From bugs in cereals. How to get rid of bugs in cereals and flour in the kitchen forever using folk methods

Bugs in cereals and other products in the kitchen are an unpleasant surprise that causes many problems for housewives. In this article, we will figure out how to solve this problem with minimal cost time and effort and how to carry out prevention in order to exclude the appearance of bugs later.

How to get rid of bugs in cereals in a kitchen cabinet

To deal with the topic in detail, we will break it into several parts, you need to carefully study all the information below in order to understand what and how to do. Everything is quite simple, the main thing is to observe safety measures and do everything carefully.

Causes of pests

• Cereals, flour and other products are stored in loosely closed containers. Many simply put open packages on the shelves and use them as needed. That is, insects have free access to all your stocks, and if several insects get into the kitchen, they will multiply very quickly in such conditions;

• Old, withered furniture. For all its non-obviousness, this aspect greatly increases the likelihood that bugs will start in the locker, since they live and breed in the crevices of dried wood and in old furniture created ideal conditions. To eliminate such problems, repair and change furniture in time;

• Large stocks of cereals, flour and other products. You should not stock up on everything for a year in advance, the more products you have stacked, the higher the likelihood that one of the packages contains beetle larvae that will damage not only the contents of one package, but will eventually penetrate into the contents of other packs. All the savings turn into additional costs when you have to throw away half the supplies;

• Acquisition of cereals by pests. Most often, it is very difficult to distinguish between eggs and larvae, however, carefully inspect the packages and try to buy those packages in which the contents are at least partially visible. If a appearance causes suspicion or you see extraneous inclusions, it is better to refuse the purchase. Sometimes bugs are visible to the naked eye, as in the photo below, which is why transparent bags are preferable;

• Mess in the lockers. If cereals and flour wake up on the shelves, cleaning is not carried out for a long time, then the risk of pests increases dramatically. It is necessary to clean the lockers in time and try to prevent spillage of bulk products.

Remember that pests eat not only flour and cereals. Other products need to be protected: pasta, biscuits and crackers, bakery products, various nuts, dried fruits, food concentrates.

Types of bugs in the kitchen

Most often, one of the following types of pests starts up in the kitchen:

Illustration	Description
	Mukoed surinamese. Small bugs with a body size of no more than 2 mm prefer cereals and are quickly bred in most bulk products that are stored in the kitchen. The bug is bred in grain drying complexes and elevators, it enters the house in bags with semolina, pasta or rice. The tiny eggs laid by the pest cannot be seen with the naked eye, so it is impossible to fully guarantee the safety of the purchase. The red flour-eater, as this bug is also called, eats not only cereals, but also crackers, dryers, dried fruits and much more.
	flour beetle. These pests are much easier to detect, as their size reaches 4 mm. They live in cereal bags, bread bins and crevices in kitchen cabinets. It feeds on almost all bulk products and multiplies very quickly if no measures are taken to eliminate it.
	grinder beetle. Grows up to 3 mm and has different colors- from dark yellow to brown. In the kitchen, the so-called bread grinder starts up, which feeds on any cereals, dried fruits, and bakery products. It breeds very actively and can occupy your lockers in just a week.
	food moth. A relative of a pest that starts in wardrobes. A small lepidoptera insect causes great damage to all bulk products in the kitchen. Moreover, the main problems are delivered not by small moths, but by their larvae - voracious caterpillars.

Folk remedies for getting rid of bugs in the kitchen

Remember the simple rule - the sooner you start pest control after discovery, the easier the job will be. You need to complete a number of important steps:

