Sunday, July 09, 2006

Little black bugs

What are these little black bugs that are invading my cupboards? The other day I found tons of them in my pancake box, so I tossed it. Now, I'm consumed w/ the thoughts of them being in all my other food products. I have no idea what they are but I've seen them before in the bird seed from the pet store or something that looks like them.

They are black, really thin and prob the size of a 1/2 of a centimeter, if that big. They have hard shell type of covering on them and four legs.

I'm wondering what they're interested in. Is it flour or just any type of food product? Does anyone know if there's anything I can do to protect my food products... especially my cake mixes and brownie mixes?! I also have jello boxes in there and I'm afraid they've gotten into everything. I'm also ready to take it all out and put everything in plastic bags.

I hate the bugs here.... uurrgghhhh! During this time of year, ants are everywhere. We get the itty bitty tiny ants that you can hardly see that crawl over the counters looking for food, and then we get these big knarly ants that crawl on the floor wanting to attack my cats if they get close to the food bowls... and then there are these dreaded flying ant things that will come in if you open the door or window as they're flying by.... and now... I have these black bugs.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? Do they die on their own or will they get into everything inside my cupboard?? The ones inside the bird seed don't die, it seems. They last for weeks on end, but I keep them tightly inside the plastic bucket until they make their way into the bird's bowls. Also, do they like other things as well or just certain things?

Now I understand why my MIL keeps her salt and pepper sitting in water. Never understood it before or saw the real significance of it, but I do now!!

16 comments:

keda said...

actually we get them here in turkey too!
the only way to safeguard against them is to put All dry goods in completely airtight containers..

i though i had, but last year opened some poppy seeds in a jar (also black) and they were crawling with them.

yuk. so good luck with that too :)

Anonymous said...

How about a pic of these "little black bugs?"
I hate bugs, plain and simple, but I always try and get rid of them in a way that leaves them alive, i.e. throw them out if possible. I don't like killing them if I can help it.

Olivia said...

It sounds to me like Weevils.

They love flour, grains, seeds - just as you say. Airtight containers (and refrigeration if you like) ought to do the trick.

And they exist all over the world, muahahahahaaaa!

Olivia said...

I've just re-read, and rest assured, they don't invade in the way you're suspecting.

They may have originated in one bag of floury mix - then they have to get out. So once you get rid of that bag, clean them out of the shelves, and ensure they aren't in anything else, that ought to be the end of it.

Anonymous said...

Weevils for sure. 'Fraid everything that they're in will have to go, cupboards thoroughly cleaned and flour, seeds and similar things will have to be put in airtight containers. We have them here in the UK, reassuring to know that they're over there too!

MoClippa said...

I had an attack of them in my apartment in Lebanon and realized too late (by the time it was out of hand). Take care of the problem quick, and look for any possibility of a nest... the ones that got me went after the flour and pasta products.

I'd definatly recommend calling in an exterminator and have him secure your place for the next year (they usually have a way of doing it so if any bugs try to set foot in your place for the next year they'll die on spot)

vampyregirl said...

yes, they are those flour loving, dry mixture bugs! And they are so gross! Get those air tight containers fast!!!

Um Naief said...

well tonight i'm gonna do a thorough cleaning of the cupboards. i have plastic containers... so i'll put most of the things in them. i've seen ants in our cupboards before but never these things. i think like olivia, maybe they were in the pancake mix to start with and ate their way out... which gives me the ebbiegeebies because we've eaten that stuff!! now, i'm only hoping they haven't invaded our other products, but only time will tell because i don't want to open everything to see if they're there and we can't eat that stuff fast enough.... i hate bugs. they're not in the pasta though. altho, i did notice some black bugs a while ago in the rice and threw it out, but i didn't look close enough to see what the bugs looked like... just dumped it immediately.

techz, if i can get a pic of these things, i'll post them. i looked in the container of bird seed last night but the creatures that are in there are much smaller but look similar. i can take a pic of them but not sure if you'd be able to see it... i'll try tho, but i'm thinking now that they're not the same.

Anonymous said...

The other more "bug informed" folks here seem to know what it is, so I guess pics won't be needed after all :D

Hope they go away soon, the bugs I mean ;)

Leilouta said...

I don't know what those insects are, since we have so many in our Tunisian houses. The scariest ones are the flying roaches. Those things are so big that they should be called animals and not insects :)

Peanut Road said...

Of course, those little weevils won't actually hurt you if you eat them. Extra protein! Our ancestors consumed plenty of them; they had little alternative. Sailors, in particular, were faced with using weevil-infested foods or going hungry.

I keep most of my flour and meal in the fridge to avoid them.

The Moody Minstrel said...

I'd much rather have the enormous cockroaches we have to put up with here in Japan than weevils! However, I'd feel a lot more comfortable eating weevils in my food than giant cockroaches...

I find it somehow odd that a Dallas girl wouldn't know what a weevil was. Maybe it's just a cliched stereotype, but I always thought weevils were a "down South" sort of thing. (smile on)

Um Naief said...

moody, not born and raised a dallas girl! and to think about it, i was raised on a farm... have seen tons of insects, bugs, creepy crawlies... but honestly, i've never seen these things.

i've seen ants, roaches, those silver bugs that move really fast and get into your clothes here, but these little black bugs are new to me.

but hey... maybe i have seen 'em and don't remember... maybe it was years ago.... cuz i am getting up in age and they say that your mind is the first to go! ;)

but... i think i will try to get a pic if i see any more of them. so far nothing... but whose to say, they could be inside products and i dont know it. i know i found a little black bug in my grape nuts one morning, picked it out and kept on eating... so maybe i've eaten lots of them and don't know it. but it's good to know they won't hurt you.

and on the note of eating bugs... my mother has eaten chocolate covered ants before.. and the place had all sorts of insects covered in chocolate. the thought of eating such really grosses me out... can't imagine eating a roach or beetle or such.... but i would bet there are a lot of places or ppl who do.

Anonymous said...

the bugs that you were decribing sound like the common rice weevil or another cupboard pet. have a look at this site to see if you can identify what it is. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/plantclinic/resources/pdf/pls10cupboardbeetles.pdf

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you'll love this website which will help you if you only discover the weevils after you just ate the bread you made with the flour.

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectnutrition.html

Anonymous said...

Please see the following link - as weevils may carry E. Coli depending on their diet! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weevil