Is it possible to freeze oatmeal from bugs. How to get rid of bugs in cereals and in a cupboard in the kitchen - everything you need to know on this subject

The female of this beetle can lay about 300 eggs, of which voracious larvae will appear in 6 to 12 days. Products affected by beetles and their larvae should be thrown away immediately. In addition, it is necessary to check all your stocks for the presence of pests and carry out preventive work.

Bugs in flour start up different reasons. However, it is not worth buying a product knowing that pests can be found there, because eating spoiled flour is harmful to health. The beetle is small in size, which makes it invisible. The longer it lives in products, the more intensively it multiplies.

Infection with flour bugs occurs due to non-compliance with the conditions for the production and storage of flour or cereals. At the same time, an increase in the level of humidity and insufficient quality processing of the product are often noted. Typically, 14% is considered the critical moisture limit. Higher values ​​may cause a beetle.

Most often, the contamination of loose flour occurs, as it is stored under open sky This means pests can lay eggs. It is almost impossible to determine the presence of larvae, since they develop inside small white shells. For this reason, it is recommended to purchase products packaged at the factory. However, there is also a risk that flour bugs will appear, since some types of insects gnaw through not only products dense structure, but also the walls of polyethylene packaging.

If they are severely affected by flour beetles, they should be thrown away, as eating them is dangerous to health.

Types of pests in bulk products

There are several types of beetles: flour beetle; red flour eater, bread grinder. The first of these insects is more often found on the territory of private housing. The bread grinder and the red flour-eater bugs live on manufacturing enterprises. The flour beetle is a small insect - up to 4 mm in length. The body is red-brown in color. Due to the small size of the eggs, it is quite difficult to detect such bugs in the kitchen, because they easily pass through a sieve when sifting flour.

Most often, small flour beetles start up and live in the house, sometimes red flour beetles and bread grinders.

Insects of this species prefer flour different types(wheat, rice and rye). In addition, beetles eat oatmeal, bran, semolina. In the absence of other food or high level infection bug goes to buckwheat, rice and dried fruits. These insects lay offspring in small leaks in furniture, flour, penetrating through a woven bag. Due to its small size, the beetle can start in loosely closed boxes.

Red flour eaters are characterized small size(2.5 mm), red-orange color of the body. Such insects enter the territory of private housing along with contaminated animal feed. Suitable conditions for their development are a humidity level above 14%; these beetles do not start in dry products. Another type of bread bugs are grinders. They differ in size up to 3 mm and a light color (brown tint). Penetrate into human habitation infrequently. Almost always - with grain animal feed.

What to do with contaminated products?

If bugs are wound up in flour or cereals, they need to be removed as soon as possible, since they will populate all stocks in a short period of time. In the case when most of the products turned out to be contaminated, there is a temptation to process them and eat them. However, you should think about it, because insects secrete special enzymes and waste products that can cause the development of allergic reactions.

With severe infection, poisoning occurs. There is another danger as well. Infecting flour, insects lay eggs, from where larvae appear.

Small pests feed on bulk product, so it the nutritional value is significantly reduced. In addition, worms almost always cause a feeling of disgust and disgust.

Methods for getting rid of pests in flour

When deciding how to breed bugs, you should first of all destroy their offspring. To do this, a number of actions are taken:

Low temperatures

Bulk products that are available at home should be sent to the freezer or outside if the temperature outside is more than -5 degrees. The duration of exposure to cold is several days. What to do if adults are found in stocks? It is necessary to sift or sort out the bulk product, and, getting rid of flour bugs, send the flour to the cold.

heat treatment

It is recommended to carry out processing at high temperatures, for which the pre-sifted product is first sent to the oven at a mode of +110 degrees, and then it is scattered into prepared containers made of glass, ceramics, and tin.

soap solution

If the question is how to get rid of bugs in cereals and flour, all surfaces in the kitchen (walls, floors, cabinet shelves) must be wiped using a soap or soda solution, then re-treated using an vinegar solution.

Storing food in glass, metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.

