You think you live a healthy life because you follow a healthy diet, until you get hospitalized because you acquired E. coli bacteria. You wonder where and why you got it. Just because you are eating the healthiest food doesn’t mean you are automatically free from diseases. Eating healthy food should always go with eating clean food. Weevils may be the cuplrit.

What Are Weevils?

Weevils are beetles that come from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are typically small and do not grow more than ¼ inch or 6 millimeters. Weevils are herbivorous species feeding only on herbs, plants, and crops you planted. If you have heard your neighbor complain about snout beetles, then he or she is definitely talking about weevils. Weevils are sometimes called that because of the shape of their heads.

Where Do I Find Weevils?

Take good care of your grains, cereals, seeds and nuts as these are the targets of weevils. If you want to know where they can be found, check your dry food. You will find some of them hiding there for sure. You may even find weevils when you open a bag of flour. They also like breakfast cereals, barley and oats, so watch out for these pests before eating your food.

To know if weevils are present in a bag of food, look for granules stuck together, as if they have been entangled in a cobweb. Make sure that you do this every time you eat foods that weevils target, because once you ingest them, you may acquire E. coli infection among many other possible diseases. The kind of disease that you get from weevils depends on what type of food they feed on.

Weevils are also known as pantry pests. They cause persistent infestation and they waste food. All types of weevils are destructive, including acorn weevils, granary weevils and rice weevils.

Why Are Weevils Inside My House?

Weevils can get inside the house anytime if the apartment unit next to yours has them. Weevils can also come from outside sources. Another source is the grocery items you bring home. There may be weevils inside the packaged foods that you are bringing inside the house.

Don't worry if you're thinking that having weevils inside the home reflects your quality as keeper of the house, because weevils can be moths or beetles (Tips on how to get rid of beetles). You will find it easiest to find weevils once they reach their adult stage since this is the time when they almost always leave the material they had infested. Weevils also find lights appealing, so it is easy to find weevils in well-lit areas.

One cause of weevil infestation is when a packaged good has been left opened for a long period of time. If, for example, you opened a bag of oats and left it that way for a few months without touching it again, chances are there will be weevils infesting your goods. Weevils can gather on windows, climb up the surfaces of your home and crawl on your floors just to find their way to your home. It is then important to practice weevil control measures before it gets too late.

How Can I Control Weevils?

• Infested bait should always be discarded since pantry pests breed in them, too.
• Never mix your newly-bought food with the old stuff. The infested products will affect the other food.
• If your packaged goods are infested, the weevils may be coming from the warehouse or the food processing factory or plantation. If this is the case, don't buy the item if its seal is broken or the package itself is damaged. You can also exchange the broken package for another one, especially if you see it before you leave the store. Broken packages are more likely to be infested than those perfectly sealed.
• To make sure that food is free of pests, store it for a whole month in clear bags, since some adults need more time to emerge anyway.
• If you are going to store food in a container, make sure that the container is clean. Wash it before putting fresh food in it. If not, then contamination may take place, paving way to another case of infestation.
• Clean your shelves regularly to prevent infestation. This way, there is a higher chance that you can get rid of pantry pests. Make sure that you practice periodic cleaning because weevils do not need a lot of food. They can live with just a very small amount of grain or cereals to reproduce, breed and live. (Read how to keep your house clean)
• There will be times when you don't know if an item is infected or not. Control weevils by placing the pack of food in an area where you will easily see them if they come.
• If you have already opened a bag of, say, oats or cereal, then keep it in storage places or containers with tight-fitting lids. Bulk foods like pet foods must also be stored in a container with a lid that’s tight-fitting.
• Some pantry pests breed in the homes of insects and rodents, so get rid of these nests if you see them.
• You have to ensure that storage units and cabinets are tight and clean.
• Do not underestimate the power of dry storage units. Moisture contributes a lot in the development of pantry pests.
• Pantry pests gather in a bag. There is no way you cannot see the pests accumulating in it. Once you see the pantry pests, immediately discard the contaminated foodstuff.

Weevils aren't difficult to deal with. You just need to remember these tips. Clean your storage bins, check the items you buy from the grocery, and see to it that they don't have broken seals. Enjoy eating good and clean food without these pests and make your home and your health safe. If you're interested reading this article, you might as well read how to get rid of asian beetles.