Simple ways to protect Dals/Food grains from insects at home

Storing food grains like wheat/rice/lentils/legumes in your kitchen is not that easy. Insects like weevils, pantry beetles, flour bugs, and ghuns (in Hindi) can easily attack them. Infestation of these insects can create a whole lot of nuisance and wastage. Given the on-going pandemic, we all try to store enough groceries to avoid stepping out now and then. Therefore we must ensure that the food grains are stored properly to avoid any kind of invasion.

Climate change is one of the probable reasons for the attack by these insects. Monsoon season is the breeding time for kitchen bugs as they grow in damp and humid conditions. Therefore you need to take extra care of grains/lentils in your kitchen during the changing season.

Check out these tips to manage the grains/dals stored in your kitchen:

• • Try using Air Tight Containers instead of regular ones. Check that there is no moisture inside the container before filling it with food grain.
  • If a large amount of dal/spice is attacked by bugs, spread it on a cloth or a big plate and put it in the Sunlight for a few hours. It will shoo away all the bugs.
  • Place the grains/lentils/legume packet in the Freezer for 3-4 days after buying from the grocery store. It will kill any larva/egg present inside it and avoid any kind of infestation. Later you can take it out, let it come to room temperature, and empty it in the storage container.
  • Take a piece of Charcoal, wrap it in a muslin cloth and place it in the container where you store pulses/grains. It is a pretty old and effective trick to protect food grains from insects.
  • Bay Leaves/Dry Neem Leaves are very helpful in keeping insects away, especially for rice/wheat and other food grains that we store in large quantity. Place Neem Leaves/bay leaves in a zip pouch and make few small holes in it. Now place these packets on the base of the airtight container/steel container. If you use Neem Leaves, see that the leaves are not completely dry and are fragrant. You can replace these leaves after a few months.
  • Using cloves is a perfect idea to avoid kitchen bugs. It is readily available in your kitchen. You can place 3-4 cloves in the container where you store grains. Keeping few cloves in the pantry area/cupboard where you store the groceries can helps keep ants/insects away.
  • For storing Dals, add a tsp of Turmeric/Haldi powder in the storage container and coat the inside of the container with it. Now remove the extra Turmeric powder and fill the container with pulses. It will help keep the insects away.
  • For protecting Rice from insects, place a medium size Salt piece in the container. It will help protect against the infestation of insects for a long time.
  • For Toor dal and Chana dal, mix a few drops of Mustard Oil with the dal and put it in sunlight for a few hours. Later fill the pulse in an airtight container.
  • To avoid the attack of ants on the Sugar container place a couple of Cloves/Cinnamon sticks in the container. It will keep the ants away.
  • To protect Suji, Besan, and Oats you can dry roast them for 3-5 minutes. It will help avoid the infestation by these insects.
  • For Biscuits/Cookies, you can add a handful of rice in an airtight container and place a tissue on it. Now place the biscuits/cookies on the tissue and close the lid properly. It will help absorb any extra moisture and keep biscuits crisp for a long.