Cleaning and Improving Your Pantry
Find the source of the weevils. Although pantry pests can fly, they
usually like to stay near their food source. If you've noticed small reddish
brown beetles, weevils, in your flour, they may also be in other foods in your
pantry. You should also check for weevils near your pet's food dishes since
this may be their source of food. Check for weevils in:
Cereals
and grains (oats, rice, quinoa, bran).
Crackers.
Spices
and herbs .
Dried
pasta.
Dried
fruit.
Chocolate,
candy, and nuts.
Dried
peas or beans.
Vacuum and wash your pantry. Remove the food from your pantry shelves and
use a vacuum attachment to suck up any loose bits of food or flour. Take a wash
cloth dipped in soapy water and wash all of the shelves and anywhere that there
may be spilled food. If you've found weevils in other rooms of your house,
vacuum them up
Immediately
empty the vacuum canister in your dumpster outside so the weevils don't stay in
your kitchen trashcan.
You
won't need to use commercial insecticides for weevils or pantry moths if you
clean your pantry and remove their food source.
Wipe your pantry shelves with white vinegar or eucalyptus oil. Once you've
thoroughly cleaned your pantry shelves, wipe them with a liquid that weevils
dislike. You can wipe a mixture of half water and half white vinegar or use
eucalyptus oil. Just dilute the eucalyptus oil with a little water and spray it
onto the shelves.
You
can also try neem, tee tree, or pine needle oils to prevent the weevils from
getting into your pantry.
Place all of your foods in airtight, hard containers. Since weevils can
eat through cardboard boxes or bags, you'll need to store your pantry foods in
hard plastic containers or jars that are air-tight. If you've bought bakery
mixes (like cake or muffin mixes), check these for weevils and transfer them to
containers. You can color code or label your containers to make them easy to
use
You
may want to cut out any cooking instructions from cardboard packages for foods
and store them in an organizer in your kitchen.