Is It Safe To Eat Flour With Weevils?

It's pretty unsettling to see something moving inside your bag of flour, to say the least. And if you weren't aware of this possibility, then you likely haven't heard of weevils. These brown beetles are larger than flour mites and tend to have hairs on their bodies that shimmer (via Pest Defense). Unfortunately, it is entirely possible to overlook these bugs until after you've used infested flour. That means you may have ingested some of these beetles, yes. However much this might gross you out, you can relax a bit, as there is some good news.

Weevils do not sting or bite and — especially key here — are not poisonous, meaning you don't have to be afraid of coming in contact with these bugs. Even though you likely do not want to eat weevils, it is safe to consume these little beetles. In fact, using weevil infested flour for cooking or baking means that it will be heated to a point where it's safe to consume again, as the heat kills both weevil eggs, larvae, and adults (via Grove).

Of course, few are probably excited about the prospect of chowing down on weevils, so prevention is key.

Even if it's not going to kill you, surely we can all agree that it's best to avoid eating weevils on a regular basis. So, how do you get rid of them? First, you must toss any flour that still has the bugs crawling through it, according to Grove. After that, thoroughly clean your pantry. Then, it's on to prevention. Once the bugs are gone, you can take two simple steps to prevent their return to your flour or other bags of grain, such as rice.

The easiest way to keep weevils from getting into your flour is to store it in airtight containers. The freezer may also be your friend here. Freezing flour kills and weevil eggs and larvae, which will end an infestation before it can begin. Even if you don't want to store your flour in the freezer all the time, placing it there for a day or two after buying is a good way to ensure the flour will be safe from weevils.

You can also try placing a few garlic cloves or bay leaves inside the bag of flour to ward off weevils (assuming you don't mind some potential garlic flavor in your food). This is an easy way to deter the creatures without storing your flour in the freezer all of the time.