Evil weevils

**Chris** · 12-08-2004, 22:41

This is a question for anyone who does a lot of home baking - our resident breadmaker users might well be able to help!

I get tiny weevils in my bags of flour if I keep them in the cupboard for any length of time. What I want to know is, does my kitchen have an infestation, or does every bag of flour come with a free sample of weevils which, if left long enough, will breed in numbers sufficient for me to actually notice them?

Just back off holiday this week and had to throw three bags out.

**Maggy J** · 12-08-2004, 23:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

This is a question for anyone who does a lot of home baking - our resident breadmaker users might well be able to help!

I get tiny weevils in my bags of flour if I keep them in the cupboard for any length of time. What I want to know is, does my kitchen have an infestation, or does every bag of flour come with a free sample of weevils which, if left long enough, will breed in numbers sufficient for me to actually notice them?

Just back off holiday this week and had to throw three bags out.

Where do you keep them?If they are just in the cupboard as they are it might be a good idea to place the flour in a clean airtight large plastic container.I had this problem and this was how I sorted it.

Mind I later got an infestation of bluddy slugs but that's another story.

Julian · 12-08-2004, 23:03

Hi Chris

We didn't use our breadmaker for quite a while and we threw out 3 bags of flour 'cos they were out of date.... there were no signs of weevils though.

Here's a tip for you

12-08-2004, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Where do you keep them?If they are just in the cupboard as they are it might be a good idea to place the flour in a clean airtight large plastic container.I had this problem and this was how I sorted it.

Mind I later got an infestation of bluddy slugs but that's another story.

That's what i do, and i've never had a problem. Yes even a humble student like me makes his own bread.

Never heard of the bay leaves suggestion. Might be worth a try though

**Chris** · 12-08-2004, 23:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian

Hi Chris

We didn't use our breadmaker for quite a while and we threw out 3 bags of flour 'cos they were out of date.... there were no signs of weevils though.

Here's a tip for you

Thanks everyone - keep those tips coming in, especially this kind. Thanks Julian

Unfortunately one of the flours I threw out was some very nice granary, and it was in an airtight container - yet it is absolutely crawling with the little blighters.

Ramrod · 12-08-2004, 23:14

Extra protein

MetaWraith · 12-08-2004, 23:16

yummy crunchy bits

paulyoung666 · 12-08-2004, 23:16

bloody hell

more bloody hell

greencreeper · 13-08-2004, 01:35

Sounds like contaminated flour. Ewwwwww.

**Maggy J** · 13-08-2004, 08:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Sounds like contaminated flour. Ewwwwww.

Yes I'd agree.Time to talk to the manager at the place you buy your flour.

Incog.

13-08-2004, 08:59

I have a friend who works for a company that makes baking machinery. I remember him saying once that when he visits bakeries that you regularly gets the itchy scratchy moments because you often see lots of weevils in the flour mills.

Im not sure how your getting weevils in your flour though as weevils attack the grain and you would expect them to have been crushed. Are you sure they are Weevils?

Nugget · 13-08-2004, 09:02

Yep - sounds like an issue at the suppliers. We had a problem at work with this, and had to recall a load of products - if the supplier hasn't carried out full hygiene checks, it's possible for the little sods to get through and get all the way to the shop. Mind you, it's got to be said that it's fairly rare for all of your bags to be contaminated, unless they've managed to cross-contaminate while in your cupboard.

zoombini · 13-08-2004, 09:06

From what I have been told , most flour comes with the grubs in, and if you leave it long enough they hatch out & ewww.

As its very cheap your better off getting smaller bags & throwing it away when its at its sell by date.
If you store it in an airtight container & get weevils before the date then see the shop manager.

Mr_love_monkey · 13-08-2004, 09:37

Same thing happens with those coloured dog biscuits...
Put some in some water, and watch the weevils come crawling out

**Chris** · 13-08-2004, 09:57

Well, we didn't have them originally, if you see what I mean, but I guess we're not as diligent as we could be at emptying cupboards for cleaning, so perhaps after one infestation there's always enough of the little sods hanging around to re-infest each bag of flour I buy.

The ones that infested the airtight container did take a lot longer to get in there than the ones in the regular bags. In fact, the airtight container is sitting next to our sink waiting for me to get round to washing it out properly, so I effectively have a weevil farm. I'm calling them weevils but TBH I don't know exactly what they are. Perhaps I should bring the container to the meet and we can sit around and decide?