Sheldon said...

>> Wrong. Miller moths can lay their eggs on a bag and the weevils get
>> inside. Flour can come from the store, the warehouse, or the maker, with
>> flour weevils in it. Many ways for the bugs to get in there.
>>
>> Just to be sure I freeze flour, corn meal, dog biscuits, etc. for up to
>> a week before using to ensure the larvae and/or eggs are dead.
>
> Freezing won't kill bugs, all freezing does is preserve them in their
> present state of development... as soon as they are moved to a warmer
> location they will once again continue their cycle. Insect eggs and
> larva can survive in frozen ground indefinitely. The bugs are in
> grain mostly because they are already in the plant at harvest. We eat
> hundreds of pounds of such bugs in our lifetime, they won't hurt you,
> just adds a little extra protein. Why do you think bakers began
> adding seeds, nuts, and twigs to baked goods? In some societies
> people consider insects a regular part of their diet.


Depends on how frozen you go!

When we find a tray with a bird specimen that's been eaten apart from bugs,
we transfer the entire tray to the freezer for two weeks.

You don't know squat!

Andy