Illustration	Description
	All available bulk products are audited. Carefully remove the contents from the cabinets and carefully review all products that may contain pests. It is important not to miss a single package, as to guarantee good effect It is possible only with the complete disposal of all insects.
	Estimated damage to products. There may be several scenarios for the development of events: If there are few bugs, you can sift the products and steam them or freeze them in the freezer; With a significant spread of insects, as in the photo, it is better to get rid of all affected products.
	How to get rid of pests: All bulk products with insects are hermetically packed in plastic bags; They can not be put in the trash, you should immediately put all the products in the container. It is better to play it safe and throw away all suspicious products, you will not lose a lot of money, but you will significantly reduce the likelihood of pests reappearing.
	Thoroughly clean and wash cabinets. To do this, use the simplest disinfectant solution, which is easy to prepare: 1 tablespoon per liter of water. All surfaces are wiped with the composition, after which it is necessary to wait for the complete drying of all cabinets. If there are gaps inside, then they should be puttied with a special compound, as these are the places where pests most often live.
	All products must be poured into sealed containers.. It can be glass jars or special plastic containers. There should not be any packages, as these are potential places for pests to spread.
	Prepare and place baits with boric acid or borax. They are located near cabinets, on window sills and countertops. The composition is poured onto pieces of cardboard or into jar lids. It is important that the products are closed, as indicated above, so that pests do not enter them after they have tasted the bait.
	Folk remedies are used to repel pests: Feverfew is a special type of chamomile, the smell of which is not tolerated by pests; Carnation also repels insects, it is laid out in kitchen cabinets; Bay leaf can be laid out near cereals, insects also do not like its smell; Peeled garlic cloves reduce the likelihood of pests reappearing.

Let's figure out how to prepare the bait, everything is quite simple:

• You will need boric acid or borax. These compounds are sold in hardware stores and are inexpensive. As for the release form, a powdered version is used to prepare a dry bait, and it is better to use a liquid form for a bait with honey;

• The second component that will be used to remove pests is powdered sugar. It needs about the same amount as the first composition. Can buy ready-made version, but you can grind ordinary sugar, there is no difference;

• Preparation is simple: the components are mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. After that, a little of the composition is poured into the lids, which are placed near the places where the pests were found. You can also put baits in the corners of the kitchen, as it is possible that insects have scattered around the room.

Prevention of the appearance of bugs

In order not to think about how to remove pests from kitchen cabinets, you need to follow a few simple recommendations:

• Buy cereals only in transparent bags. Most often, a visual inspection gives an idea of ​​the quality of cereals, if there are a lot of impurities in the package, then most likely the product is not processed thoroughly enough. At the slightest suspicion, refuse to buy. Ideally, if you know which manufacturers' products are of high quality and constantly purchase only them;

Very often, pest larvae are found in cheap cereals that are put up for promotions.

• All bulk items, as well as flour, pasta, dried fruits, etc. store in sealed containers. After purchase, unpack the package and pour into a container, then immediately close it tightly with a lid. Ideally, if the jars are transparent, then you can see the condition of the products and immediately notice any problems when they occur;

• Do not store large amounts of flour and cereals. At room temperature, they begin to rot, which is why the likelihood of the appearance of bugs and moths increases tenfold. In addition, large volumes are difficult to control and most often the problem is detected already when it is impossible to save the products, and your savings turn into big costs;
• Do not buy bulk products in large packages. The probability that there are pest larvae in a ten or twenty-kilogram bag is many times higher than in small packs. In addition, it is unlikely that you will find so many containers to hermetically pack the entire volume. And even if all the food in the kitchen is stored properly, an open bag will be a potential threat;
• Maintain order in lockers. Produced at least once a month spring-cleaning taking out all the contents and wiping the walls with a disinfectant. Never put spilled cereals or flour in the cupboard, clean it right away and the likelihood of insects will decrease significantly. Try to arrange the products so that all of them can be seen and visual inspection can be carried out from time to time;
• Troubleshoot furniture issues. It has already been written above that the cracks in the wood are ideal for pests, and they live and breed there. Fix all problems not only in lockers, but also on window sills and other elements.

Conclusion

Now you know about all the main pests that appear in the kitchen and can effectively deal with them. But it is better to carry out timely prevention in order not to solve such problems. The video contains additional information on the topic, and if you suddenly do not understand something, write questions in the comments.

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

Seeing bugs in cereals or flour is unpleasant. After all, even perfect cleanliness in the kitchen does not save from the appearance of pests. Some housewives try to throw spoiled food straight into the bin. But they do not take into account that the bugs can safely get out of there and continue to breed in other places.

