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stumbling self sufficiency in a small space
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9:22 pm
Expert
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Sun 17-Jan-10
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I opened a bag of caster sugar this afternoon, with plans to sprinkle it on top of the leftover clafoutis. Imagine the look on my face when I spotted tiny little grey flecks moving in the sugar.
Cue a great cupboard clear-out and a thorough investigation of the entire cupboard contents. Judging from the insect clustering, the culprit seems to have been a bag of Tesco value self-raising flour but the buggers had spread through-out the whole 3 shelves. Annoyingly I'd done a stock up shop last Monday so there were several unopened packets of flour, sugar, icing sugar and lasagne sheet. All crawling to one extent or another. As were the packets of Lemsip, yeast and bun cases!
All the stuff in jars and lock&lock tubs was safe, but all the packet and bags went in a black bin bag. A black bin bag and a half in the end 🙁 Thank goodness they didn't get into the bigger cupboard.
On a brighter note the cupboard got a really good spring clean, we made a quick trip to Lakeland to get some cupboard organising shelves and jars, and G bought me pizza for dinner.
Please tell me I'm not the only CSH Forumite who's suffered these little buggers?
9:32 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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i've not had them shereen, but as our walls are thin and therefor the cupboards are damp in winter, I store everything in kilner jars or large containers that I get from a lady who runs a sweet shop. Hopefully that would mean if I do get contaminated, it would be limited. Have you done your letter of complaint to Tesco yet?
10:01 pm
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Sun 17-Jan-10
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I usually keep stuff in jars, Terrier, but was getting near the end of current stocks and wanted to empty the jars before adding new contents. Only the buggers struck first. I bought a couple of 3 litre jars today that I will use as my bulk flour store.
I've not bothered with the letter - the internet and my Mum tells me these weevils are very common and hard to prove the source of. She says the eggs often come in with flour, or even in cardboard packaging on other goods. Mum recommends putting newly-bought flour in the freezer for at least 24 hours once you bring it home. Easy for her to say with her 4 drawer freezer in the kitchen and fridge-freezer in the garage.
10:17 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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I have had them in the past & I traced mine to packets of Indian gram flour. I did a big clear out too & I now keep things in tightly sealed jars as much as I can. I remember the advice I got at the time, back in the 1980's, was to pop dried bay leaves into every jar as the weevils are repelled by them, I still do that now,especially into flour & other grains.
They are persistant little b...ers I hope they don't reappear......
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
10:32 pm
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Sun 17-Jan-10
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Oh Hattie thank-you for the bay leaf tip. I'll be out picking leaves tomorrow 🙂
4:59 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I had them once too, a rather long time ago fortunately. I still have packets and things and don't always seal things and so far no problem. Interestingly enough it was while I was still in the UK too
12:48 pm
Senior Class
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Wed 11-Nov-09
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Just when I was thinking "thank goodness that's one problem we don't have" I went into the pantry, unclipped the big plastic storage box in which I keep all the herbs, seasonings etc that don't fit onto the kitchen herb rack and two things happened simultaneously: I thought "what's that smell?" (never a good sign); and a cloud of small moths engulfed me. Turns out the paper bag of dried ceps that I'd bought at the market must have been harbouring some extra guests that had all hatched out. Bleeeeeeee. Out into the garden with the lot, ceps into the compost bin and then every packet and box examined for damage/infestation. Oh, and husband saw a mouse this morning, thought we'd got rid of them. Hey ho, country living .....
1:31 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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Oh Debbie,
I feel for you as I have moth problems in my house; I am gradually winning out against them.
This morning, however my cat "Button" bought in a young rabbit (about two-thirds of her own size ) she deposited it in a prominent position in my sitting-room. She had eaten most of the head & left me the rest..................
Luckily I don't have carpets, just floorboards with an occasional rug (which at least she missed).
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
3:12 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Part butchered dinner? 
OH managed to kill one accidentally last evening as we were driving, such a pretty thing it had been too...
I'll try that again!
10:48 pm
Improver
Tue 1-Sep-09
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I have a different pest. Fruit flies we are over run by fruit flies. They make a terrible mess of the fruitbowl and if I cover it up no one remembers it's there so it goes off anyway. We've got rid of the kitchen composter and I've thrown out the putrified fruit, the bin is covered and I've sacked the spider as it appears the one thing it doesn't like to eat is fruit flies.
Do any of you have or know of a method of getting rid of them without spraying, they seem to dodge the swat quite well.
Thanks
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
6:38 am
Councillor
New members
Fri 10-Sep-10
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Yellow sticky White fly traps work well peel off just one side and lay on the window sill or other flat surface when full peel off other side use the cover over the full side & repeat .Vinegar or Beer attracts & drowns them .
Seed catalogues are responsible for more unfulfilled fantasies than the web and playboy combined . (after Michael Perry)
6:17 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Hand held vacuum cleaner but remember to plug the end when not in use. That was Kate's suggestion I hasten to add, but it won't stop the neighbours thinking I am completely nuts for vacuuming windows. Have you thought of using those old fashioned net covers so people can still see the fruit and help themselves?
11:35 pm
Improver
Tue 1-Sep-09
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Sticky strip seems the way to go so I'll get a hand held vacuum instead I like the idea of chasing them around. Nice one JoannaS
With my lot, as soon as any barrier is between them and fruit that's it they won't toouch the stuff.
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
10:27 am
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Yep, hoover them up,keep the compost bin out of the kitchen and only open it when the kitchen door is shut or the buggers just fly inside, keep an eagle eye on the freshness of your fruit/veg and give the bowl you keep them in a good clean too-any little bits of old juice attract the flies-and you should stay fairly free of them.
Way back in the 60s my Mother had an invasion of flour mites in her larder, even the pots of jam were heaving, cleaned everything out, never had them again, so they can be got rid of permanently! But it did make me very aware of them so I keep my eyes peeled...
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
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