A Helpful Summer Hint

 

Summer is here(finally)! Time for fresh veggies and fruit, lemonade, and visits to the local farmer's market. Along with all of the wonderful things that summer brings, comes one thing none of us enjoy....bugs! It is not uncommon to bring home a bag of flour in the summertime only to find that it has tiny, brown bugs in it..yuck.
If you live in the south, you may find weevils.These little harmless, but annoying critters love grains and reproduce rather quickly.Here are a few tips on how you can avoid them;

1. Keep all of your cereals, flours,cornmeal, and grains such as rice,bran,and wheat germ in airtight containers.
2. Store your flours,breads and/or cereals in the refrigerator.Sometimes I even keep extra bags of flour in the freezer.
3.If you see any of these critters, discard whatever they were feasting on ,and thoroughly clean out the cabinet they were living in.
4.When shopping at the market throughout the summer, try to purchase grains in see-through bags,as opposed to cardboard packaging....this makes it easier for you to shake it and look inside for possible problems.
5.If you find a true infestation in your home(highly unlikely) ,call your local exterminator.

Remember, these critters sometimes come along with the season, but are harmless. With a little extra effort, you may be able to avoid bringing them home with you.
   I usually keep my grains in Ball airtight containers. I also use cracker jars to store flour,sugar and brown sugar.They are available at Target, for a minimal price.
 

Don't forget to keep your pet food in airtight containers as well.The ants love the protein in the pet foods just as much as they enjoy sugar!
  Enjoy the warm weather!I hope your summer is pest-free!