Causes of pests

Using cereal past the expiration date is one common cause of the problem (although expiration dates are visible on grocery packaging). Remember to regularly inspect stocks. Unsuitable products must be taken outside.

A favorable environment for the appearance of pests is moist. In it, microorganisms multiply rapidly. To prevent bugs from starting in the kitchen, you need to better monitor the temperature and humidity. Store cereals, flour should be in glass, plastic containers with tight fitting lids.

Types of insects in the kitchen

Ways to get rid of bugs

It is difficult to detect them in flour and cereals, and finding their nests indoors is even more difficult. The kitchen most of all attracts bugs with warmth, an abundance of food. It will take patience, proven methods of dealing with the problem, how to get rid of weevils in the apartment and other insects.

To remove insects, you should start with detection of foci where the insects settled. Look into unpacked products and into closed ones - insects easily gnaw through foil, cardboard. Cereals, flour must be inspected from the outside, inside. Why inside? Bread grinders, for example, live in the depths of cereals, and not on the surface. Pay attention to packages with spices, biscuits, nuts, pet food, herbariums.

The insect does not stray far from its habitats. But if, after inspecting the premises, it was not possible to find other bugs, it is necessary to process loose mixtures. How to do it? Pour groceries onto a baking sheet, place it in a preheated oven for an hour. In winter, the packages can be taken out in the cold for 3 days.

Kitchen cleaning should go like this:

1. Vacuum the room. Take the bag outside or wash, freeze for 3-4 days.
2. Wipe the surfaces with boric acid, a solution with vinegar.
3. Wash the containers, heat treat or put in the freezer for 2-3 days.

Prevention measures

The appearance of home bugs is easier to prevent than to deal with them later. Therefore, for the storage of dry mixes, bulk products, it is better to initially use glass containers or plastic containers with a lid. Forget paper bags.

It takes ~3 minutes to read

Cereal dishes are among the most popular in the daily diet. Many housewives prefer to buy cereals in large volumes in order to always be ready to cook this or that dish. But such thriftiness can go sideways if insects settle in the stocks. If bugs appear in the croup, how to get rid of them will be a matter of first importance. How to deal with uninvited guests, and what to do to prevent their appearance?

What kind of bugs start in products?

First of all, it is worth figuring out which insects can settle in cereals. So it will be much easier to choose ways to fight and assess the danger.

Among the most common "inhabitants" of bags of cereals are:

• Surinamese flour beetle - beetles are light, have long horns.
• Bread grinder - one of the most common pests, small brown bugs.
• Flour beetle - beetles with horns and shell, but very small in size.
• Red flour-eater - differ from the Surinamese flour-eater in a red tint.
• Rice weevils - from afar they can be mistaken for ants.

Also, a food moth can settle in the croup. In this case, it is important to consider that she not only crawls in the croup, but can also fly around the kitchen.

How do insects get into cereals?

Most often, beetles appear in the apartment already with grits. When you buy low-quality cereal by weight or already packaged, insects or their eggs may already be there. If you buy cheap cereals from unreliable producers, the risk of infection becomes much higher. To be sure that pests do not appear in your kitchen, it is better to give preference to well-known brands that value their reputation. Such goods are repeatedly tested, and the conditions of their production exclude infection.

Also, insects can enter the kitchen along with dried fruits. If you buy them by weight at stalls or markets, you may end up with bugs attached to the item. They are especially common in goods from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The same applies to spices offered by weight and other bulk goods.

Effective methods of struggle

If there were flour bugs how to get rid of them is important to all housewives. Most effective method to destroy any insects - this is Dichlorvos. Not the most harmless and safe to use, but it kills any insects with a 100% guarantee. But before processing, it is important to consider that the product will disappear from the apartment for a couple of days, and for this time you will have to live somewhere else.

The procedure for etching beetles with Dichlorvos is as follows:

• All things that can be accurately checked for the absence of beetles, view and take out of the room.
• Wipe cabinets, floors, baseboards.
• Throw away all the cereals, wash the container from under them, as well as all the dishes.
• Put on personal protective equipment and treat the kitchen with Dichlorvos.

