Are bugs in flour bad?!
Are bugs in flour bad?
Answers:
They are probably weevils. They get in flour sometimes. They are probably not dangerous, but for peace of mind throw out your flour and get some new. Store it in an air tight glass or plastic container. I keep a few bay leaves in the containers with my flour and grains such as rice. The bugs don't seem to like bay leaves and so they stay away.
Source(s):
http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/ho...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/weevil...
http://unionsong.com/u140.html
Yes - they are called meal worms and they make the flour a worm waste land - toss it out or better yet put it in the compost heap.
most likey those "bugs" are flees. get rid of it completly out of your house before they settle into your house. so yes they are very bad.
the flour is fine, i would sift them out, if you cant, then toss it.
next time store the flour in a sealed container with bay leaves. in fact, put bay leaves everywhere in the kitchen cupboards.
well, I don't want to eat bugs. do you?
Yes! These bugs are probably mealworms, and right now they are making a house in your flour. So, yes, they are bad.
When you buy some new flour, put one bay leaf in the container and you won't have bugs to hatch out. Works for corn meal too.
Only if you eat the flour
MEAL WORMS...and I would advise you to throw that one out ...you never want to eat anything with infestation...
Well the eggs (for flour beetles) are usually present in the flour and if you let it sit around for 4-8 months they will hatch and re-produce in the flour. It's OK to eat then but you may get disgusted. It is best to seal up the infested package and check any other open packages for infestation. The flour beetles will travel.
ya, that means its old. gross throw it away.
LOL at the one person above who said it was "flees." Flees (actually spelled "fleas") live on blood, so would not be in flour.
Little black bugs in flour won't hurt it unless there are scads and scads of them. Worms won't hurt either, but most people really don't like eating worms and bugs because their poop is also in the food (even though it's all just more of what they're eating).
As stated from another person above, the eggs are usually already in flour, pancake mixes, cat food, cereal, macaroni - just about anything dried or powdered - when you purchase it. If you have room in your freezer, FREEZE such dried goods until ready to use, as eggs won't hatch when cold. You can just take what you need and return the rest to the freezer. Try keeping it in freezer-proof containers - the skimpy packaging it comes in won't protect it from moisture, ice, or odors from other foods.
no that's not good. Throw it away! Keep these tips handy:
Leftovers should be eaten in 3 to 4 days. In the freezer, leftovers can last up to 3 weeks.
Wondering about other foods in your freezer, fridge, or pantry?
Lunch meat lasts 3 to 5 days after being opened. Unopened, you can keep it up to 2 weeks.
Vegetables varies by type, but generally should be eaten within 7 days.
Raw poultry and ground meat should be eaten or frozen in 1 or 2 days.
Gravy lasts only 1 or 2 days.
Baking soda, rice, and sugar remain fresh for up to a year.
Flour stays fresh for 1 to 3 months, but when kept in an air-tight container, will last for up to 6 months.
Oils stay fresh for 1 to 3 months after opening, but can be stored, sealed, for 6 months.
Ice cream lasts 2 to 4 months.
Frozen raw poultry or pork lasts up to 12 months.
Frozen raw beef, when ground, lasts 3 to 4 months. Whole steaks can be stored for up to a year.
Frozen fruits and veggies can be stored up to a year.
it has larve in it(eggs)
YES, THROW IT OUT
Sure! if bugs are in the flour, better throw it away, because it is already contaminated. Be clean!
Yes, and I would also start checking your rice and other dry foods they may have access to, including pastas, brown sugar, cornmeal..etc!! Also, get yourself some tuppleware and transfer your good stuff to air tight containers to keep the little guys out!! My father never use to close things properly and in the summer we would have worms crawling around the kitchen!! He would always make jokes about the protein content! It was so nasty! Fortunately his new wife seals everything!!
You can try to sift the flour, however it is safer to buy new (bugs might made the flour taste gone bitter)
It sounds like weevils to me. They are brown, long, skinny things. If you do not have weevils in your cereals or rice, then they probably were there when you bought the flour. TAKE CARE OF THIS IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise, they will infest your entire cupboard and everything will have to be thrown out.
Here is the old timey way to get rid of weevils in your flour: Spread a thin layer of flour on a cooke sheet. Place in oven set at about 250-275 until the weevils have quit moving. Sift flour to remove dead bugs. Repeat until you've done the entire bag. Back in those days, people went hungry if they threw away their flour supply. If this is not a problem for you, it's best to throw it away and inspect your other dry goods to see if they have migrated. Best of Luck to you and your New Pets - teeheehee...
All flour products have the eggs in them. Freeze the flour upon purchase to kill them and prevent them from actually hatching and infesting your flour and other pantry products.
Anything not supposed to be in food is BAD!!
Do you have tiny brown moths flitting about your house? If so, you have Indian Meal Moths. They are pretty common, & I got a horrible infestation from a package of bird food. Bought from a reputable source by the way. I hope the following link helps.