Bugs in flour, cereals, and some other products may start up due to improper storage, or they may make their way into the house along with purchased products. The presence of such uninvited guests is in itself unpleasant, the quality of products infected with insects inevitably decreases, and if the pests managed to breed, you can get rid of them only by throwing away all products with signs of infection and arranging a general cleaning. It’s much easier to prevent insects from appearing in your kitchen.
Pick your recipe
You will need
- - garlic;
- - Red pepper;
- - steel wire;
- - vinegar;
- - salt solution.
Instruction manual
1
A well-known folk remedy that helps scare away pests from stocks of cereals and flour is ordinary garlic. Put in a container with bulk food on a clove of unpeeled garlic. Cutting garlic is not necessary - whole is no less effective, but cereals and flour will not exude a specific smell. Bay leaves, a piece of dried lemon peel, also have a deterrent effect.
2
Another popular way to protect products from bugs is to put a piece of thick steel wire or a large nail in the container. You do not need to wash them before putting them into the grits, so as not to begin to rust, wipe them well enough with a dry cloth. You can put a pod of red hot pepper in rice - it will not only not allow bugs to be found in cereals, but will also help to avoid the characteristic unpleasant odor that appears in rice during long-term storage.
3
Store flour and cereal in glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting or screw-tight lids. If you make large stocks of flour and cereals, store the main stock in a cool, dry place whenever possible, pouring a little in a container for everyday use as you spend.
4
If it is more convenient for you to store flour and rice in canvas bags, before pouring food into them, soak the bags in saline and dry them without rinsing.
5
Most often, bugs get into the house along with cereals and flour, purchased from sellers who are not responsible enough for the storage conditions of products, or purchased by weight. Insects can also get into bags and paper or plastic bags from other products stored nearby - for example, from an opened package of dried fruits or starch. If you buy rice and wheat or rye flour by weight, carefully inspect the products - in the rice you can see small larvae, and in the flour there may be small lumps inside which are insect pupae.
6
If you suspect that already purchased products are infected, place the packages without opening them for a day in the freezer, and only then pour them into prepared containers. Rice can be washed thoroughly and then dried. Before storing the flour, sift it carefully through a fine sieve. It is possible to heat products in the oven only at a low temperature, otherwise the quality of the products will suffer.
7
Regularly clean the places where you store cereals and flour, sweep up spilled products, and after wet cleaning, wipe the inside of kitchen cabinets and tables with a cloth dampened with vinegar and dry well before putting food bags and containers inside. Do not pour cereal and flour into containers without first washing them with hot water.