I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
experience.

I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
any advice on how to deal with this?

Quinch > wrote:

>I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>experience.
>
>I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>any advice on how to deal with this?

Freezing the flour will kill the larva or eggs.

I keep one of these sticky pheromone traps in the pantry. I try to
remember to replace it every year. There are usually a couple
moths caught, but I haven't seen one flying in years.
http://www.amazon.com/Pantry-Moth-Tr.../dp/B0019R0VKM

Jim

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
wrote:

>I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>experience.
>
>I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>any advice on how to deal with this?

The flour has the eggs in there already. No brand is any better/worse
than others. Keep the flour in the freezer or refrigerator and they
won't hatch. Put the flour in a plastic storage container and it will
stay dry.

Quinch wrote:

> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?

Troll!

Ad wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
> wrote:
>
>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>> experience.
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> I've had the same problem. I think the moth eggs were already in your
> flour to begin with. It mainly means you bought a natural product.
> Maybe you can freeze the flour or buy less of it, so the eggs don't
> get a chance to hatch.
>
It's possible, but I'm not sure - the flour does tend to get infested at
around the time moths start cropping up just about everywhere {tail end
of spring, if I'm lucky I can delay it through most of summer}, so it
seems more likely that they come into the flour rather than out of it.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> Quinch > wrote:
>
>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>> experience.
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> Freezing the flour will kill the larva or eggs.
>
> I keep one of these sticky pheromone traps in the pantry. I try to
> remember to replace it every year. There are usually a couple
> moths caught, but I haven't seen one flying in years.
> http://www.amazon.com/Pantry-Moth-Tr.../dp/B0019R0VKM
>
> Jim
>
There's a bit too much of it - a fifty-kilo sack - to routinely freeze
for prevention. I'll look into the traps, though - giving them a more
appealing {and deadly} target sounds like it might work.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
> wrote:
>
>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>> experience.
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> The flour has the eggs in there already. No brand is any better/worse
> than others. Keep the flour in the freezer or refrigerator and they
> won't hatch. Put the flour in a plastic storage container and it will
> stay dry.

It's a sack of fifty kilos - freezing isn't an option, though I guess I
could look into a container. Would a large, thick plastic bag work?

George M. Middius wrote:
> Quinch wrote:
>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> Troll!
>
Beg pardon?

Quinch wrote:
>
> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
> experience.
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?

I would seal it up and store it in the freezer...right from the beginning
and before the moths show up. I just buy 5lb bags as I need them so no
problem with my small quantity.

Note....as in many grains, the moth eggs might be in the flour when you buy
them, so it's not just a matter of keeping things out. Put in freezer as
soon as you buy it.

G.

Quinch wrote:
>
> It's possible, but I'm not sure - the flour does tend to get infested at
> around the time moths start cropping up just about everywhere {tail end
> of spring, if I'm lucky I can delay it through most of summer}, so it
> seems more likely that they come into the flour rather than out of it.

Bag it smaller and put in freezer. This will end the problem whether it
comes from inside eggs or outside moths laying eggs.

G.

Quinch wrote:
>
> George M. Middius wrote:
> > Quinch wrote:
> >
> >> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> >> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> >> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> >> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> >> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> >> any advice on how to deal with this?
> >
> > Troll!
> >
> Beg pardon?

You have to forgive George today. It's Sunday med day for him.

G.

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
wrote:

>I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>experience.
>
>I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>any advice on how to deal with this?

The eggs are in the flour. You need to kill them by freezing or
prevent them from hatching by storing the flour in the refrigerator.
Listen to what people are telling you. The eggs are in the flour. It
seems to me there is no savings for you in buying a large amount if
you have to throw it away because of infestation ., Buy less or find
a way to keep it cold.
Janet US

On 8/19/2012 7:37 AM, Quinch wrote:
> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
> experience.
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?


Store your flour in one or two gallon ziplock bags in a freezer or
refrigerator. I buy and store 5 lb bags that way and have never had a
problem with the moths or any "crawlies". You could also use large
plastic cereal keepers or metal canisters but every time you take them
out of the fridge you are more likely to get moisture condensing inside
the container.

gloria p

Quinch wrote:

> >> any advice on how to deal with this?
> >
> > Troll!
> >
> Beg pardon?

