Has a recent pantry infestation left you wondering how to prevent weevils in rice? The scientific name of the rice weevil is Sitophilus oryzae, which means “Rice Grain Lover.” Learning how to keep weevils out of rice is essential since they eat and contaminate food stored in the cupboard.
Rice weevils come from the outdoors or infested grain purchased at the store. These tiny insects spread rapidly and ruin dozens of pounds of dry goods if left unchecked. Rice weevils prefer rice grains when given a choice, though they are not discriminating eaters.
The rice weevil, one of the world’s deadliest grain pests, regularly infests grain bins on farms and American pantries. They also eat grains such as corn, rye, oats, and barley as cereals and seeds and grain-based foods like bread, macaroni, and flour if they cannot acquire grain. Taking steps to prevent rice weevils saves food waste and the inconvenience of getting these pests out of your space.
Tips for How to Keep Weevils Out of Rice
Many homeowners don’t think about how weevils are harmful in food until it’s too late. Though they’re tiny insects, grain weevils destroy a large volume of food quickly and are a costly and inconvenient pest to encounter in your cupboards.
Follow our guide and find out how to stop rice weevil infestation in the pantry with soapy water, vacuuming, neem oil, and distilled white vinegar.
What Are Pantry Weevils?
Before they reach full maturity, weevils, very small insects, are nearly undetectable. These weevils feed on dry goods like flour, rice, stored grain, cereals, seeds, and many others. The weevils that make their way into your pantry could be several species.
You might be curious whether to remove the visible weevils from your dried maize or grain product and still consume them. Female rice weevils settle down and lay their eggs within the grain kernel, but you might only see one or two adult weevils in the bag.
Rice weevil larvae develop inside the grain of rice or maize and emerge as adults to reproduce and start a new cycle. Though there aren’t a lot of insects visible in the bag, there may be more inside the kernels.
How Do Rice Weevils Get Into Rice?
This pantry pest gets into buildings through two access points.Some weevils can find their way indoors by entering through damaged seals on windows and doors and cracks in the flooring and walls. Other times, weevils are already present in stored food when they enter a home.
You may find them in a bag of corn purchased from the market, a fresh batch of dog food, or flour. Weevils make a beeline for the area of your home that provides the best dwelling for them, the pantry, where the grain is.
Weevils have a rapid reproduction rate, and it only takes one afflicted bag in a storage facility for the issue to become widespread quickly. The same thing happens in your house. If you leave one infested rice grain in your pantry, it won’t take long for the entire space to become overrun with a rice weevil infestation.
How to Prevent Weevils in Rice by Cleaning
Thoroughly cleaning your pantry aids in removing any stray grains and avoiding weevil issues. Your kitchen is at risk of contamination if you find weevils in your dried food sources, such as stored grains.
If you intend to save infested food, immediately put it in a bag in the freezer to kill rice weevils naturally. You can also put the food item in a sealed bag before throwing it away outside your house. To prevent the spread of weevils, wipe the shelves of your pantry with a solution of soap and water.
Dip rags in hot soapy water, squeeze until damp, and thoroughly clean the shelves. To help the area dry, keep the doors to your cabinets and pantry open. Then, give everything a close look. Regular cleaning helps to deter weevils or eliminate them in case of invasion.
Vacuum to Deter the Grain Weevil
Whether you’re eager to deter the adult rice weevil or clean up your cupboards and dispose of infested food, your vacuum helps. The suction power of your vacuum cleaner makes picking up stray grains and food pieces a breeze.
Combined with storing dry goods in sealed containers, regular vacuuming makes your shelves less appealing to grain weevils.
Remove all food products from your cupboard shelves and use the hose nozzle of your vacuum to clean the surfaces. Switch to a fine tip to suck out grains from the cracks where the shelves meet the walls. Plan to clean and vacuum your pantry at least once every six months and more frequently if you have a spill.
How to Keep Weevils Out of Rice With Containers
Using appropriate storage containers is the most straightforward step to keep adult rice weevils out of your dry goods. If weevils cannot access your food, they cannot lay their eggs inside and contaminate it. Choose appropriate food-safe storage containers with airtight, sealing lids.
Keeping your food in containers means that if weevils trek inside, they cannot access and infest your food. Refrain from storing grains in the bags they arrive in. While transferring your grains to the containers, check for signs of rice weevils, and if in doubt, throw the products away.
Neem Oil Eliminates Adult Weevils
Neem oil is a natural insecticide to prevent and destroy pantry pests, including the immature and adult weevil. Treat with diluted need oil monthly to reduce the chances of weevils infesting your storage, or spray as needed to eradicate an infestation. Secure your food before applying any insecticide, and read the safety instructions.
Shake in a sprayer, spritz on all interior pantry surfaces, and let dry. Before putting food back in your cabinets, wipe them off with a moist cloth.
Vinegar Can Prevent Rice Weevils
Distilled white vinegar is another cheap cleaner for your cupboards that deter or remove weevils. Acetic acid, a weak acid found in distilled white vinegar, instantly kills weevils on contact. Cleaning your cabinets with vinegar frequently eliminates stray weevils before they cause a widespread issue. To make a shelf cleaner spray, combine vinegar and water.
Spray the inner surfaces of your cabinet, including the walls, after shaking the distilled white vinegar solution in the sprayer. Wipe the shelves with a clean, dry towel, and let them air dry.
After reading this article, do you know how to keep weevils out of rice? Weevils are a huge inconvenience and result in the loss of valuable dried food and grains. Understanding the best methods to prevent weevils helps save you time and money cleaning the pantry and replacing your food.
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