Do I have to worry about flour worms?

While many people may fear that they have inadvertently eaten flour worms, there is usually no reason to worry. Most people have probably used it at some point in their lives and it is not considered dangerous. However, it is important for people who have worms to take steps to get rid of them before the insects get out of their hands, and worms can lay so many eggs at once that they can become a problem very quickly. .

Flour gorges are small beetles that are sometimes also known as snout beetles. These beetles are very small and usually do not exceed 0.125 inches (0.318 cm) in length. They get their name from the fact that they like to eat flour and other types of food that are usually stored in kitchen cabinets with a lot of starch, such as cereals, oatmeal and even copper powder. These worms can infest any type of food that stays open in the closet, and they also often lay hundreds of small eggs inside the food they have infested. Gorgots are so small that many people don’t even realize they have a problem with them until their young have hatched, and usually the eggs take about two months to hatch once they have been laid.

While this can be tempting for many people, it’s probably best to avoid getting rid of flour worms with toxic chemicals. The fact that snails inhabit food causes chemicals to be applied directly on or near food, which could be dangerous. Laurel leaves and cloves naturally repel flour worms, and these can be safely placed in food containers and scattered around cupboards. Insecticides contain pyrethins, which are natural chemical compounds that repel insects, they can also be used safely in cabinets, but care must be taken to prevent this type of insecticide from coming into contact with food.

Typically, people can prevent flour worms by taking care to keep their flour and other grains sealed in airtight containers. Bags or boxes containing processed foods such as cereals, oatmeal or bread should also be kept tightly closed at all times. Another good way to keep worms away is to regularly clean the springs and other types of food debris from inside the cabinets. Food worms have a good sense of smell and are able to travel great distances to inhabit nearby smelling grains.