Translation: It's a silly question because the cause and solution are
easily discovered (and probably widely known). That means you were
simply trying to provoke responses for your own amusement.

Gary wrote:

> > Beg pardon?
>
> You have to forgive George today. It's Sunday med day for him.

I don't need forgiveness. You, however, need a brain transplant
because yours function at a very low level.

heyjoe wrote:
> On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:22:47 +0200, Quinch wrote:
>
>> There's a bit too much of it - a fifty-kilo sack - to routinely freeze
>> for prevention. I'll look into the traps, though - giving them a more
>> appealing {and deadly} target sounds like it might work.
>
> Don't kid yourself - the eggs are already in the flour you bought!
>
> The life cycle goes something like this -
> 1 - eggs
> 2 - larvae
> 3 - moths
> 4 - you spot the moths
> By the time you see the moths, it's already too late, your flour is
> infested/buggy.
>
> If you can't freeze your entire flour supply, at least freeze as much as
> you want to save. Keeping large supplies of flour at room temperature
> for a long time is a certain, proven recipe for ruination. Freeze it or
> get over the loss.
>
> Another thought that maybe hasn't been mentioned yet. Break the flour
> into smaller batches that will fit in the freezer. Rotate your stock
> into and out of the freezer ona weekly basis.

Well, the consensus seems to be that it's infested from the inside-out,
so don't have any reason to doubt it. Rotation... might be feasible, if
the eggs take long enough to hatch. Still pretty short on freezer space
{I'm guessing the regular fridge wouldn't be cold enough to kill them
off outright?} Still short a container to store the sterilized flour in,
but I can probably improvise something. What would be the minimum safe
period of freezing the eggs, though? Would cycling it on a daily basis
be enough?

George M. Middius wrote:
> Quinch wrote:
>
>>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>>
>>> Troll!
>>>
>> Beg pardon?
>
> Translation: It's a silly question because the cause and solution are
> easily discovered (and probably widely known). That means you were
> simply trying to provoke responses for your own amusement.

Ah, not quite - and I've found that neither intuitive reasoning based on
limited information and random Google results often yield conclusions I
can rely on. So even when the question might seem silly and obvious,
it's better to ask and be sure than to guess and risk being wrong.

"George M. Middius" wrote:
>
> Gary wrote:
>
> > > Beg pardon?
> >
> > You have to forgive George today. It's Sunday med day for him.
>
> I don't need forgiveness. You, however, need a brain transplant
> because yours function at a very low level.

I'm the scarecrow from Wizard of Oz: "If I only had a brain"

G.

On 19/08/2012 9:37 AM, Quinch wrote:
> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
> experience.
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?


I went to a restaurant supply store and got a large plastic bin with a
snap on top. It does the trick. I like t buy flour in large bags because
I hate running out and because the price per unit weight drops so much
as you get larger and larger amounts.

On 8/19/2012 10:24 AM, Quinch wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>>> experience.
>>>
>>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>
>> The flour has the eggs in there already. No brand is any better/worse
>> than others. Keep the flour in the freezer or refrigerator and they
>> won't hatch. Put the flour in a plastic storage container and it will
>> stay dry.
>
> It's a sack of fifty kilos - freezing isn't an option, though I guess I
> could look into a container. Would a large, thick plastic bag work?
>
Then buy smaller sacks of flour. Why on earth do you need so much? Do
you own a bakery?!

Jill

"Quinch" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
> experience.
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has, at
> best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have any
> advice on how to deal with this?

There are a number of things you can do and you can find out what that is by
doing a google on 'pantry moths' and 'weevils' because if you have the
moths, you'll also have the weevils as these maggot like looking things are
jsut a different stage of the life cycle.

probably the best thing you can do once you've cleaned everythign is to not
buy such large quantities of flour because often the moth will already be in
the flour and will emerge when conditions are right.