High temperatures

The struggle is considered effective when the method of exposure to high temperatures (+50 ... + 60 degrees) is used. At the same time, the existing small cracks on the floor, locks and constipation are treated with boiling water or hot steam.

Storage in tight containers

Glass or tin containers where cereals and flour were stored are thoroughly washed with soapy water, treated with soda, then wiped dry. These containers can store pre-processed cereals and flour. Lids must be tightly closed.

Watch video: How to store cereals so that bugs do not start there

How to avoid reappearance

If you need to decide how to permanently get rid of flour bug there are some tips to follow. First of all, you need to use strongly smelling products and products: bay leaf, garlic, cloves. They are laid out on the shelves inside the cabinets. It is allowed to lower a garlic clove and a bay leaf into the containers where bulk products are stored.

After the purchase, bags with cereals and flour are sent to the cold. This will help destroy the eggs of the bugs, if they have already managed to bring offspring. Processed foods are stored in ceramic or glass jars. You need to make sure that the lids close tightly.

For prevention, Pyrethrum powder is also used. It is a natural insecticide that has a detrimental effect on pests of various types, including the flour bug. Essential oils also repel insects. However the best remedy food protection is to maintain a certain level of humidity - not higher than 14%.

Such an unpleasant phenomenon as bugs in the kitchen happens no matter how often you do a general cleaning. They appear as if from nowhere. In fact, harmful insects could easily migrate to your kitchen cabinet directly from the store - in a bag with fresh cereals or flour.

Often, beetles can be found in packages of flour and cereal products. Often they settle in beans. Having settled in one seed, soon the beetles will pierce through all the grains.

Flying individuals could move like a neighbor from cereals, pasta, and dried fruits bought by weight.

Know the enemy by sight

A bread grinder, a small beetle and a red flour eater settle in dry cereals:

• Red flour eaters- These are small, about 2 mm long, beetle-winged insects of a reddish-brown color with long antennae. They are attracted to products whose moisture content is more than 15-17%. With their vital activity, they pollute cereals and other food. characteristic feature the works of the flour eater are the sieves he has machined for flour;
• Small Khrushchaks- small brown beetles about 3 mm with short antennae. They get into the kitchen with flour or starch, from where they crawl through cracks and containers with other products. After that, getting rid of them will not be easy. Food supplies spoiled by beetles become lumpy in appearance. Their use can lead to indigestion and poisoning;

• Bread grinders- the most voracious and omnivorous among other types of beetles. They are an insect up to 4 mm, its body has a cylindrical shape brown shades covered with hairs. They start in cereals, beans, flour products, tea, coffee, cookies, nuts, animal feed and even tobacco.

How to remove the bugs that have settled in the kitchen?

If the bugs wound up in a small amount and were detected immediately, you can try to save the cereals. This will require:

• Sift it through a sieve;
• Warm up in the oven at a temperature of + 100 ... + 120 ° С;
• Soak in salt water before cooking, then rinse thoroughly.

When the degree of contamination of products with insects is high, it is better to throw away such cereals so that they do not become a source of spread to other food and do not harm the health of your family members.

• Vinegar;
• Bay leaf;
• Nutmeg;
• Garlic;
• Glass jars with lids.

Follow step by step instructions, which will help to remove these small dirty tricks:

1. Rinse kitchen cabinets with hot water and vinegar several times.
2. Remove cereals in which insects have not appeared “for quarantine” in the refrigerator or on the balcony.
3. If after a week the products are still clean, place them in glass jars with lids.
4. Lay bay leaves and peeled garlic cloves on the shelves of cabinets, glue nutmeg to the doors with adhesive tape.

Glass containers that contain cereals should be washed once a month for prevention. This measure will help protect against the appearance of larvae on the walls of the dishes.

Getting rid of bugs in croup (video)

How to deal with grinder?

To get rid of the grinder, it is necessary to block its access to both products and its secluded shelters. For this:

1. Seal the cracks in the floor, window sill, wooden products and furniture.
2. For storage of cereals, beans and other bulk products, use hermetically sealed containers.
3. Store sweets and dried fruits in the refrigerator.
4. Borax will help get rid of the grinder, it needs to be laid out on shelves and in drawers.