After the poison disappears, it is important to wash all surfaces in the kitchen well, and ventilate the room. Returning to the apartment earlier than 12 hours after treatment can be dangerous.

If you do not have the opportunity to move somewhere or you are afraid to use toxic substances in the kitchen, there is less radical operating methods how to get rid of bugs in flour and cereals. Also, these methods are suitable for those who do not want to part with their stocks and lose money.

How to get rid of pests if there are bugs in the cereal? In this case, proceed as follows:

• Sort all the cereals and sift with a fine sieve.
• Put bags with cereals in the freezer for several days or pour cereals on baking sheets and ignite in the oven.
• Use the grits as soon as possible, and when buying a new one, exclude their contact in order to avoid infection.
• The floor, cabinets, baseboards and other surfaces in the kitchen must be treated. If you don't want to use strong chemicals, you can use a grout acetic acid, laundry soap, hot water. You can also dilute boric acid in water.
• It is very important to thoroughly wash all the dishes - bugs may remain in the cracks.

After everything is in place, you can make traps for bugs in case there are still any left. Pour into bottle or jar caps vegetable oil and pour out the remains of the bugs you found. This will lure their relatives, and the oil with the insects drowned in it can simply be poured into the sewer.

You can also arrange garlic on the shelves and Bay leaf. Both of these plants repel bugs, although they do not give a 100% guarantee.

How to prevent a new invasion?

Nothing can guarantee 100% protection of the house from the return of beetles. Even if radiant cleanliness reigns in the photo of the kitchen, it will not interfere with bugs. Unlike cockroaches, these insects do not require dirt to survive. The most important thing is attentiveness. The quality of the purchased products should be approached carefully.

You should also pay attention to the jars in which you store cereals. It is best to choose glass jars with tight-fitting lids for this. Special jars can be bought at the store. They will not help prevent infection, but they will not allow them to get into other products. Sachets and other packaging with spices should be closed with clothespins or paper clips.

It is recommended that you do not make too many purchases if you are not sure that you will have enough food until the next paycheck. It is better to save money for buying food, rather than the products themselves. Fortunately, stores are open daily and the shortage is not yet in danger for us. It is better to buy a few decent quality products than to buy huge bags of cheap food and throw away half because of pests.

Preventive processing of bulk food products

Cereal processing is one of better ways exclude the appearance of bugs. To protect your kitchen, you can use heating or cooling. Bugs die at temperatures below minus 16 degrees or plus 50 degrees. To do this, you can put buckwheat or rice in the oven for half an hour. Spread on the baking sheet in an even layer. Or put a bag of oatmeal or semolina in freezer.

After that, the cereal is placed in a dry package, preferably tightly closed, but with ventilation. To ensure safety, dried fruits can be scalded with boiling water and dried. If bugs are seen in any products, immediately throw them away.

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Cereals are stored in a variety of containers - in polyethylene bags, metal boxes, glass or plastic jars, fabric bags. If the packaging is done correctly and has holes for ventilation, then pouring the cereal somewhere is not necessary. An additional plus is the reusable zipper on the bag.

Metal and glass containers can only be selected if they are equipped with a tight lid. Insects can enter the container through the gap between the wall and the lid. Bags for cereals can be used after boiling them in salt water.

Pest mixes

Strong chemical substances- not the best choice how to get rid of brown bugs in the kitchen, so it is better to give preference to simple and proven means.

Boric acid has a good effect against insects. It can be mixed with powdered sugar and flour. Insects will be attracted to flour and sweets, and boric acid will save you the problem.

Another common recipe is a mixture of sugar with yeast and borax. An equal amount of ingredients is ground until smooth and laid out on the shelves of cabinets.

Previously, cereals were often stored in large bags, so there are a lot of folk recipes recommending what to do if there are bugs in the croup. Garlic cloves can be laid out on the shelves with cereals. You can’t cut it - it can start to rot and spoil the food. As the garlic dries, change to fresh.

Prevention from pests and the smell of musty - hot peppers. You can also put a mixture of starch, salt, flour and bay leaf on the bottom of the cans with cereals. food moth and midges will help bring out the chestnut and zest of any citrus fruits.

