How to keep rice and flour from getting infested with insects in summer

Rice and flour are the main staple foods in our diet. Since we eat a lot of them on a daily basis, it is not surprising that they take a long time to store. But in summer, the weather gradually starts to get hot, which provides a good environment for insects to grow. There is a lot of rice and flour at home, and it is a headache to encounter insects. Therefore, methods of insect prevention have become a concern for many people. So, how can we prevent rice and flour from getting infested with insects in summer? Let’s take a look below.

1. The taste is best when stored at low temperature

If you want to preserve the taste and quality of new rice, you can store the rice in a low-temperature environment. For example, storing it in the refrigerator is a better method, which can reduce the oxidation of rice oil and the breeding of rice weevils. But please note that once the rice is put into the refrigerator, it cannot be taken out and stored at room temperature. Because temperature changes will cause the surface of rice to absorb moisture, making it damp and easy to deteriorate. Moreover, the temperature in the kitchen is relatively high, so don't store too much rice at home at one time to prevent the old rice from deteriorating in taste.

2. Ventilation and bran removal method

The weather changes greatly in summer, and rice bran tends to become sticky, which can lead to insects. After the summer begins, the stored rice can be screened again to remove the fine bran and stored in a ventilated place to avoid insects. Orange peel contains citral, and burying orange peel in rice can repel insects.

3. Storage of plastic bottles

Collect the plastic bottles at home, rinse them with water and dry them. If you need to pack a lot of rice, you can choose a larger bottle. Before putting the rice into the bottle, make sure it is dry and tighten the lid immediately after putting it in. Doing this not only keeps things neat and saves space, but also prevents the rice from getting infested with insects and getting moldy. In addition to rice, other grains such as red beans, purple rice, and millet can also be preserved using this method.

4. Sichuan pepper has an insect repellent effect

The reason why Sichuan pepper can repel insects is that it is a natural antioxidant with a special aroma. Rice weevils are very sensitive to smells and avoid this special smell as much as possible. The specific method is: prepare several small pieces of clean gauze, wrap a little pepper shell on each piece, tie them up and place them in the rice or noodles, and place them in different positions of the bag to ensure that they work on the whole bag of rice and noodles. In addition, you can also soak the rice bag in boiled pepper juice for 10 minutes, dry it, and then use it to hold rice, which can also effectively prevent insects. It is best to use newly bought peppercorns, which have a stronger smell. After a period of time, when the flavor of the peppercorns becomes lighter, replace the gauze bag with a new one.

5. Liquor can prevent rice weevils

Pour 100ml of liquor into the bottle and open the bottle cap. Insert the bottle of white wine into the rice with the bottle mouth exposed, then seal the rice jar for storage. The ethanol gas emitted by white wine can prevent rice from becoming moldy.

6. Use lime to prevent rice from getting infested with insects

Put some quicklime on the bottom of the rice container, cover it with plastic cloth, then put the rice in, and cover the container tightly to prevent insects.

7. Kelp prevents rice from getting moldy

Adding dried kelp to rice can kill pests and inhibit mold. After 7 days, it can kill more than 96% of flour mites and moth pests and absorb 3% of the moisture in rice. Every 10 days, you need to remove the damp kelp and replace it with dry kelp. The wet kelp can be used again after being dried in the sun.

8. Garlic can prevent rice from getting infested with insects

Place a few cloves of garlic scattered in a rice storage container and cover the container tightly, which can also have an insect-proof effect.