The weevil loves dry foods and cereals, to the point of quickly invading kitchen cupboards. Rice, flour, pasta, lentils or beans can become its refuge. To eliminate it permanently, grandmother’s tips always work.
Even if it is harmless to health, the weevil remains undesirable in cupboards, where it appears in packets of rice and boxes of dried vegetables. So how to get rid of it naturally? Here are simple solutions, without insecticides.
Weevils, also known as Sitophilus oryzae, are small insects measuring between 2 and 4 mm with the appearance of small beetles equipped with three pairs of legs and a trunk. THE black weevil is the most widespread but it can also be red.
If you don’t come face to face with the insect, that doesn’t mean it isn’t present. Monitor them signs of an early infestation which are the same as when you have moths:
- small holes in packages or on food,
- canvases or filaments on your packages,
- spoiled food
- or the presence of larvae or cocoons.
The proliferation of weevils begins with the female which, after having made a hole in a grain of cereal or in a dried vegetable, places its egg there and closes the whole thing with a mucilage which hardens and freezes as the larva develops there. All on a very small scale, meaning that very often we consume weevil larvae without knowing it and without this presenting the slightest danger to our body, except for highly sensitive people who may develop mild allergies.
What attracts them to the house?
The weevil is a great fan and consumer of cerealsthis is why he is irremediably attracted by cupboards that can be full of such foodstuffs, cereal flour passing through the dried vegetables such as beans or chickpeas. He particularly appreciates the rice.
Grandma’s remedies like white vinegar or the baking soda for the most popular, there are many to clean and disinfect the house. As for weevils, you can turn to simple and inexpensive solutions that have proven effective to eliminate them and prevent their proliferation:
- Throw away all infested foodstuffs in the event of a major invasion
- Clean your cupboards thoroughly to the smallest nooks and crannies
- Store your food in the refrigerator or in an area outside a temperature below 10°C to stop their development
Bay leaf, garlic, cloves or black pepper constitute a treatment infallible for eliminating weevils in flour. To do this, simply place the leaves, pods or grains in your boxes and packets of flour. repeating the operation regularly for it to be effective.
Eating flour with weevils: what are the risks?
As indicated at the beginning of the article, consuming weevils or their larvae is in no way dangerous for your health. Be careful, however, if you are easily subject to allergies, to treat your cupboards well to avoid possible invasions.
