6 minutes
Have weevils appeared in your kitchen? Although it is an annoying pest, it is not impossible to control. Discover some recommendations.
Have you ever found some little reddish bugs in your pantry? This can be an unpleasant and impressive experience. However, it is common for them to come home. The good news is that they can be easily treated. Find out this time how you can get rid of weevils effectively.
First of all, it should be remembered that weevils are small insects that can be found on grains such as wheat, corn or rice. They belong to the order Coleoptera and there are various species. Also known as “meal bugs”, they have a dimension of between 3 and 60 millimeters, and are reddish-brown or black in color.
They are considered one of the most common pests in crops and grains already stored, as noted by the “Manual of pests in stored grains”, of the International Corn and Wheat Improvement Center. Its presence causes damage to food, favors the presence of other insects and can cause infections. Still, they are not that dangerous to people. How to remove them?
Recommendations for the treatment of weevils
First, locate the source of the weevils in the kitchen and remove the food packages that contain them. Likewise, it should be verified if they have spread through the drawers. Later, in the elimination process, you can follow a series of recommendations that will help you keep them away.
Eliminate them
Obviously, the first thing to do when finding weevils is to eliminate them. You can submerge the packages in boiling water so that the insects do not survive and continue to spread. You can also store contaminated food in a bag, seal it very well and quickly remove it from your home.
Some of the weevils, like the rice weevils, are very agile and can easily sneak around your kitchen to search for more food. What’s more, considers that the larvae are difficult to eliminate, since they are not usually detected with the naked eye. Therefore, the ideal is to vacuum the cupboard and give a pass with vinegar or insecticide to completely eliminate the pest.
Use natural repellants
There are several popular methods of keeping weevils away with natural plants. Bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, rosemary leaves, and garlic cloves can all help. In addition, you can put match heads and clean with vinegar as these components scare them away.
Do a deep cleaning
As a final step, it is necessary do a deep cleaning to remove all insects and eggs that have been stored. As a prevention with grains, you can wash them and then put them in the oven to kill any insects. You can also put them in the freezer and then wash them.
In the case of drawers, if the infestation was very large, it is convenient to change the paper to cover them, and vacuum the shelves. You can also use vinegar to clean nearby areas and under appliances. If you have old cardboard or papers in the cupboard, it is best to throw them away.
Use traps
If you live in an area where weevils are normal, there are some very useful traps to attract them. These are devices that release pheromones to attract weevils. Once they get there, they get stuck and cannot escape. In fact this it will serve as an indicator of the number of insects that are in your kitchen.
Take care of the other packages
You may fear that the weevils are in other packages. To avoid unpleasant surprises later, you can put the grains and flours in the freezer. Storing them at a low temperature in airtight containers will prevent a new infestation.
How to prevent the appearance of weevils?
The best way to prevent the appearance of weevils in the pantry is avoid buying food that is contaminated with them. Therefore, it is essential to know how to identify them. If you buy in bulk, you should closely check the grains. Remember that they are small insects in a range of colors from light to dark brown, depending on the type of weevil.
For packaged products, move the bag around and try to identify small spots through the clear plastic. This exercise is recommended for grains and flours that come from wheat, corn, quinoa, oats, cereals, pasta, and barley.
Although weevils usually come home through already infected packages, they may also enter the pantry, depending on the type of weather and the species of weevil. To avoid it, it is advisable to close the drawers or the storage place well.
Also, you have to try to do a thorough cleaning so that insects are not attracted. Therefore, if you sprinkle a little flour or grains, you should clean up immediately. It is also advisable to buy high-quality food that meets health protocols. Among other things, this helps prevent illness.
Be careful with other pests
Although weevils are one of the insects that most infect food, there are other pests that should not be ignored. The Indian moth, the borer, the borer or the golden moth are some examples.
As for the weevil itself, there are other varieties of the species that usually eat the wood and that pose a danger to the furniture in the home.
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