After writing, how to get rid of stink bugs?, how to get rid of flying termites?, how to get rid of centipedes?, and how to kill gnats?, we are now writing about ways to get rid of weevils. Weevils are the small beetles that feed on crops that are usually found in hot weather. They basically feed on crops, but when do not find them, they destroy your pantry. These small beasts are the champs of summer, but can also survive in winters.
It becomes necessary to get rid of weevils because their infestation can cause a lot of destruction and they are also good at multiplying themselves. They lay eggs in the raw food and visible only when they grow and become an adult. If your pantry is preferred by weevils, then you are reading the right article. Keep reading the article to learn about the best ways to get rid of weevils.
Types of Weevils:
There are basically two types of weevils:
- Wheat Weevils – They feed on grains. They attack stored grains and damage them.
- Boll Weevils – Boll weevils are the ones that feed on cotton.
Methods to Get Rid of Weevils:
Contents
Weevils infestation can be a big nuisance. They enter the house and destroy the food stored and thus are needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. We are going to discuss some of the best tricks to get rid of weevils. Here are the simple and easy steps that are used to get rid of weevils:
1.) Soap Water to Get Rid of Weevils
Soap water is an important method that helps get rid of weevils. It is important to keep your pantry clean and tidy, then only you will be able to get rid of them. It not only eliminates weevils but also put a mark on their infestation.
- What you have to do is wash your pantry with soap water.
- Keep the cabinets, shelves and cupboard and the other pantry areas clean and tidy.
- Pay special attention to the cracks on the walls and corners.
- Do not forget to dry the places well after washing.
2.) Freeze it to Get Rid of Weevils
Freezing the contaminated food will kill the beetles by simply freezing them to death. This eventually proves to be a great option to get rid of weevils.
- As soon as you bring the flour packet home,
- keep it in the freezer and leave it for four days.
- It mainly requires 96 hours.
- When the required hours get over, take it out and store it in the normal place.
- It will kill the larvae as well. It will help stop further infestation.
3.) Bay Leaf to Get Rid of Weevils
To stop the infestation of weevils, bay leaf is one of the best remedies. This method is best if you do not have the flour in the packet but in containers. Moreover, loose flour is more prone to be contaminated by weevils. This eventually makes a great option to get rid of weevils fast and permanently. Bay leaf is also a remedy to get rid of fruit flies naturally.
- What you have to do is take some bay leaves and keep them in the containers of flour.
- It will put a mark on the infestation.
4.) Vacuum Cleaner to Get Rid of Weevils
The vacuum cleaner is the easiest and effective remedies to get rid of weevils. Moreover, it is the remedy that helps get rid of other tiny beasts like fleas. It sucks away all the larvae and the beetles themselves from all the possible corners that are difficult to reach with bare hands. It is also one of the remedies to get rid of bed bugs.
- What you have to do is vacuum the shelves, cupboard and every corner of your pantry properly.
- It will take away the weevils and the continuous use of vacuum cleaner will also put a mark on the infestation.
5.) Avoid Open Container to Get Rid of Weevils
Never store your food in open containers or those with loose lids. As this makes the food more prone to get contaminated. Always use the container with lids. It is one of the easiest ways to get rid of weevils. It works as a barrier between the food and the nasty weevils.
- What you have to do is keep the food in an air tight jar, as soon as you bring it home.
- Also, keep a check on the stored food and your pantry from time to time.
- Keep on changing the containers and maintain their cleanliness from time to time.
6.) Consume the Grains to Get Rid of Weevils
The best way to keep the weevils away from food is to consume it as soon as possible. Do not store the grains for more than the suitable time as this will allow the beetles to contaminate the food.
- Do not store the grains for a longer period.
- Just keep on using it.
- It is good to purchase only the required amount of flour.
- Do not buy the floor in bulk.
- Keep on rotating as well.
- Use the previous stock first and then go for the newer one.
- Never buy in bulk.
- Always buy an appropriate quantity that is sufficient for the smaller period.
7.) Cloves to Get Rid of Weevils
Use cloves, in order to get rid of the weevils, is a great idea. It fights it off well and also avoids their infestation. The strong smell of cloves is what these beetles dislike, which eventually makes it as one of the effective home remedies to get rid of weevils. Clove also helps to get rid of mice fast.
- What you have to do is, take some cloves and keep them in the cupboard shelves and other parts and corners of your pantry.