Jars made of plastic or glass can be wrapped in foil - bugs do not like metal containers, so the risk of infection of cereals will be lower in such packaging.

Black bugs and other insects in flour and cereals are a common problem. Appearing, they quickly fill everything, and a few days of delay can lead to the fact that it will take a long time to remove the pests. They not only spoil food, but can also cause poisoning and allergic reactions. Pests can be brought from a store with low-quality products, they also start in places where food is not properly stored. We will talk about methods of dealing with bugs later.

Types of pests

To date, the following types of domestic pests are known:

bread grinder

It is found in bakeries, where basic hygiene and disinfection practices are forgotten, and, adapting perfectly to almost any environment, it enters homes with products. The size of the insect is 3 millimeters in length, it flies perfectly, which allows it to quickly move from place to place and, because of this, it is more difficult to eliminate it. Usually he eats bread, but he can also eat rice, buckwheat, tea, animal food and even an old book.

Mukoed

Prefers flour, cereals and cereals. It is very voracious, despite its tiny size - 2 millimeters in length. The flour-eater larva is even smaller, so it is difficult to notice it right away: the black dots found in the flour are a sign of the presence of flour-eater larvae in it. The bug is very prolific, the offspring brings up to 7 times a year in large quantities. Therefore, in just a couple of months, flour can turn into a breeding ground for these insects. The ideal environment for the flour eater - high humidity and warm.

flour beetle

it small insect up to 4 mm long, reddish brown. It multiplies rapidly, and settles not only in flour and cereals, but also in furniture and dishes. It is very difficult to breed a hrushchak, as it is unpretentious to living conditions and hardy.

food moth

She looks like a simple moth. The length of her body does not exceed 1 centimeter. It is characterized by high fecundity (over five hundred eggs in two weeks, from which caterpillars hatch). The moth devours stocks of cereals with high speed. Her ability to hide, fly, and disguise herself as dark objects makes her virtually invulnerable.

Weevils

They can appear literally in all products: cereals, flour, bread, dried fruits, fruits and vegetables. They look like small bugs, about 5 millimeters in size with a long proboscis. Weevils can fly, changing their location depending on changes in environmental conditions, and also easily climb walls. The offspring of the pest brings up to 6 times a year. They settle everywhere: remote corners of the kitchen cabinet, containers with cereals, bed linen, baseboards, crevices.

Fighting methods

What to do if bugs are still wound up in flour and cereals?

Disposal

The main method of dealing with the bug is the disposal of the affected supplies. Of course, it’s a pity for spoiled flour or cereals, but if insects are wound up in it, it means that a couple more days will pass, and they will spread throughout the house. Therefore, it is urgent to tie the package in a tight knot and put it in another package, take it to the trash.

After disposal, wash kitchen shelves and cereal storage containers (if any) with bleach, soda or vinegar. After treatment, be sure to rinse the surfaces with water.

Heat treatment

All types of insects die at temperatures above +50 degrees. It can be either boiling water or steaming. This method is good for eliminating bug nests in baseboards and crevices that cannot be reached with chemicals and sanitation.

To remove the bugs directly from the cereals, you can fry them in the oven at a temperature of about 50-70 degrees for 20 minutes. Or put it in the freezer for a few hours. Insects die at temperatures below 15 degrees.

When the larvae and adults are destroyed, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the cereals (beans, beans, nuts) with water and wait for the pests to emerge. Then, drain the water and rinse the product again so that no larvae remain in it. Flour and small cereals after heat treatment it is better to sift through a sieve 2-3 times.

Chemicals

On open kitchen surfaces, it is better to use special chemicals, which are sold in abundance in hardware stores. Just don't buy to fight the bug simple means from cockroaches and ants. AT this case specialized tools are needed, for example, Antizhuk or Karbofos.

"Antizhuk" helps in the fight against any bug, be it cereal or wood, damaging windows and furniture. The drug is quite effective, but be sure to read the instructions before use, as it is toxic.

To remove insects, you can use "Rogneda" - the strongest antiseptic that can destroy both weevils, flour eaters, and ants and cockroaches.

