| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Treacodactyl |
Wheat with weevilsCan wheat with weevils be fed to hens? I'm sure they will not mind the weevils but is there any chance of other mould or bacteria infecting the wheat if weevils are living in it? They don't seem to have affected sailors so I assume it's ok. |
| sean |
I would have thought it would be OK. We got weevils in our flour cupboard once, but there wasn't any sign of mould or anything. Think of it as a valuable protein supplement.
They make your sponge cakes a bit crunchy though. |
| sally_in_wales |
You can stick bags of it in the freezer to kill off the little invaders, that might help it keep rather longer |
| Treacodactyl |
Thanks for the info. How easy are they to spot? If I take a large handful of the wheat and shake in a sieve would I see little critters fall out? I've only been advised the corn may contain weevils. |
| sally_in_wales |
Normally you'll see a lot of 'dust' at the bottom of the bag, plus some corn will have a holey or chewed look. Normally you'll see a few scurrying around too. If its just a 'may' contain weevils, the odds are you have a very low infestation, and the freezer trick will stop it getting any worse. Definately inspect a handful and see if you can catch the little so & sos in teh act! |
| dougal |
And some sort of isolation/quarantine would be appropriate. I think it would be best stored somewhere other than anywhere near your sack of bread flour...
Sally - after freezing, the corn is going to be so cold as to suffer from condensation when it comes out. That dampness *would* maybe be a starting point for moulds and microbes. What do you advise about re-drying the grain? |
| sally_in_wales |
Thats a good point, we always used our flour directly from the freezer so that wasnt a problem. If its a lot of grain though that clearly won't be practical. Suppose spreading it out on a sheet to air dor 24 hours probably would make sense if storage in teh freezer cant be achieved |
| Treacodactyl |
Finally tried the sieve idea and we do indeed have the 'orrible critters. A quick google shows up this page and I'm sure the bag has granary weevils:
http://www.peipestcontrol.com/pestinformation/CommonPestsCategory.asp?id=9 |
| Treacodactyl |
My googling also turned up this site, The Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB) 
http://www.afpmb.org/ |
| sally_in_wales |
mmm yummy. I would suggest freeze it to kill them off and I'm sure the hens won't mind the extra protein 
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