Keep Weevils Out Of Your Flour With This Common Herb

If your pantry is stocked with goods like flour, rice, or dried pasta, chances are you've had to throw out a bag or two due to weevils. These little creatures (also known as flour bugs), grow and feed on crops like grains and legumes. They might find their way into your pantry through the windows or cracks, but there's also a possibility that you've already brought them (or some unhatched eggs) home with you when you bought your dried goods. Unfortunately for us, weevils are particularly fond of slightly damp grains, which makes an opened bag of flour in your pantry the perfect breeding ground. Luckily, there's one herb that these bugs seem to hate. Bay leaves.  

You might not believe in cooking with bay leaves, but putting them in your flour is a great way to repel weevils. This herb contains eucalyptol, which has a scent that works as a natural insect repellent. Make sure you're replacing the bay leaves each month, as this will keep the fragrance strong enough to effectively keep weevils and other pests out. If you're worried about your flour taking on a subtle bay leaf flavor or scent, you can also place the leaves around the bag instead of inside. This trick also works for any other foods that weevils love like corn or cereal.

Bay leaves are a great natural weevil deterrent, but there's a few additional ways to keep your flour pest-free. Storing your flour in an airtight container or jar is much better than keeping it in bags, as weevils will have a harder time getting through glass or plastic. As practical as stocking up on flour sounds, it's better to keep smaller quantities on hand so that you get through it more quickly, always using the older bags first.

Another natural repellent which is a good bay leaf alternative is vinegar. You can add one part water and one part vinegar to a spray bottle and spritz your pantry shelves, cabinets, or other surface areas. Vinegar's strong scent will help keep the nasty weevils away.

But what if there are already weevils or eggs inside the flour before you've even opened the bag? A good trick is to freeze your flour for a few days after bringing it home — this will kill any pests lurking inside. Plus, if you want to double your flour's life span, keeping it in your freezer is a great long-term storage hack. So, whether it's with bay leaves, vinegar, or your freezer, you can stay one step ahead of weevils and keep your flour fresh.