Previously I have asked readers to help me out with little brown bugs I have had all season long. I just had an exterminator for the second time (first time being 6 months ago where he found nothing in my cupboards). Lo and behold, did he find something this time.
He told me the culprit is called "Confused flour beetle". No kidding! It's a hard bodied, flying brown beetle that I find on my windowsills belly-up dead. I was not finding anything in my cupboards (until today) Because he told me last time my cupboards were fine, I guess I wasn't checking them thorough enough. Please check your cupboards. DO NOT KEEP any boxes of cereal, cake mix, rice, pastas,etc. over 4 months, or put in tupperware or glass jars.
As soon as I come home from the grocery store, all items go into other containers. No more boxes for me. I have been dealing with these suckers for over a year now. This is gross, but he told me it's very true that we eat a lot of "dead bug eggs" in our flour based food. They're killed in the cooking process, so not to worry, but still.
I tried everything under the sun to try to kill these little suckers who showed up on my windowsills as I assumed they were coming in from the outside and blamed the landlord for holes in screens, building walls, etc. But, all along it was me. Clean out your cupboards! It's worked for me! And put your flour items in other containers as soon as you get home! Good bye little brown bugs forever!
Source: Exterminator
By gayle from Rochester,NY
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Any time I bring home any grain based products, I always put them in the freezer for a few days and this kills those pesky little eggs. I never have any problems with those bugs hatching. It is the warmth of the cupboards that causes them to hatch.
I was just getting ready to ask what I could do to get rid of those beetles. I googled and that is what I came up with too. Funny I should read your post just as I was about to ask. I don't know why they are called "confused flour beetle".
Putting bay leaves in your containers will keep the bugs away. Been doing this for years and never have bugs.
deebomb is right. Just stick your packages, or containers if you prefer to do the transfer first, in the freezer at least overnight. Then put the bay leaves in to prevent further infestation.
I always keep my flour in the refrigerator. Never have a bug problem.
My sisters and I, and our mother and grandmother before us, have always stored our flour in the refrigerator. One of my sisters, who does a lot of baking and keeps more flour in the house than she could store in her fridge, has an old, large, pickling crock that she keeps her flour in in a cool location in her house and she has never had a problem with that method either.
Is there any way i can kill or get rid,without harming myself or other s?
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