Spice bugs!
I discovered, over the weekend, bugs eating my cayenne pepper. Which led to further discovery of bugs eating my pasta and paprika, and anything else that they could chomp on.
I cleaned everything out, but now I'm kind of afraid to put stuff back in the cupboards. Anyone got any advice about how to deal with the bugs?
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12 Comments:
Living in the deep, hot, humid South, I keep flour, corn meal, grits, etc. in the refrigerator. I've had bugs in the cayenne and Old Bay spices, too, so I keep them in my Brisker, which is a like a heated breadbox. I also keep salt, sugar, potato chips, and some other spices in there, too. But don't put bread in it! I also keep a couple of Harris' Roach Tablets in the cupboard to control silverfish and roaches (which down here we refer to as "palmetto bugs").
1stmakearoux at 10:10AM on 05/06/09
I have always lived by the rule, although I cannot remember why, that all red spices be kept in the fridge. They do keep their bright colors and flavors longer that way and I never have bugs that hatch in them. I have a whole spice section there.
ocarol at 10:12AM on 05/06/09
I dunno about spice...but if they are in pasta, it sounds like weevils. I've found weevils in *new* boxes of pasta before and they definitely will spread to other things like flour and sugar.
We keep EVERYTHING tied up, in airtight containers, etc. We're also in the south and have learned our lesson with bugs. They'll get into anything exposed.
As for the weevils...luckily they're not really disease spreaders (at least, that's what I recall reading)...but to ensure they don't spread, you'll probably want to throw out anything you find that has em in it. And I'd check anything that was open at all.
They're tough to smush also...so I'd just throw everything in a trash bag and take it out immediately.
lawofmurphy at 10:15AM on 05/06/09
It happens. It's a pain in the hiney, but weevils aren't too dangerous. Re-wash your cabinets with a water and bleach solution, throw everything away (not canned food), and if you don't already own them, pick up some tightly sealing jars for pasta, flour, etc.
Kerosena at 10:29AM on 05/06/09
if you want to check out a non-toxic insect trap,
www.springstar.net
this is good for the so-called "pantry moths" bugs that go into pasta and flour, it's seems to work for me, but i'm in ny state. it only gets humid during the summer.... i wouldn't use a roach tablet near my food.... that stuff is other-worldly toxic ... because it takes a lot to kill a roach.
pooch at 10:53AM on 05/06/09
Refer to my similar query from March 29:
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2009/03/bugs-in-the-cupboard.html
After cleaning out and washing down my cupboard, and then storing all my bags in plastic containers (the ones I buy my salad in), the problem is gone. I've been keeping some stuff in the freezer but mostly in the cupboard in jars or bags in covered containers.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 11:17AM on 05/06/09
Yup, everything out of the pantry. Scrub it down and don't forget to replace liners. I use the Rubbermaid liners that can be pulled up, rinsed and dryed to be put back in. Anything with critters in it must go. Plastic containers really aren't going to help as critters will find ways to get in. I second screw top jars even though they can be pricy, but think of what you just threw out. Figure out what needs to go in the fridge. Good luck!!
finsbigfan at 11:28AM on 05/06/09
Throw all grain products and pasta away. You may not see them now, but they are in there. When I get infested with pantry moths (and their larva), I throw everything away and scrub all of my shelves. When I purchase new pantry items, I keep them in double zip top bags. Even if the boxes are not open, these critters can find their way into pasta and flour. I read once that many grain products have these insects in them when you buy them, so they are hard to avoid all together and forever. Don't give them access to your food and you'll starve them out. I've found the same moth larva munching on sweaters, so you'll need to take all of those to the dry cleaner and seal them in giant zip top bags for the summer. Make sure there are no holes or openings.
Barbieri13 at 12:01PM on 05/06/09
Does anyone know what kind of bugs they are? Last week I found bugs in my cayenne and fenugreek, but nothing else. I live in the northeast and in my 35 years of living in this house I have never seen anything like them. They are about 1/16 of an inch long and are armadillo shaped. I am going to adopt @ocarol's tack and put the cayenne and other peppers in the fridge.
janaatwg at 1:34PM on 05/06/09
Sometimes you can find gallon or even larger glass jars at yard sales for a quarter or 50 cents. If you like dill pickles, Mt. Olive has a very large glass jar of them in the grocery store (maybe 1/2 gallon). The large jars will hold a 5# bag of sugar or flour, and if you can find wide-mouth jars, you can even dip a measuring cup in them.
zucchini at 2:00PM on 05/06/09
Refrigerate!
HeartofGlass at 6:04AM on 05/07/09
I keep all flours, oats, rice, etc. . . in the freezer these days, even before they're open. Haven't had a problem since. :)
nowsonexitmusic at 6:38PM on 05/08/09