It figures

**Cricketlegs** · 08-14-2008, 04:03 PM

I went to get something to eat out of the pantry and while I was there I started to clean it a little, then a lot, and when I pulled off my buckets with my baking supplies I had little bitty tiny bugs in some of my open bags!

AHHHHHH!

So I made up some vinegar and dawn spray and started wiping down my shelves and checking things over and now I have a big fat mess...and I still haven't eaten anything.

I started cleaning out my spice shelf because I put chicken on to boil for Gumbo and forgot to eat.

ugh.....so now I am hungry and I have a mess in my kitchen.

Way to get things done huh?

**nuisance26** · 08-14-2008, 04:31 PM

~Ooooooo I hate bugs!!!! You're day sounds like me when I spot more than one ant anywhere in my house. Everything else gets ignored while I go into maniac extermination mode with the cleaning and spraying and sorting and tossing...yuck yuck yuck! I couldn't eat cornmeal for a year after I found bugs in it a few years ago. I just shrieked and threw the whole container out in the backyard like it was on fire.

~

**Michelle68** · 08-14-2008, 05:23 PM

This exact thing happened to us the other night. My DH opened a container of oatmeal and little flies flew out. Looking through my pantry, I noticed they were everywhere. We looked them up online and found out they were called Indian wheat flies and they get into flour, wheat based products, pasta, etc.

We also had a cleaning spree and put all the flour and pasta into air tight containers. We finally finished around midnight, but DH made the comment that now our pantry is cleaner than it's ever been.

I'm with y'all--I can't stands bugs in the house.

--Michelle

**stevie** · 08-14-2008, 05:53 PM

This happened to me last year. I bet I had to throw out about $50 worth of food.

I bought snap top canisters after that.

**RenieB** · 08-14-2008, 06:02 PM

I put my flour in those contianers I get from the bakery dept of the grocery store the lids fit real tight and I always put some bay leaves in my flour. Seems to work well. Now the ants that is a different story they are a real pain.

RenieB

**savvymom** · 08-14-2008, 06:05 PM

We had ants earlier this summer and put a small pile of cornmeal on the counter, apparently they eat it but cannot digest it so it kills them. It worked for us.

**spyzvixxen** · 08-14-2008, 06:08 PM

I totally sympathize. I just threw out a 5lb bag of potatoes bought 3 days ago because one was rotten and had tiny WORMS crawling all over!!! Super disinfection mode kicked in and I don't think I can look at a potato for a while or go back to that farmer's market....

**thriftstorequeen** · 08-14-2008, 06:19 PM

i keep my extra flour and cornmeal in the freezer. I also make sure it goes in there when I bring it home from the store till I need it. I do keep some flour in a canister on the counter. I haven't had any problems lately.

**Michelle** · 08-14-2008, 06:32 PM

I had a similar problem with pantry moths. I had to throw away some confectioners sugar and some walnuts.

Now I need to go back to storing just about everything (that's not in glass or cans) in the freezer & fridge. Those suckers can chew through food storage bags, paper, cardboard boxes, etc.

**angelbumpkin** · 08-14-2008, 06:45 PM

So sorry about your bug problem and mess. I hope your bugs will be gone and mess all nice and sparkly.

**frugalbabe** · 08-14-2008, 06:57 PM

Oh yuck. A few years ago I moved from North Dakota to Los Angeles we had ants all over our condo and I was totally not used to having to deal with them. I finally traced them to a sealed paper bag of sugar the exterminator gave me a huge lecture on how I had to store EVERYTHING in plastic containers. Now I live in Idaho where bugs are a pretty minor problem but I still clean every inch of my kitchen at night and store everything in plastic or glass...old habits die hard! Good luck to you on your bug battles -- may you be victorious!!

**Mrsokdee** · 08-14-2008, 07:18 PM

Yuck! We had pantry moths really bad one year. It took us forever to get rid of them. They had infested a cookie jar with trail mix in it. I don't think I've eaten trail mix since. Hope you got rid of all your bugs.

**guest002** · 08-14-2008, 08:12 PM

This is why I have all things like that in Tupperware Modular Mates. Yes, an investment upfront, but so worth it.

**hippytreehugger4ever** · 08-14-2008, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Cricketlegs

I went to get something to eat out of the pantry and while I was there I started to clean it a little, then a lot, and when I pulled off my buckets with my baking supplies I had little bitty tiny bugs in some of my open bags!

AHHHHHH!

So I made up some vinegar and dawn spray and started wiping down my shelves and checking things over and now I have a big fat mess...and I still haven't eaten anything.

I started cleaning out my spice shelf because I put chicken on to boil for Gumbo and forgot to eat.

ugh.....so now I am hungry and I have a mess in my kitchen.

Way to get things done huh?

Welcome to Weevil-Land

You'll probably have to throw out anything that's open and in paper or foil packaging (unopened or not).