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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
When we moved, four and a half years ago, I bought moving boxes -- which were infested with weevils. Since then, I've been fighting a losing battle in my kitchen. (And in other areas of the house, but mostly the kitchen.) So far, I've put everything I can think of in the kitchen into airtight plastic, glass, or metal containers; taken everything out of the cabinets a couple of times and scrubbed them down; checked every package of every type of food or spice to see if there were any weevils and replaced anything that had 'em; and I've cried a few times in frustration. I've also looked online, where I've found a few articles about weevils, but none that tell me anything useful for GETTING THEM OUT OF MY KITCHEN!!!
Now, I'm a generally nice person, I hardly ever abuse animals, I'm kind to my web-footed friends, BUT I'M NOT HAPPY TO BE SUPPORTING A LARGE POPULATION OF ICKY BUGS. If they want to eat flour, they can go out and get jobs to support their habit. I'm tired of paying their way.
Can anyone recommend any solutions to this problem? The two things that probably won't work are bug bombs (cats, and too much 'stuff' that can't be moved out of the way) and loud parties to irritate them into packing up. Anyone know where the little buggers hide when they're not buried in my bouillon cubes? Do they have nests that I can find and destroy? Can I feed them Nutrasweet until they forget to attack the flour?
Please -- before I try to flood them out with more tears!
Posted by justyourlaugh on September 17, 2004, at 13:05:14
In reply to How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
i have those darn north american house hippos, everywhere!
hidding in slippers
eating up all the chips
scurring around at night...
solution
usually a case of beer will do it:)
jyl
Posted by partlycloudy on September 17, 2004, at 13:52:56
In reply to same troubles... » Racer, posted by justyourlaugh on September 17, 2004, at 13:05:14
I see a pattern of the malt variety. JYL, you show your patriotism in your choice of the universal problem solver - a case of 2-4. (An inside Canadian joke to you Americans out there.)
Living in the near tropics (HA!) as we do, the little buggers have infiltrated our house before. The Bug Guy (everyone in Florida has a Bug Guy, the equivalent of The Guy Who Plows Your Road) said that going through every single item of food and getting rid of whatever had been invaded, then making certain anything left in the cupboards are completely sealed. In our house the culprit was the spice cabinet. DISGUSTING. Eventually (after 4 weeks or so) after I had cleared everything out, they went away.
Beware Hungarian Paprika.
Posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 14:04:11
In reply to Universal solution? » justyourlaugh, posted by partlycloudy on September 17, 2004, at 13:52:56
OMG!!! Did you know my family is from Hungary? I have the care packages of good, hot Hungarian paprika -- and it's very, very well sealed, because the little buggers must have Magyar genes, too!
The worst, though, is the Knorr Swiss bouillon cubes -- they eat through the box, then the foil, then the cube itself. GROSS!!! And, worse yet, I'll go to the cabinet to get some out for Krumple Leves, and find that there's no chicken bouillon because of them! (Yes, the cubes are now stored in airtight containers. Eventually, I do learn...)
The problem I've got, though, is that I've *done* that -- when I say that I've cleaned the cabinets, I mean *everything* out of *every* cabinet; every surface scrubbed; every item carefully inspected and anything suspect thrown out; everything that could be enticing to them in careful packaging before being returned to the shelves.
And, within a week, they're back in force.
By the way, in case anyone cares, I *hate* bugs.
Posted by partlycloudy on September 17, 2004, at 14:38:00
In reply to Re: Universal solution? » partlycloudy, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 14:04:11
I hate bugs more than you do - and I live in Florida. Can you say Palmetto Bug - a fancy flying cockroach big enough to eat a mouse??!!!
Seriously, it took me repeated attacks to eliminate these - probably because even though you got rid of the creepy crawly things, there are unhatched menaces waiting to propagate again. Just as with fleas on a cat, persevere.
Good luck, you Hungarian, you.
Posted by verne on September 17, 2004, at 14:47:30
In reply to How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
I waged a war with weevils for over a year. I even sent one in to the state lab for indentification. To be exact I had "rice" weevils.
Nothing seemed to work until I chanced upon a "Raid Max" kit. Although it was designed for roaches I was desperate and gave it a try. Perhaps they have kits designed for weevils.