I say that because no self respecting pantry moth would live in bad flour
and so the milling companies cannot get rid of all moths because they'd make
such a toxic product that no human could eat it. Buy smaller quantities and
use them up quicker - it's also better for you not to have old flour being
used.

"Quinch" > wrote in message
...
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>> On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:22 +0200, Quinch >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>>> experience.
>>>
>>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>
>> The flour has the eggs in there already. No brand is any better/worse
>> than others. Keep the flour in the freezer or refrigerator and they
>> won't hatch. Put the flour in a plastic storage container and it will
>> stay dry.
>
> It's a sack of fifty kilos - freezing isn't an option, though I guess I
> could look into a container. Would a large, thick plastic bag work?

No. They'd still hatch inside the bag.
>

"George M. Middius" > wrote in message
...
> Gary wrote:
>
>> > Beg pardon?
>>
>> You have to forgive George today. It's Sunday med day for him.
>
> I don't need forgiveness. You, however, need a brain transplant
> because yours function at a very low level.

I thought that too when I read his post about why sf should read squits.
But I'll suspend that as being my definitive conclusion for a little while
yet ;-))

And now a word from our sponsor. Do we have a sponsor? Anyhow. When I
bring home anything that I think critters may be lurking inside: first I
freeze it for a few days. When it's allowed in the pantry, somehow... no
idea why... the sticks of Wrigley's Spearmint gum randomly tossed on the
shelves seem to either kill them or discourage their intentions.
Meanwhile, back to the op, buying in bulk and having to dispose of part
of it because of infestation just ain't no bargain. Polly

On Aug 19, 9:46*am, Ad > wrote:

> I've had the same problem. I think the moth eggs were already in your
> flour to begin with. It mainly means you bought a natural product.
> Maybe you can freeze the flour or buy less of it, so the eggs don't
> get a chance to hatch.


Living alone I don't keep a lot of stuff around other than pasta
and beans and rice in a cabinet. I started seeing moths hanging
around and when I'd open the door they'd be all over in there.
They're strange moths, pretty slow. Just as the original poster I
suspected they were invading my grains, but in time I learned they
came from the grain itself.

Here's how I found out for sure. I got so tired of the moths
hanging around for months that I finally bought a few large plastic
container to put my rice and beans in. I threw out all older bags,
which to be safe was most of them, even if they weren't out of date.
I put what was left in the containers and the moths seemed to
disappear, at least from the cabinet.

Then one day I pulled out a jar of white rice, about half full -
and noticed as I shook the jar a small dark lump in the rice. I shook
it again to get a clearer view at which time I noticed a fully grown
moth flying around in the still closed container. I doubted it got in
there when I made the switch from bags to jars, so I assumed at that
point that the batch of white rice I had was contaminated even from
the store. I know everything is alive, that unseen germs live on
everything, so it's not like I'm shocked by it or anything, but I
really believed in the beginning that the moths invaded from outside
when really they were being hatched from within. Sort of almost like
the way problems spring up in life and we see them as coming from
outside when really they come from within.

Lesson Learner #1
TJ

Tommy Joe wrote:
> On Aug 19, 9:46 am, Ad > wrote:
>
>> I've had the same problem. I think the moth eggs were already in your
>> flour to begin with. It mainly means you bought a natural product.
>> Maybe you can freeze the flour or buy less of it, so the eggs don't
>> get a chance to hatch.
>
>
> Living alone I don't keep a lot of stuff around other than pasta
> and beans and rice in a cabinet. I started seeing moths hanging
> around and when I'd open the door they'd be all over in there.
> They're strange moths, pretty slow. Just as the original poster I
> suspected they were invading my grains, but in time I learned they
> came from the grain itself.
>
> Here's how I found out for sure. I got so tired of the moths
> hanging around for months that I finally bought a few large plastic
> container to put my rice and beans in. I threw out all older bags,
> which to be safe was most of them, even if they weren't out of date.
> I put what was left in the containers and the moths seemed to
> disappear, at least from the cabinet.
>
> Then one day I pulled out a jar of white rice, about half full -
> and noticed as I shook the jar a small dark lump in the rice. I shook
> it again to get a clearer view at which time I noticed a fully grown
> moth flying around in the still closed container. I doubted it got in
> there when I made the switch from bags to jars, so I assumed at that
> point that the batch of white rice I had was contaminated even from
> the store. I know everything is alive, that unseen germs live on
> everything, so it's not like I'm shocked by it or anything, but I
> really believed in the beginning that the moths invaded from outside
> when really they were being hatched from within. Sort of almost like
> the way problems spring up in life and we see them as coming from
> outside when really they come from within.
>
> Lesson Learner #1
> TJ

