How to get rid of grain beetles?

[Britesea]

I just dried a large amount of carrots- about 20 pounds or so. I put them in a Zip-Lock so I could add them to the tin I keep dried carrots in, without mixing them with the older carrots. That's when I discovered that the older carrots had become infested with grain beetles (or carrot beetles?). I've pulled the old stuff out of the tin and put it in a mason jar (I can still use them for the dog's food- she won't mind the occasional little beetle in her food), but I am not sure what to do to prevent re-infestation. I'm sure there are some eggs in the crevices of the tin. I could put them in a mason jar, but I am running out of the ones that have a chip in the top (I save the good ones for canning).

Anyone got any ideas of something that would kill the beetles? I don't have room in the freezer for a big popcorn tin, and I'm not sure that would kill the eggs anyway. I hate to throw away the tin.

 

[Marianne]

Try bay leaves. That's supposed to keep crawlies out of food.
Can you vacuum the crevices, maybe add a bit of food grade DE dusted in the can? Then if the new food is in zipper bags, there shouldn't be a problem. Do you use the oxygen absorbers? I really like those things.

Do you dry the carrots to rehydrate for soups, etc later? I never thought about dehydrating carrots - doh! I just roasted a 5 lb bag of them and put them in the freezer. I can get a 20# bag at a really good price, but that would use more freezer space than what I was willing to allocate. And then there's the frig space, too!

 

[Denim Deb]

I had been going to suggest the freezer, but see that you already thought of that.

 

[~gd]

Try bay leaves. That's supposed to keep crawlies out of food.
Can you vacuum the crevices, maybe add a bit of food grade DE dusted in the can? Then if the new food is in zipper bags, there shouldn't be a problem. Do you use the oxygen absorbers? I really like those things.

Do you dry the carrots to rehydrate for soups, etc later? I never thought about dehydrating carrots - doh! I just roasted a 5 lb bag of them and put them in the freezer. I can get a 20# bag at a really good price, but that would use more freezer space than what I was willing to allocate. And then there's the frig space, too!

A cool moist root celler can carry over carrots.Check about once a week if they are starting to dry out they need more moisture. We always planted for an excess in the fall and any that couldn't fit the root celler we would leave in the ground covered by about 6" of straw. various rodents would get a few around the top, these were used as treats for livestock ala a carrot and a stick.~gd

 

[Britesea]

GD, I long for a good root cellar! Being so close to the river, our water table is too high to allow for one. We do have a crawl space, but I suspect that if I tried to use it, it's such a project to get my fat old arthritic body in there that I would never use the stuff I had stored.

I like the idea of the DE- maybe that will work. I've never seen that bay worked that well with an established infestation.

I have large amounts of carrots, onions, celery and potatoes dehydrated at all times. That way, I always have a nourishing stew or soup available. If I only have bouillon available - no good stock- I throw in a packet of unflavored gelatin; it really helps to give the soup that silky 'mouth feel' that you get from good bone broth.

 

[ORChick]

I would wash the tin really well with hot, soapy water and then let it dry in the sun. After that I would dust it with some DE, if available, although several hours of heating the metal tin in the hot sun should kill any eggs that are left, I would think. It is really worth the money IMO to get some "Pantry Pest traps" at the hardware store to take care of an established infestation. They really work. (Though I don't put them out unless I actually see the little moths flying about; the pheromone lures weaken with time I think, so I don't use them "just on the off chance")

http://www.saferbrand.com/store/insect-control/b05140-2

 

[Marianne]

more interesting stuff here.

 

[MiracleWik]

When you first pack the tin, place a hunk of dry ice in the tin with the carrots. The CO2 is denser than air and will sink down to smother all the eggs and unseen crawlies that may ruin your food.