Always one for overkill I used 3 kits and placed dozens of bait stations and egg stoppers all over the house but especially in the kitchen and bathroom. I put them in cupboards, behind appliances - especially the stove. I really cleaned behind the stove and got rid of all my birdseed which really attracted them. I also sprayed some sort of insecticide along all the floorboards.
I really think the Raid kits worked because after a couple months I never saw another weevil. I continued to live weevil free for another three years until I moved.
The state lab people said it was important to deprive the weevil of their food source. In my case it was spilled rice behind the stove and a big bag of birdseed that they somehow got into. I think they may live in the walls since I would often see them waddle out from beneath the floorboards.
a weevil survivor
Verne
Posted by Dinah on September 17, 2004, at 15:57:17
In reply to Re: Universal solution? » partlycloudy, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 14:04:11
We had the problem at my parents and they had to eventually reverse the food and paper products storage areas. As long as the food was where it was, they kept coming back.
Posted by AuntieMel on September 17, 2004, at 16:08:57
In reply to Re: Universal solution? » Racer, posted by Dinah on September 17, 2004, at 15:57:17
Posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 17:52:09
In reply to Re: Universal solution? » Racer, posted by Dinah on September 17, 2004, at 15:57:17
Our paper products are kept either in the bathroom or under the stairs -- I don't think my husband would allow me to move the food either place!
It's still a relief to know that I'm not the only one who's been invaded this way, though. (Although I'm still irritated that I bought boxes from the moving store, only to have this happen. The morning after I got them home, I saw all these dang bugs crawling out of them, but was in too much of a hurry to try to take them back. That'll learn me, huh?)
Thanks, everyone.
Posted by Dinah on September 17, 2004, at 17:56:01
In reply to LoL! One little problem... » Dinah, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 17:52:09
LOL. No, I suppose that wouldn't work.
I don't know what the previous owner of this house used (and probably don't want to know) but we've been living here over ten years and the only bugs we see are dying or dead. Knock on wood.
But our youngest dog is a great ratter. I'd rather the bugs. Yuck.
How about boric acid? Or maybe not. Weevils can live quite well dried up, can't they?
Posted by Lou Pilder on September 17, 2004, at 19:30:19
In reply to How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
Friends,
I solved the weevil problem, when I had them 40 years ago, in the following way.
I put a lot of weevils in the apt next door. There became so many weevils next door that my apartment became the lesser of two weevils.
Lou
Posted by Dinah on September 17, 2004, at 21:43:22
In reply to Re: How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Lou Pilder on September 17, 2004, at 19:30:19
Posted by gardenergirl on September 18, 2004, at 0:13:41
In reply to Re: Universal solution? » partlycloudy, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 14:04:11
>
> The worst, though, is the Knorr Swiss bouillon cubes -- they eat through the box, then the foil, then the cube itself.How about feeing them an MAOI. Then, next time they get into the Knorr, Poof! A hypertensive crisis! Just don't break down and administer nifidepine. :)
gg
Posted by Larry Hoover on September 18, 2004, at 8:08:12
In reply to How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
> Can anyone recommend any solutions to this problem? The two things that probably won't work are bug bombs (cats, and too much 'stuff' that can't be moved out of the way) and loud parties to irritate them into packing up. Anyone know where the little buggers hide when they're not buried in my bouillon cubes? Do they have nests that I can find and destroy? Can I feed them Nutrasweet until they forget to attack the flour?
>
> Please -- before I try to flood them out with more tears!When you do one of your kitchen cleaning frenzies, vacuum the cupboards, and throw that bag away, pronto. If you tolerate the idea, spray a crack and crevice insecticide in the recesses of the cupboards. Something with the name ending in "-methrin". Any "clean" products should be frozen for three days. That kills weevils at any stage, whether egg, larva, or adult. I hope you have a deep freeze big enough.
Possible hidden sources of infestation are things like bean bags, ornamental "kitchy" stuff made with plant-based material, mouse bait....you have to think outside the box to find all the sources. It could be spilled stuff behind the fridge....ya know?
If you cycle food through the freezer, you may get lucky and kill everything. Best, though, would be one simultaneous freeze event.
Good luck.
