at all times.

Spray the shelves or other infested areas lightly, particularly cracks where shelves and cupboards come together. Suggested insecticides include resmethrin, sumithrin, tetramethrin, permethrin and pyrethins.

Caution: All foodstuffs and cooking utensils should be removed before spraying. All sprayed surfaces should be allowed to dry thoroughly before packaged foods or utensils are placed back. Small children should not be allowed to come in contact with the insecticide until the sprayed surface has dried completely.

When spray dries, cover shelves with clean, fresh paper before replacing packaged food and utensils.

Nonchemical control: Either destroy the infested products, or salvage them by heating in an oven at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for one-half hour, or super-cooling by placing in a deep freeze at 0 F for four days.

http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/images/insects/weevil_stored_grain.gif

Edited January 14, 2009 by hankpac

[hankpac]

Additional info from University source:

Weevils are in the grains themselves, not the packaging. Look for holes bored in the sides of a grain as evidence of infestation, even before seeing the animals or smell of ammonia (really far gone).

Rice Weevil:

Adult rice weevils live for four to five months and each female lays 300 to 400 eggs during this period. The female uses her strong mandibles to chew a hole in the grain kernel where she deposits a single egg and seals the hole with a gelatinous fluid. During hot weather, the development period for egg to adult may be as few as twenty-six days. This period is greatly prolonged during cool or cold weather. Rice weevils are capable of flight, and infestations may develop in the field prior to harvest.

Maize Weevil:

Maize weevils, for a long time were referred to as a larger strain or race of the rice weevil, but are now recognized as a distinct species. The maize weevil is slightly larger, up to one-eighth inch (four mm) long, and darker than the rice weevil; the degree of variation within each species makes them difficult to tell apart. The thorax of the maize weevil is densely and uniformly pitted with round punctures. An egg hatches in a few days into a soft, white, legless, fleshy grub which feeds on the interior of the grain kernel. After the larval stages are completed the grub changes to a white pupa and later emerges as an adult beetle.

Granary Weevil:

Adult granary weevil live an average of about seven to eight weeks. Each female lays 50 to 200 white eggs during this period. The female uses her strong mandibles to chew a small hole in the grain kernel, where she deposits a single egg in the hole and seals it with a gelatinous fluid. In warm weather, the granary weevil can develop from egg to adult in about five weeks. Cold weather prolongs development. The granary weevil cannot fly and so is most likely to be found where grain is stored, and moves with infested grain.

DAMAGE

These weevils are very destructive grain pests. Of the three, the rice weevil is probably the most insidious, owing largely to the ability of flight. All three weevils develop as larvae within the grain kernels. They frequently cause almost complete destruction of grain in elevators or bins, where conditions are favorable and the grain is undisturbed for some length of time. Infested grain will usually be found heating at the surface, and it may be damp, sometimes to such an extent that sprouting occurs. Wheat, corn, macaroni, oats, barley, sorghum, Kaffir seed, and buckwheat are just some of the grains and products on which these weevils feed.

CONTROL

Prevention is the best strategy to avoid insect problems in stored grains. Proper bin sanitation before introduction of new grain minimizes the need for pesticides. Good sanitation involves the removal of old grain and dust in and around the grain bin. This includes removal of old grain from corners, floors, and walls and grain that may have spilled on the exterior of the bin. Any grain remaining when a bin is emptied can harbor insect infestations which will move into the new grain. After the bin is cleaned, and all needed repairs have been made, the floor and wall surfaces both inside and outside the bin should be treated. Take special care to treat all cracks, crevices, and areas around doorways and other places where insects could hide or enter. Spray the bins about four to six weeks prior to storing grain.

Before grain is placed in a bin, it should be screened to eliminate fine materials and broken kernels. Grain placed in a clean bin should be checked at two week intervals during warm months and at one month intervals during cooler months for the presence of hotspots, moldy areas, and live insects. If any of these conditions exist, the grain should be aerated to lower the moisture level and temperature.

Grain that is to be stored for longer than six months may need a protective application of an approved insecticide. Treatments can be applied as the grain is loaded into the bin through the use of a metering device calibrated to apply the proper amounts. After the grain is binned and leveled, a surface dressing can be applied to prevent insects from entering the grain on the surface. If infestation occurs in spite of these precautions, fumigation of the grain will be necessary. Because of the high toxicity of registered fumigants and technical knowledge needed for their proper use, a qualified pesticide applicator should be contacted to perform the fumigation.

by the way, I don't put insecticide on any food products, but large grain producers often do. Just thought you should know.

Freezing large amounts of food products will be cumbersome to say the least (15 5 gallon buckets? forget it).

Edited January 14, 2009 by hankpac

[BenRaines]

I believe that one of the reasons to put the oxygen removal packages in the 5 gal pails is that the critters can't live without oxygen, there is little that can. If properly sealed, and they hatch, they will die due to no oxygen. Prevents the bucket from getting infested.

Ben Raines

[Guest Alana]

This last year we've had two pests. Pantry moths and book lice. The book lice are hard to get rid of, but at least they don't do anything. They seem to like my bathroom as much as the kitchen (but not the food.) The moths just fly in from outside and head right for the pantry. It's been annoying but I think we're kicking their butts. We moved this last year and are not in the woods, so more bugs. Both of these came in from outside. The book lice seem pretty impossible to get all the way rid of.