- Cover all the possible areas where you feel the presence of these beetles.
- Spread the cloves all over the place where you doubt the presence of weevils.
- Weevils do not like the scent of these cloves and thus stay away from it.
8.) Throw Away to Get Rid of Weevils
Throwing away the grocery also becomes an option when one wants to get rid of weevils and other pesky creatures that tend to infest your kitchen and the pantry stock. If you witness that any type of food or flour is highly contaminated with the weevils, then just throw it away. Most of the time, these weevils move from one product to other.
- Throwing away the product will stop their infestation into other products.
- Do check the other products kept around the contaminated container.
- Weevils might also get transferred to other containers as well.
9.) Wet Clothes to Get Rid of Weevils
Weevils love the dark and moist place. They tend to enjoy the places with dark and moist surrounding which is easily available in your kitchen and the pantry of course. This makes wet cloth as the best option because it is what suits their lifestyle. It acts as a trap to attract these beetles and catch them without even letting them know about the scenario.
- So it is good to keep wet towel or cloth in your kitchen.
- It will attract the weevils towards will thus stop the infestation.
- It works as a trap for them.
- If the weevils try to attack your pantry, then they will be first attracted towards the wet towel.
- When they get attracted toward the towel.
- You can simply sink the towel in the bucket filled with water or you can simply throw it away.
- Repeat the remedy as required to get rid of these weevils permanently.
10.) White Vinegar to Get Rid of Weevils
Yes, white vinegar. When you see the infestation of weevils, clean the shelves and cupboards using white vinegar.
- What you can do is wash your pantry with water or soapy water and then again wash it with a solution prepared with white vinegar.
- It will eliminate the adult weevils and will also combat the further infestation.
11.) Match Box to Get Rid of Weevils
Use a match box and get rid of weevils. Match box contains sulfur which is not liked by weevils. It tends to kill these beetles, slowly decreasing their count and eliminating the infestation.
- All you need to do is place a match box in your pantry and weevils.
- Let us stay and you stay away from the pantry.
- Keep the match box open near the grains and weevils will not be seen near the grains.
- Keep on repeating the remedy as required to get rid of weevils permanently.
12.) Sunlight to Get Rid of Weevils
As we discussed earlier that weevils love to reside in darker and moist places. Sunlight is the total opposite of what suits their lifestyle. So, keeping the contaminated food in sunlight will surely give you effective results in getting rid of weevils and other insects that are contaminating your food.
- If you see that the flour container is attacked by the weevils then just keep contaminated flour in sunlight.
- Weevils do not like the sunlight and thus will look for a dark and moist place.
- Keep the contaminated flour in the sunlight for a day and you get rid of weevils easily.
How to Prevent Weevils?
1.) Identity Weevils to Get Rid of Weevils
The best way to get rid of weevils is to avoid getting food into your home that is infested with them. You should know, both the rice and granary weevils have divided bodies which are made up of the head, thorax, and abdomen. And each of the species ranges from one-eighth inches (3.2 mm) to three-sixteenth inches (4.8 mm) long. Rice weevils are dull red-brown and can fly, while granary weevils are a shiny red.
2.) Purchase Grains in Bulk
When you purchase grains in bulk, then you have the advantage to inspect the food by itself for an infestation. And this automatically reduces the chances that you will end with infested food. You can buy food in bulk which includes anything that can attract weevils, Which include, flours, cereal, rice, pasta, quinoa, Barley, Corn and wheat berries.
3.) Try to Purchase Food in Clear Packing
When you are unable to buy food in a bulk, then you can go for clear packaging so that you can still inspect the content. Always purchase these items in clear plastic bags and containers. To inspects the weevils, use your hands to move the content of the bags around. Always avoid the food with damaged packaging.
Other Useful Tips to Get Rid of Weevils:
- Throw the contaminated food away from your pantry or the weevils will hide somewhere in your pantry only.
- To remove the weevils, use flour sifter. If you find weevil in the flour within a few days of purchase then throw it away.
- It means that it was contaminated long before. Inspect the grain, when you purchase them.
- Always go for packed grains. Avoid the loose packets. Clean your pantry regularly.
- Always dispose the garbage away from the house.
- Keep a check on the food. Check it regularly for the infestation.
- You may also keep small nags of black pepper in your pantry.