Lar
Posted by Racer on September 18, 2004, at 11:57:14
In reply to Re: How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone? » Racer, posted by Larry Hoover on September 18, 2004, at 8:08:12
I'm really glad I posted this question here. Despite having done my cleaning frenzy, the one thing I didn't do was pull out the stove and refrigerator -- and I would bet that that's where a lot of the problem has come from. (When I say I cleaned "everything" in my kitchen, that included washing most of the dishes in the cabinets, the wine bottles, the wine rack, etc. I washed everything that was in there, and took apart every small appliance to wash crevices, etc. I was *serious* about getting rid of them.)
So, thank you very much for reminding me of the one thing I hadn't thought of, and the one thing that -- because of the patterns of infestation -- is probably involved.
And special thanks to Larry, because the freezer -- tiny as it is -- is a great idea. I'll see which things I can fit in, because I think that, with the airtight containers everything has been in since the last cleaning frenzy, there are only a few things that actually need to be frozen. Most of what's in the airtight containers is new, and went into those containers as soon as it came home from the store. It *should* be safe, and, if it does have bugs in it, it's contained and can be thrown out and replaced again.
Thanks everyone!
Posted by Ilene on September 18, 2004, at 16:51:53
In reply to How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone?, posted by Racer on September 17, 2004, at 12:33:05
I had the same problem, except I had a kind of moth that laid eggs in my food. The eggs hatched into disgusting little larvae.
Solution: I bought old-fashioned canning jars. (The glass jars with separate rubber gaskets and external wire latches.) Everything floury got unpacked as soon as it came home and stored in those glass jars. Nothing else worked. I mean nothing. Not Rubbermaid, not Tupperware, not empty mayonnaise jars, not nothing.
I got more careful about buying bulk food, but even if I did bring home something contaminated, I had to throw away only the one item because the moths couldn't get out of the storage jar.
For some reason moths never afflicted the cat food. I don't think the cats would have minded. (Mmm, grubs.)
You can get canning jars at Cost Plus/World Market or the Container Store. Be sure the lids form a tight seal.
Posted by sb417 on September 18, 2004, at 22:05:37
In reply to Re: How do I get rid of weevils? Anyone? » Racer, posted by Larry Hoover on September 18, 2004, at 8:08:12
I think that throwing the bag away is the best thing to do, but I do want to mention that a veterinarian once told me that if I chose not to throw a fairly new vacuum cleaner bag away right after each cleaning, I could put one or two mothballs inside the vacuum cleaner bag. We were discussing getting rid of fleas, flea eggs, etc. I don't know whether the compound(s) in mothballs would kill weevils, but they do kill many other insects, insect eggs and insect larvae. I think there are at least two different kinds of mothballs made. One kind is made with napthalene and is extremely toxic to the liver and can cause cataracts. The other, paradichlorobenzene, is almost as toxic and is a known carcinogen. If you do use mothballs, store them and the vacuum bag far away from where you spend most of your time. If you live in an apartment, it's best not to use mothballs because it's almost impossible to avoid the vapors in a small space.
Posted by Larry Hoover on September 19, 2004, at 8:37:45
In reply to Re: Throwing the vacuum cleaner bag away » Larry Hoover, posted by sb417 on September 18, 2004, at 22:05:37
>
> I think that throwing the bag away is the best thing to do, but I do want to mention that a veterinarian once told me that if I chose not to throw a fairly new vacuum cleaner bag away right after each cleaning, I could put one or two mothballs inside the vacuum cleaner bag. We were discussing getting rid of fleas, flea eggs, etc. I don't know whether the compound(s) in mothballs would kill weevils, but they do kill many other insects, insect eggs and insect larvae. I think there are at least two different kinds of mothballs made. One kind is made with napthalene and is extremely toxic to the liver and can cause cataracts. The other, paradichlorobenzene, is almost as toxic and is a known carcinogen. If you do use mothballs, store them and the vacuum bag far away from where you spend most of your time. If you live in an apartment, it's best not to use mothballs because it's almost impossible to avoid the vapors in a small space.If the issue is the cost of a vacuum cleaner bag, versus the stink/toxicity of mothballs, I'll choose the cost of the vacuum cleaner bag, including the taking it somewhere away from the home for immediate disposal effort. Mothballs are so yucky. The only place I'll use them is outdoors. Like under a deck if a skunk thought it would make a nice home. Or around the garbage can if critters think it's a snack bar. I store mothballs in a shed, not in a living space.
Lar
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