I have not had the moths but my parents have. I did get weevils a few
months ago and I am sure that they came from the product, whatever it was.
I couldn't tell because it was in a plastic sandwich bag and there were so
many weevils in there that they had eaten pretty much all that was in there.

Luckily I discovered them before they had spread to other products but then
I inadvertendly spread them because I didn't see that a few had migrated to
other bags of stuff. I had placed those bags on the floor and then they got
on my throw rug.

I immediately threw out everything that was in that cupboard, cleaned it
well, treated it with bug spray and then let it air out for a couple of
weeks. I have since relined it. And everything that is in there has been
put in a thick plastic container. I bought the minimum of most things when
I restocked. Such as flour and sugar. We rarely use those things anyway.

Now my bean/rice/pasta cupboard is another matter. I do love the rice that
comes in the jugs but it is very expensive. So after we use that up it will
just be bags of rice and beans which I don't normally keep a large stock of.
Normally I would buy those as needed. But with my husband retiring I feel
the need to stockpile. I also have plenty of pasta. I used to keep my
beans in canning jars with purchased plastic lids. But I found that they
didn't get used that way and I didn't have the pull date.

"Quinch" wrote in message ...

I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
experience.

I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
any advice on how to deal with this?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have freezer space? I live in East Texas, and I used to find weevils
in some items. I now freeze all grains (cereals, flour, etc.) for at least
a few days after purchase. That has completely stopped the problem. If it
is something that I plan to keep for an extended period of time, I *keep* it
in the freezer. That also prolongs the freshness of the product. As
someone else suggested, it is likely that you brought eggs home from the
store. The fact that you suddenly find them can simply means that eggs have
hatched. Either way, freezing should solve the problem.

MaryL

Quinch wrote:
> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
> experience.
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?


A random thought; I don't have the freezer space to freeze the eggs to
death. On the other hand... would roasting do? It would be child's play
to cycle the flour in a few pans through the oven and into a fresh
container, but the question becomes what would be a high enough
temperature to kill off the eggs, but not damage the flour?

Quinch wrote:
> Quinch wrote:
>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>> experience.
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
>
> A random thought; I don't have the freezer space to freeze the eggs to
> death. On the other hand... would roasting do? It would be child's
> play to cycle the flour in a few pans through the oven and into a
> fresh container, but the question becomes what would be a high enough
> temperature to kill off the eggs, but not damage the flour?



I buy bread flour in huge bags that last me a year or two. Even when my
kitchen gets a moth infestation, they leave bags of white flour alone
for the most part. I sometimes find a cocoon on the outside of the bag
or just inside the top, but they don't get in the flour (or if they do,
they die before the become noticeable. I think white flour in a paper
bag doesn't have enough moisture and nutrition for them to survive. In
a plastic bag to trap the moisture might be different. White rice is
usually safe too, just rinse it before you cook it.

I keep rye and whole wheat flours and dried peas and lentils and peppers
in the freezer, and that generally keeps them under control. When I
start seeing moths fluttering around, there's usually a plastic bag of
chocolate chips or dried vegetables or brown rice... or something like
that in the pantry that needs throwing-out. (you should see what they
do to a bag of pepitas or dried peppers :-P

Bob

Quinch wrote:
>
> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
> any advice on how to deal with this?

Couldn't be an easier solution... don't buy flour in bulk... if you
have to throw a bunch out then what did you save? Next time don't buy
more than you can use within about six months. Also perhaps you need
to change stores where you buy, they can not be storaging properly,
nowadays even more stores turn off their AC after hours... it's very
likely you're not storaging flour properly either. If you live in a
warm/humid climate and don't use A/C refrigerate/freeze your flour.

