bugs in bags and boxes!!!

one varmit is likely boll weavels.
They will go right thru a plastic lined paper bag such as for flour or grain, etc.
The old traditional tupperware will keep them out but not the big storgae type plastic boxes with the not-really-sealing lid.

I think weavels are protein based. 🙂

Protein--as in yum, yum?

My grandmother always said that they were often weevils in grains and such that you ate and you couldn't or didn't see them, so no need to worry about them when or if you did see them. I never quite bought the second part of her homespun wisdom, but I figure that there have probably been plenty of larvae etc. in my food and as long as I don't see them I'm good. : )

Some more of grandma's wisdom: keep grains and cereals in the freezer to keep any larvae from maturing

Islandlola

Off hand, I'd say temperature and shelf time are the culprits.

Stateside, many products are transported and stored in climatized conditions and don't necessarily spend a lot of time on store shelves (up front or in back), depending on your region.

Here, I suspect that only goods truly needing cooled conditions get them given the costs of energy here, and given the long transit and longer shelf time of some products here (how many of us want All Bran with fruit thingies in it? If not so many, it may be sitting a while...), it probably creates great conditions for bugs and larvae to survive and thrive.

Islandlola
--

Yeah, I've found the same thing. It's really a bummer when the infested item is "fresh" from the store. I wonder how much money I've wasted on pantry items that were purchased with bugs, packages that had a hole in them rendering the contents inedible, canned goods that have expired, and milk that despite the future expiration date is sour when first opened. This happens to me several times a week. I think I'm going to stop buying milk or else buy the shelf-stable variety.

It's a waste money but not worth the hassle to take the items back to the store. Just another hidden cost of living on a little island. I try to carefully inspect each item before purchasing but sometimes you just don't know until you get it home. And some times I'm in a hurry and don't scrutinize each item. I've also noticed a tendency for some stores to have items that are very close to or past their expiration (shelf goods and perishable goods). More than your typical stateside store. I don't know if this is due to the increased transit time or if the stores intentionally purchase stock that is nearing expiration (cheaper??). Or maybe I'm purchasing items that don't move off the shelf as quickly. Regardless of the reason, stores don't appear to monitor their shelves for expired items.

I figure that any frozen item I purchase has been thawed and refrozen several times on its journey to the store and to my home. I've seen supply trucks on the road carrying cases of items meant for refrigerated transit exposed to the shining sun. I've seen boxes of frozen or refrigerated supplies stacked outside of the load-in door at McDonald's while various employees loiter and make no move to bring the stuff inside to the freezer.

I've had mild food poisoning and various GI disturbances more times that I can count down here. Gotta wonder about the food.

Sigh.

One of my pet peeves are flat colas...........ok......rum and coke may not be my first priority in the morning but it is certainly my first priority for evening/sunset. Purchase case of cokes, get home, ice, rum, pop that top and arrrghh.......NO fizzle....... Not a unique thing for the VI. Happens in FL as well if we've been away for some time and didn't have a 'drink the house dry' party before we left. (hot climate being the culprit?) In the VI especially I watch the designs and the dates on the cans. If you see a can with a christmas/holiday design and it's April or May......I'm thinking that soda is gonna be flat. My husband has switched to rum and tea but I'm having a hard time making that transition.

Interesting tidbit...The "Dark and Diet" (Cruzan gold and Diet Coke), one of the most popular cocktails in the VI, got it's start years ago because Coke was served in bars from a gun and was usually flat, so people started ordering Diet Coke because it was new and wasn't in the gun yet, and the cans were still fizzy.
Anyway, back on track, I am very, very picky about food and drink, and I don't have much problem with flat sodas or sour milk ( I buy the organic, and for some reason it has a longer shelf life.) but the frozen, thawed, frozen... drives me crazy. The worst is the short life of fresh veggies and bread. I never liked putting bread in the fridge, but it's a must here unless you have a large family and go through it in a couple of days.

