Cooking kills any bacteria or parasites which may be in the weevils. Luckily, weevils tend to infest foods which require cooking anyway, such as dry beans or whole grains. A lot of people throw out perfectly-good food because of this. Trying to pick out each of the weevils individually takes a lot of time. Instead, soak infested beans or grains in water. Adult weevil bodies will float to the top, making them easier to remove them. Otherwise the weevils will just continue to feed, lay eggs, and make a worse infestation.
Back during the Civil war; Soldiers sometimes received hardtack that had weevils in it. Their larvae are often found in packaged food, such as flour, cornmeal and cereals, and can appear in dog food. These young weevils don't make their way into sealed packages; they are already in the food as eggs.
Weevils, whether in larval or adult stage, are not harmful to humans or animals. Some weevil species even fly. Typically, three types of insects get into pantries, according to Prof Ary Hoffmann from the University of Melbourne: grain weevils mostly from the genus Sitophilus , flour beetles Tribolium and flour moth larvae Ephestia or Plodia.
There are myriad species within these genera. The cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne, for example, loves chilli and other hot spices, according to Emery. Recently, a Perth-based TikToker made a similar discovery in her cayenne pepper.
Generally, the eggs or larvae are likely to be present on the inside or outside of food packets bought from the shop. And of course, the insects are interesting in their own right. If you find some moths, he adds, you could even take photos with a macro lens and admire the patterns on their wings. For those who prefer to keep insects out of their food, there are several courses of action. Inspect all your food for signs of the bugs.
0コメント