In order to avoid moths and pantry pests, take your dry goods as soon as you purchase them and stick them in the freezer for a minimum of three days. This generally kills any eggs or larvae that are just waiting to destroy your food.
If you have the room, you can just keep them in there as well, especially if, like me, you tend to buy a lot in bulk when items are on sale. This works for rice, beans, nuts, seeds, and any kind of grains.
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The moths are especially hard to get rid of. They do like all of the items you mention but they love dried fruits. They leave spices alone. I like your idea of freezing.
I keep flour, meal, rice, sugar and related items in the refrigerator. I started doing this when I found live larvae in my rice. I had the rice long enough to suspect it became contaminated after I bought it. It was stored in a plastic container with a tight fitting snap on lid. I've found that some insects can get through what I thought were very tightly closed lids. To protect bird seed against contamination, I have to fashion a lid liner with aluminum foil before screwing on the lid.
I read your tip and it makes sense. But yet, it has left me perplexed. I'm sure we all have ingested things unknowingly, things we would surely rather not have. However, if I thought there was a good chance recently purchased foodstuffs were contaminated with insect eggs or larvae, I wouldn't freeze them because I wouldn't eat them. I would throw them away.
I've recently gained about 30 pounds, none of which I need. I think dwelling on the fact that there is always a possibility dry goods could be contaminated while sitting on the grocer's shelf will help me shed those pounds in short order.
I guess what I'm saying is, 'Frozen larvae is still larvae'.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most likely, everything you buy from Flour to rice to cake mixes probably have "bugs" of one kind or another in them just waiting for the right conditions to hatch out into pantry moths or weevils. And once they hatch out, they can get into everything in you pantry. I even had weevils make their way into my hot chocolate packets some time ago.
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