Brooklyn1 wrote:
> Quinch wrote:
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> Couldn't be an easier solution... don't buy flour in bulk... if you
> have to throw a bunch out then what did you save? Next time don't buy
> more than you can use within about six months. Also perhaps you need
> to change stores where you buy, they can not be storaging properly,
> nowadays even more stores turn off their AC after hours... it's very
> likely you're not storaging flour properly either. If you live in a
> warm/humid climate and don't use A/C refrigerate/freeze your flour.

It's not that bad - even with the eventual infestation, the amount I end
up tossing is small enough to make the whole bulk purchase cheaper than
buying it in smaller packages. I'd still rather not have to toss *any*
of it, though, which is why my question.

On Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:22:17 +0200, Quinch >
wrote:



>
>It's not that bad - even with the eventual infestation, the amount I end
>up tossing is small enough to make the whole bulk purchase cheaper than
>buying it in smaller packages. I'd still rather not have to toss *any*
>of it, though, which is why my question.

I'd rotate it through the freezer, as much as you can for a week at a
time.

"Quinch" > wrote in message
...
> Quinch wrote:
>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>> experience.
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
>
> A random thought; I don't have the freezer space to freeze the eggs to
> death. On the other hand... would roasting do? It would be child's play to
> cycle the flour in a few pans through the oven and into a fresh container,
> but the question becomes what would be a high enough temperature to kill
> off the eggs, but not damage the flour?

I don't think you'd want to roast the flour. Wouldn't that mess up not only
the flavor but the moisture content?

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> Quinch wrote:
>>
>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>
> Couldn't be an easier solution... don't buy flour in bulk... if you
> have to throw a bunch out then what did you save? Next time don't buy
> more than you can use within about six months. Also perhaps you need
> to change stores where you buy, they can not be storaging properly,
> nowadays even more stores turn off their AC after hours... it's very
> likely you're not storaging flour properly either. If you live in a
> warm/humid climate and don't use A/C refrigerate/freeze your flour.

Yes! The K Mart that I used to work at didn't sell flour at the time. We
did have some groceries but only a couple of aisles. I believe that they do
sell it now. At least they do sell more groceries than they did in the
past. I was very careful what food I did buy there because we did have a
severe moth problem. But it came in with the pet food. Mostly a certain
kind of bird seed. But because of where that was placed in the stockroom,
the moths easily migrated to the food. And for some odd reason to the toy
aisle. I don't know what it was about some of the plastic toys but they got
in there.

I also saw some moths on the baking aisle in a Fred Meyer store. After that
I would not buy flour or baking stuff there. I know from personal
experience just how hard it is to get rid of the damned things once you do
get an infestation. Particularly in a retail setting. They lay eggs in all
the nooks and crannies of the shelves and the backing and such.

"Quinch" > wrote in message
...
> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> Quinch wrote:
>>>
>>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>
>> Couldn't be an easier solution... don't buy flour in bulk... if you
>> have to throw a bunch out then what did you save? Next time don't buy
>> more than you can use within about six months. Also perhaps you need
>> to change stores where you buy, they can not be storaging properly,
>> nowadays even more stores turn off their AC after hours... it's very
>> likely you're not storaging flour properly either. If you live in a
>> warm/humid climate and don't use A/C refrigerate/freeze your flour.
>
> It's not that bad - even with the eventual infestation, the amount I end
> up tossing is small enough to make the whole bulk purchase cheaper than
> buying it in smaller packages. I'd still rather not have to toss *any* of
> it, though, which is why my question.

If I were you then, I would repackage what you do have. Put it into smaller
plastic containers or bags. Unless of course the cost of doing that would
be prohibitive. That is what I have done with all of my baking things. I
didn't pay a lot for the containers. Many of them came from Big Lots. Some
I already had. That way if I *do* get bugs in there, they will be confined
to that container or bag.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 25 Aug 2012 05:22:17 +0200, Quinch >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>>
>>It's not that bad - even with the eventual infestation, the amount I end
>>up tossing is small enough to make the whole bulk purchase cheaper than
>>buying it in smaller packages. I'd still rather not have to toss *any*
>>of it, though, which is why my question.
>
> I'd rotate it through the freezer, as much as you can for a week at a
> time.