There is no hostess who has not encountered bugs in cereals in the kitchen. An unpleasant sight - you immediately begin to review all the nooks and crannies in search of the root cause or nest of infection.

Cereals are thrown away, and a bad aftertaste remains on the soul. Is everything really so bad - let's try to figure out where the uninvited guests come from and how to deal with them.

Why do bugs start in cereals and flour?

Insects, like any living creatures, choose the desired habitat and appear in cereals in the kitchen, not because you are a bad housewife and do not keep clean.

They are very small, hard to notice, and small larvae are almost invisible. Even after sorting through the grits and destroying all the bugs, there is a high probability of reappearance.

Their eggs cannot be seen with the naked eye, they appear most often from the outside:

• From the store, with new cereals.
• From neighbors, ventilation or borrowed flour.
• From packaging containers, etc.

If the bugs have already wound up in your house, then it will be difficult to remove them, but feasible.

How to get rid of bugs in cereals and in the closet?

To understand how to get rid of bugs in croup, you need to get to know them. After all, in order to fight uninvited guest, you need to know its habitat, food preferences and characteristics of life.

For some, a change in the temperature regime or other factors is critical, while others are not even afraid of an atomic explosion.

Here are the varieties of the most common kitchen pests:

Pests are identified, you can start the fight. The main thing is to determine how they look. A photo of cereal bugs is presented on the Internet.

Since beetles live where they like, it means that insects must be deprived of comfortable conditions.

This will require:

• Remove contaminated food.
• Do a general cleaning of the premises and rid the house of dampness.
• Purchase special chemical poisonous preparations.

Let's take a closer look at the last point. Insects are the most ancient creatures living on the planet.

They are unpretentious and perfectly adapt to any conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with them radically.

Remember, when using toxic substances, it is important to consider the harm to health, so you should not handle food with them.

AT retail the following drugs are offered:

This will help:

• Radical temperature regime: the infected cereals are placed for a day in the freezer or for 15 - 20 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 115ºС.
• Water with a high concentration of salt. The method is well suited for legumes.
• Vinegar water. It is used to process shelves and containers in which flowability is stored. The pungent smell of vinegar repels intruders.
• Products with a strong odor. Citrus peel, garlic, dried stem walnut, bay leaf, spices, lavender - strong-smelling aromas are annoying nervous system insects.

  The selected product should be put in a gauze bag and placed directly in the cereal, making the habitat of insects unbearable.

• Borax, boric acid- universal poisonous agents for beetles, destroying, repelling and preventing their appearance.

  You can make small balls on your own by mixing with sugar, an egg or dry yeast.

Are bugs harmful to human health, and is it possible to eat affected cereals?

When pests are found in flowability, many housewives do not know whether cereals can be eaten. Let's consider this question in more detail.

Insects living in cereals or flour multiply, excrete waste products. For this reason, the use of such products in food is undesirable.

If it is a pity to part with spoiled stocks, then they should be:

• Sift flour through a fine sieve.
• Sort out the grits carefully.

The sorted flowability is disinfected by calcination in a hot oven at a temperature not lower than 50ºС.

How to store cereals so that bugs do not start?

Ways to store cereals, as well as preventive measures, are quite simple:

• Clean cupboards and utility rooms regularly.
• Store flowability only in clean, hermetically sealed containers.
• Do not store a large number of cereals in one place.
• Check weekly for contamination.
• Put the purchased cereals and flour for a day in the freezer for disinfection.
• Long-term storage products (legumes, nuts, dried fruits) should be stored in the refrigerator.
• The room with stored cereals should be well ventilated, have a low level of humidity.
• For prevention, put a clove of garlic or orange zest in a container with cereals.
• Keep it clean, don't litter.

A bug in the kitchen is not the end of the world. Using the above tips, you can easily cope with the problem that has arisen and even prevent it.

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