Tiny bugs in cupboard!

ClutchIt

Hi all. Please help... just found a few hundred really tiny bugs in our kitchen cupboard. See pic attached.
Everything has been taking out of the cupboard and it has been washed with bleach.
What is the next step here please?
Thanks.

phantasmagoria

Are you sure they didn't come from the food?

Limestone1

Google flour mites , should give you some info on them.

phantasmagoria

The fact that you cleaned already, throw out the contaminated food

wildwillow

No picture
Edit Picture shows it is flour mites. They seem to find flour and grains. May have present when you bought something.

Empty all containers that are not properly sealed and wash well.
Make sure flour and other grains are in sealed containers. Don't use any dry ingredients stored in the press.
Only buy what you will use in a few months so it is renewed regularly. Buy in a shop which has a good turnover so product is fresh.

atilladehun

We had the same problem in work. A good clean and plastic containers fixed it

Ceirseach

They are flour weevils.
Check any other flour, oats, or grains in the cupboard. Dispose of anything contaminated.
I had them a few months ago and hadn't seen them in years before that. I think production standards are low at the moment, probably due to Covid 19. Though I'm no expert.

looksee

If you leave any flour type product long enough it can develop weevils, they are in the flour they just haven't got round to hatching. Presumably there are batches that don't have them, but don't keep especially wheat flour more than a month or so if you don't want to see the critters. The eggs may well be there but what the eye doesn't see...

ClutchIt

Oh my god! Thanks so much everyone. I never knew these things would appear if you left flour etc in the cupboard too long. This is exactly what we have done.
Ok. Everything has been thrown out, and any more baking ingredients are going into plastic containers.
That is so gross to think they spontaneously appear if the flour is left too long. Ugh!
Thanks a mill everyone.

con747

Had a similar problem years ago, now I put my flour in the freezer for 4-5 days after buying it, it's supposed to kill any mites or eggs. No issues since doing this.

Jellybaby_1

looksee wrote: »

If you leave any flour type product long enough it can develop weevils, they are in the flour they just haven't got round to hatching. Presumably there are batches that don't have them, but don't keep especially wheat flour more than a month or so if you don't want to see the critters. The eggs may well be there but what the eye doesn't see...

I never knew this. :eek: I'll be checking the cupboard in the morning! Food usually has an allergen warning these days, doubt producers will be adding this onto their warnings!

con747

Jellybaby_1 wrote: »

I never knew this. :eek: I'll be checking the cupboard in the morning! Food usually has an allergen warning these days, doubt producers will be adding this onto their warnings!

Check in the bag of flour, if you have any you will see them moving if you have good eyesight or a magnifying glass.

Locotastic

Ceirseach wrote: »

They are flour weevils.
Check any other flour, oats, or grains in the cupboard. Dispose of anything contaminated.
I had them a few months ago and hadn't seen them in years before that. I think production standards are low at the moment, probably due to Covid 19. Though I'm no expert.

Funny you should say that, we had them last month, first time I'd ever had anything like that and I bake regularly, they came in on flour too so I wonder has something changed in the manufacturing.

Glass containers for me from now onwards for flour and the likes.

jenneyk19

bleach does not kill them

looksee

jenneyk19 wrote: »

bleach does not kill them

Well it might, but the flour is not much use after