subject: Bugs in Dry Pasta [print this page] Bugs in Dry Pasta Bugs in Dry Pasta
If you have bugs in your pasta, you should understand five points:
You have an infestation of a stored product pest.
The pest probably originated from the food packaging facility or the store you purchased the pasta from.
Their presence in your home does not necessarily reflect on the quality of your housekeeping.
Although unsettling, consumption of these critters is not dangerous.
Pesticides are not the best solution to your problem.
That being said, you should immediately remove the food product from your pantry and dispose or freeze it for 3-7 days. If left un-addressed, this type of problem has a tendency to spread, so it's important to keep the infected packaging away from other products.
Although control of all stored product pests is pretty much universal, it's always a good idea know which particular pest your dealing with. The most common pests found in pasta are as follows:
Confused or Red Flour Beetle
Rice or Granary Weevils
Sawtoothed or Merchant Grain Beetles
Cigarette or Drugstore beetles
Control Measures
After discovering an infestation, you should carefully inspect all the food products in your kitchen pantry or cabinets. Check all of your cake mixes, spices, cookies, crackers, flour, etc. Search through all the opened products first, as they have the greatest probability of infestation. If the products appear to be okay, transfer them to containers with tight lids. For pasta, large popcorn tins seem to work well.
Dispose or freeze any products you find to have a stored product pests. In areas you have found infestation, use a strong vacuum to all clean all food remnants. Give special attention to the crack and crevice areas where the insects or food could hide.
Even the most thourough vacuuming job will often leave a haze of fine food products on shelves, so use soap and water or diluted bleach to pick up anything missed by the vacuum. In addition, ensure the underside of the shelving is cleaned, as both pest larva and adults will hide any and everywhere.
Remember, Good sanitation and proper storage are the keys to preventing future infestations.
