Weevils

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by gunbunny, Aug 7, 2010.


  1. gunbunny

    gunbunny Never Trust A Bunny

    I had quite a busy day today.

    I had to get rid of 300lbs of wheat due to a weevil infestation, so I had to go and get some more at the local feed mill today. It was not a surprise, the wheat was over a year old in storage, although it was stored in a cool (not airconditioned, but not roasting hot), dry room. I was hoping to plant it in the fall for winter wheat in the spring, I did like last year.

    When I was getting the wheat at the feed mill, I noticed several pallets full of 50lb bags of calf bottle feeding formula. Does anyone else have any info on this stuff? I wonder if it would fall into the "I'm sure a person could consume it if they HAD to, but it would taste like crap!" catagory...

    Just thinking out loud.

    Anybody else ever get weevils? From what I have been told, they come from the wheat grains themselves- hatching from eggs planted in the wheat from before it was harvested. Weevils are slow, goofy looking little black bugs with long, thin snouts that sort of wobble back and forth as they move. I cleaned all of them off the floor (that I saw) with a vaccuum cleaner and then got rid of the bag.
     
  2. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!


    No weevils, but how did you store the wheat?

    I've been using O2 absorbers and I'm told that those will kill anything or at least prevent them from growing. I'd like verification of that if someone can offer.

    Also heard that freezing will kill most buggers, but that's tough for me. Don't have a chest freezer and freezing temps around here last maybe 12 hours.
     
  3. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    "All stages of the wheat weevils can be killed by either super heating or cooling. Heat in the microwave for 5 minutes or freeze at 0 °F for 4 days to get rid of them."

    Yeah, if there are any larvae deposited in the grain, the weevils will eventually hatch, taking weeks to do so. Always best to store in air-tight containers and kept cool.
     
  4. bnmb

    bnmb On Hiatus Banned

    I know those little bugs...We put salt in flour or rice, and no bugs...Although, some meat with your flour or rice can't hurt you...If in SHTF, I'd eat the buggers and wouldn't think twice!... :D
     
  5. gunbunny

    gunbunny Never Trust A Bunny

    This wheat was for planting, not what I stored to eat. This was from a batch I got last spring and planted only half of what I thought I was going to. The rest I put in a corner of a back room that gets some access to air conditioning. I was planning on using it to plant winter wheat again this year, but the weevils hatched instead.

    The guy at the feed mill said that the grain is fumigated before being bagged and sent to them. He wasn't too supprised when I told him it had weevils. Warm temps and some humidity is all it takes according to him.

    When dumping the weevil wheat on the compost pile, I noticed that there was a lot of good, unaffected wheat. You can tell the bad stuff quite quickly, as it looks as though it was slightly powdery and clumped together with cobwebs. I'm sure you could sift the good stuff out and use it to plant. I'll keep a watch on the compost heap, it may begin sprouting if we get any rain.
     
  6. Gray Wolf

    Gray Wolf Monkey+++

    I found some weevils in my rye flour a few days ago.
    I just dumped the container in the chicken pen and they were happy to deal with the bugs for me.
     
  7. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Bake in some carraway seeds, you'll never know the difference....... [beer]
     
  8. bnmb

    bnmb On Hiatus Banned

    Right!... [drooling]
     
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