Another effective means is "Lovin Fire Protection". The drug in as soon as possible kills the beetle, but you need to scatter it in places inaccessible to animals, as this is the strongest poison.

Folk recipes

Recipe 2.
Mix in equal proportions boric acid, flour and powdered sugar, which serves as an excellent bait. Sprinkle the mixture in the habitats of the bugs.

Recipe 3.
Insects are afraid of the smell of bay leaves, garlic, pepper and sulfur. It is enough to put a sprig of bay leaves in the kitchen cabinet or lay out simple matches, and reliable protection from pests will be created.

Simple precautions will help you avoid such an unpleasant problem as kitchen pests.

1. To prevent bugs in flour and cereals, they must be stored at medium humidity in a well-ventilated area;
2. It is necessary to ensure that there are no raw or undried foods (dried fruits, vegetables, wet cereals) in the kitchen cabinets. If there are any, then a flour-eater will definitely settle in them;
3. AT without fail conduct regular inspections of products and shelves. Make sure that cereals do not stale for a long time, long-term storage is the main cause of insects.
4. Keep in kitchen cabinet cloves, bay leaves and matches to repel pests.
5. Cereals and grains should be stored in plastic or glass container with sealed lid.
6. If the first signs of food spoilage are found, immediately discard them or rinse or sift through a sieve.
7. Conduct general cleaning at least once a month, using disinfectants.

Which saturate the body with the necessary energy. In times of food shortages, when it was quite difficult to “get” cereals, many housewives preferred to buy several kilograms of them at once in order to provide adequate nutrition to the household.

It is clear that such stocks had to be stored for several months, and after a while unpleasant insects appeared in the products. We need to solve the problem of how to get the bugs out of the cereal so that they do not spread further. Of course, it is much easier to foresee their appearance than to fight the invasion later.

We will try to consider the main points in the article, thanks to which you will learn how to properly store cereals and deal with uninvited "guests".

What kind of bugs start in products?

In the kitchen, Surinamese flour eaters and weevils (rice and barn) are more common than others. Insects do not harm people, but spoil cereals and flour products. Weevils - bugs dark color with extended proboscis. In dry and warm conditions, they give offspring 5-6 times a year. More often they eat buckwheat, rice, old flour and pasta, as well as legumes.

If the bugs are dark brown or black in color, and you found them in pearl barley, semolina or oatmeal, then most likely you have got a Suriname flour eater. This insect lives in places where grain is stored (in warehouses, shops), as well as in apartments and shops. Depending on the living conditions, it can give offspring 2-6 times a year.

Similar bugs appeared in cereals (photo)? Act immediately to prevent them from multiplying further.

How do insects get into cereals?

The source of penetration of bugs is most often the dry bulk products themselves, which you purchase in a store or market. The risk of infection is higher if the cereal is sold by weight or if the manufacturer does not care too much about maintaining quality. Usually the product good quality undergoes the necessary processing during packaging. If you prefer products from well-known manufacturers, then there should be no problem how to remove bugs from cereals.

Insects can also be brought in a bag of dried fruit. The risk is especially high when buying delicacies in spontaneous markets from visitors from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan. A similar situation arises with spices if they are purchased by weight or stored for too long after opening the package (more than 6 months).

Preventive processing of bulk food products

It is clear that bugs in cereals and flour multiply when favorable conditions. But, like any living organism, both the insects themselves and their larvae are sensitive to temperature changes. So, for example, when it rises to +50 ° C or when it drops to -16 ° C, stupor occurs, turning into death. This is the basis of the main preventive methods.

1. Immediately after purchase, spread the cereal on a baking sheet and place in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.
2. Place the bag of cereal in the freezer for 24 hours, and then store in a dry, ventilated container.
3. Any dried fruits purchased for future use must be scalded with boiling water, rinsed thoroughly and then stored only in the refrigerator. This will prevent food contamination and insect breeding.
4. If you notice bugs in spices, throw them away immediately.

Before buying, carefully inspect products, cereals (even packaged). If you notice signs of infection - refuse to purchase them!