Stick your flour in the freezer for a couple of days as soon as you get it home. I keep flour in the freezer. Some stores are just infested with those critters that are in the pasta in much the same way as your pantry can be infested with those flying moth-like things. You should take it back to the store & if not, immediately double bag the pasta or whatever & toss it.

I think flour has the eggs anyway but they have time to mature into the flour weevils down here so if they aren't already grown when you take the flour home, freezing will kill them. I keep bay leaves in my cupboard which helps with those flying moths.

dates on canned goods is very wastefulCanned goods can last years, decades even.
As long as there are no leaks and not bloated the contents are almost always still edible.

If you look at paper bagged or boxed items in a store and see tiny holes, it is infested. I am taliking about holes smaller than a pencil lead.

If they are weevils..and you see two of them next to each other in the bag, one bigger than the other...how do you choose which one to eat?

The small one, of course! Cuz you always choose the lesser of two weevils! Haha! Oh, hahahahahaaaa! I crack myself up!

That's what those little black bugs are in my cabinets. I kept emptying out the cabinets and spraying bug spray and then a few days later there they are again.

Marty you are too funny.

Sorry, Martys joke reminded me of a JJ joke.

Why did the gum cross the road.

Cuz it was stuck to the chicken. Ha Ha Ha.

Haha! Funny thing is, I just heard that SAME joke weevil yesterday! Weird, huh??

Those bugs are soooo annoying! The worst part is that I'm bringing them home from the store! I forgot to mention they were in a sealed package of bread crumbs, too! The package was FULL of them...$$ down the drain...oh well...

Thanks everyone for your comments and stories. I think Jules hit the nail on the head; it probably has to do with the longer transit time and the fact that products sit around here longer. And the stores buying old products.

Another one of my favs:

If you are an American in the living room...what are you in the bathroom??

European!

WAH-HAHAhahahaaaa! Hahahahaaaaaaa!

Marty,
Do you have a day job?

So I just made myself a sandwich and sat down to read the boards and....

I wonder: does moving to an island help you lose weight?
(Worked today for me and I'm not even on the island yet.)

I do. I sell medical equipment and supplies to our hospitals and doctors offices. And it's a good thing, too, cuz I sure wouldn't make it as a comedian! haha!

hey Marty,
good thing you have a job! You'd starve if you were a comedian, or I'd have to feed you! How about some pasta or bread crumbs, haha!

OK so I googled this and came up with similar discussions, too funny!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070323060614AA36OSm
http://community.cookinglight.com/archive/index.php?t-19541.html
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/bigcity/story1/bugproofframe.htm

Guess I've gotten a little obsessed with this topic!
Back to work!

ok my last posting on this subject I promise!
But here's the best site I've found, listing ALL the bugs that get into your cupboards!

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/home/e300w.htm

Enjoy!!!!

Hubby once bought flour from Pueblo that we discovered was brimming with little buggies. On my next trip, I took it back and gave them an earful. It's not about the $$$ but I think it's important to let them know it's not acceptable to allow items to expire or become contaminated.

Don't forget, the shelves get infested with these things. I kept complaining at Marina Market because every time I got pasta there, it was buggy. Finally somebody listened because the problem stopped. This was a couple years ago but the store needs to know about it & if they care, they'll do something about it.

European! Get it?? AHHH-HAhahahhaaaa! You're a peein', ohhhh-hohohohooooo!
(I think someone put something in my coffee....)

Oh you are TOO funny Marty!
(just sugar and milk :-P)

Living here has switched me to soy milk. It took a little getting used to, but I only use it in cereal and cooking, and it's probably better for me anyway. Now I actually prefer it for those things.

One thing I'd say about the flat soda is that if you call the number on the back of the can and complain, they'll send you some coupons for free soda. Sometimes lots of coupons. Have the can handy, cuz they ask for all kinds of numbers from it.