That would work too.

Julie Bove wrote:
> "Quinch" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Quinch wrote:
>>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>>> experience.
>>>
>>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally last
>>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone have
>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>
>>
>> A random thought; I don't have the freezer space to freeze the eggs to
>> death. On the other hand... would roasting do? It would be child's play to
>> cycle the flour in a few pans through the oven and into a fresh container,
>> but the question becomes what would be a high enough temperature to kill
>> off the eggs, but not damage the flour?
>
> I don't think you'd want to roast the flour. Wouldn't that mess up not only
> the flavor but the moisture content?

Well, not roasting as in the actual cooking context. Basically... put it
in a temperature that would be high enough to kill off any eggs, but not
high enough to screw with the flour itself.

Or, to rephrase - what would be the highest safe temperature to store
flour at for a duration, of say, an hour?

On Aug 22, 2:37*am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:



> And everything that is in there has been put in a thick plastic container..
> I bought the minimum of most things when I restocked.


I did the same. Now I wonder if the plastic container industry
might not be behind this plague. See, the same people who own the
rice, grain, and pasta companies also own the container companies, and
their plan is to purposely infest just enough of their food products
to encourage plastic container purchases while at the same time not
turning everyone completely away from their foods. Nice move.
Slick. But I caught them. I'm going to tell the government and maybe
something can be done about this. Are you in with me on this?

Let's do this thing,
TJ

"Quinch" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>> "Quinch" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Quinch wrote:
>>>> I've got a persisting problem I could use some help with, if anyone has
>>>> experience.
>>>>
>>>> I tend to buy flour in bulk in large paper sacks that would ideally
>>>> last
>>>> me about a year or so, if not more. The problem is that, inevitably and
>>>> usually in the summer, moths manage to crawl inside at which point the
>>>> whole batch is pretty much unrecoverable. Trying to seal the sack has,
>>>> at best, only delayed the inevitable, so I'm wondering, does anyone
>>>> have
>>>> any advice on how to deal with this?
>>>
>>>
>>> A random thought; I don't have the freezer space to freeze the eggs to
>>> death. On the other hand... would roasting do? It would be child's play
>>> to
>>> cycle the flour in a few pans through the oven and into a fresh
>>> container,
>>> but the question becomes what would be a high enough temperature to kill
>>> off the eggs, but not damage the flour?
>>
>> I don't think you'd want to roast the flour. Wouldn't that mess up not
>> only
>> the flavor but the moisture content?
>
> Well, not roasting as in the actual cooking context. Basically... put it
> in a temperature that would be high enough to kill off any eggs, but not
> high enough to screw with the flour itself.
>
> Or, to rephrase - what would be the highest safe temperature to store
> flour at for a duration, of say, an hour?

Not being a flour expert or a bug expert, I couldn't tell ya. If you did do
this though, I would think you could only do a very small amount of flour at
a time and spread it thinly. If you did too much, the middle of it would
not reach the right temp.

The only thing I have ever sterilized like that is garden soil. You cook it
at a very high temp. and for several hours to make sure you have killed off
all the nasties.

Tommy Joe wrote:
> On Aug 22, 2:37 am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>
>
>
>> And everything that is in there has been put in a thick plastic
>> container. I bought the minimum of most things when I restocked.
>
>
> I did the same. Now I wonder if the plastic container industry
> might not be behind this plague. See, the same people who own the
> rice, grain, and pasta companies also own the container companies, and
> their plan is to purposely infest just enough of their food products
> to encourage plastic container purchases while at the same time not
> turning everyone completely away from their foods. Nice move.
> Slick. But I caught them. I'm going to tell the government and maybe
> something can be done about this. Are you in with me on this?
>
> Let's do this thing,
> TJ

You might be on to something!