Shelf life

The best option is to purchase various cereals of 1 kg each. If you need to quickly cook buckwheat or rice porridge, then there is always a small supply at hand. However, bulk products contain a certain amount of fat, which spoils before other substances. Based on this fact, it is important to strictly follow the deadlines, and bugs will appear in the crop.

• Semolina, rice, buckwheat and flour are stored for 6 months - there is not much fat that is resistant to storage.
• 4 months - the optimal time spent in the pantry of oatmeal, millet and kernels. It contains more fat.

It is believed that polished rice tolerates storage well. For example, Basmati, beloved by many, only improves quality over the years.

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For storage of cereals choose perforated polyethylene, glass jars or metal boxes, linen bags.

Perforated polyethylene is an excellent option for storing cereals if the packaging is done in accordance with the requirements. The main condition is that the container must "breathe", then the problem of how to remove the bugs from the cereal will not arise. But here it is difficult to determine the quality of polyethylene, so immediately after the purchase it is better to replace the packaging with a more reliable one.

Glass or metal jars are ideal if they are hermetically sealed. Pests can enter through a poorly closed lid. Linen bags are pre-boiled in a saline solution (about 5 tablespoons per 1 liter of water).

Hygiene

In the kitchen and in the pantry, where it is always clean, the risk of breeding bugs is minimal. Always wipe surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge. The dishes in which cereals are stored are scalded with boiling water and wiped dry.

But what if a bug in the cereal has already wound up? First of all, carefully examine the rest of the food containers, not forgetting to inspect spices and dried fruits. As a rule, the insect does not live alone. If black bugs are seen in other jars in cereals, spices, dried fruits, flour, then the supplies should be disposed of immediately. Throw away, no doubt.

Clean cereals can be dried in the oven. Or - for prevention purposes - put in the freezer for a day. All shelves in the pantry and in kitchen cabinets are washed with warm water and soap. Prepare a weak solution of vinegar (1 tablespoon per liter of water) and wipe again. Well ventilate and dry cabinets.

Pest mixes

If you are interested in the question of how to remove bugs from cereals, forget about using chemicals. Only a complete inspection of the kitchen, containers and general cleaning will save. A popular pest control agent is a dry mixture of any floured cereal, boric acid and powdered sugar. Mix these components in equal proportions. The presence of cereals and powder will attract insects, and boric acid will get rid of bugs for a long time.

Suddenly there were bugs in the croup? How to get rid of harmful insects? No less effective is the following recipe. Sugar, dry yeast and borax are mixed in equal proportions, finely ground and laid out on shelves in the kitchen or pantry. The bugs disappear after a while.

When the product is heavily contaminated, then taste qualities lost. The bugs eat the valuable basis of the grains, and the remains become bitter. The presence of empty cocoons, excrement and chitinous skins indicates that insects have been wound up for a long time and the cereal has been eaten thoroughly. There will be no benefit from such porridge. In addition, you can earn serious poisoning.

You can try to sift the infected flour. But here another problem arises. When the bugs eat the valuable protein, the flour loses its ability to knead. As a result, it will not be possible to use it for its intended purpose.

Since ancient times, our grandmothers and mothers have tried to maintain the quality of purchased products. Previously, cereals were stored in bags, which means that they had to be taken care of much more carefully. We bring to your attention some tips, the effectiveness of which has been tested by time.

• Place 1 clove of unpeeled garlic in a bowl of grits. Just do not need to cut it - it can rot and ruin the product. Garlic is also laid out on shelves in kitchen cabinets or in the pantry.
• A pod of hot pepper will keep the grits from a musty smell and protect against pests.
• Wrap a couple of teaspoons of salt in gauze and put on the bottom of the container with cereals, flour or starch. Add bay leaf on top. You can also use dry lemon peel or a regular chestnut, which also does an excellent job with food and household moths.
• It turns out that food pests do not tolerate metal objects. You can put iron spoons in jars or limit yourself to a piece of ordinary food foil.

Keep track of your food stocks, inspect them in time, get rid of contaminated products without regret. Do not buy a lot of cereals, flour, replenish stocks as needed. Maintain cleanliness and do not leave pests a single chance!