Can you eat food if you find weevils in it?

Weevils are tiny beetles that feed predominantly on grain crops. They are often found living in dry foods like four, rice, oats, and other grains in your pantry.

While eating weevil-contaminated food is not harmful to humans, if you want to eliminate a weevil problem from your kitchen you will need to throw out all of the contaminated food so they don’t spread throughout the rest of your pantry.

Weevils are a very common kitchen pest that you are likely to encounter at least once. Luckily, it is possible to manage a weevil infestation on your own by following a few simple steps.

There are also lots of preventative measures you can put in place to stop weevils from spreading throughout your pantry.

This article includes information about:

What weevils are and how to recognize them
Where weevils come from
Common signs that you have a weevil infestation
How to get rid of weevils
How to prevent keep weevils out of your kitchen in the first place.

Let’s dive in!

What are weevils?

Weevils, also sometimes known as ‘flour bugs’ are tiny beetles that live in and feast on grains and legumes like flour, oats and rice, corn, beans, nuts and seeds.

Different kinds of weevils live and feed on different grains and they are all slightly different in size and color.

While weevils have the potential to cause massive crop damage in the fields, fortunately, they will not wreak too much havoc if they set up shop in your home.

Despite this, weevils in the home are still a nuisance and, understandably, you may want to be rid of them as soon as possible.

Where do weevils come from?

Have you ever wondered how weevils come to live in your food, especially if you find them in a sealed package?

Weevils feast and live on grain crops and produce. The females lay their eggs inside seeds or grain kernels and seal their eggs inside.

When the egg hatches, the weevil larva feeds on the seed or kernel it was laid in until it reaches maturity the fully-grown weevil then chews its way out from the sealed seed and the cycle is repeated when that weevil mates with a male.

This is how weevils can end up in packaged foods. They are often already living inside the seeds or kernels when the grains are harvested.

Is it safe to eat weevils?

If you have ever discovered weevils in your kitchen – and are concerned you may have eaten one (or a few) by accident, you may be wondering whether they are harmful to eat.

Weevils are not toxic to humans and you will not experience any illness or negative side effects if you happen to ingest them.

Any food that is infested with weevils is also completely safe to eat, though naturally people can be squeamish about the idea, which is why most weevil-infested food gets thrown away.

While it is necessary to dispose of bags of flour or oats if you discover weevils inside them, it is actually possible to salvage some weevil-infested food, such as dried beans and legumes.

Simply soak the beans or legumes in water. Any weevils living in the pulses will float to the top of the water and can be fished out. The beans or legumes will be weevil-free and completely safe to eat.

So, the bottom line is don’t worry if you think you may have accidentally eaten weevils. It’s all just extra protein!

Common signs that you have weevils

There are a few things to look out for if you’re wondering whether you have this common pantry pest. If you notice the containers your grains are stored in have a dusty or web-like coating in or around them this is a big red flag.

You may also even notice the tiny black insects on your shelves or cupboards throughout your kitchen. Once fully grown, weevils are also relatively easy to spot in light-coloured grains like flour and rice.

What’s the difference between weevils and pantry moths?

Weevils can sometimes be mistaken for another pest that commonly plagues kitchen pantries. Pantry moths also hatch their larvae inside grain produce and can take up residence in your kitchen pantry.

Pantry moth larvae resemble tiny white maggots, but they are actually caterpillars. Weevils on the other hand, are small black insects.

Regardless of whether you have a pantry moth or weevil infestation on your hands, the steps to take to get rid of them are the same, so let’s have a look at what to do if you discover weevils lurking in your pantry.