Hoarding is exactly what the government is doing right now by filling the SPR, and frankly it's the best thing that could happen. It drives prices up. High prices encourage demand destruction. They also finance new well development. The hoarded oil gives us a buffer to fall back on once shortages become more prevalent. High prices are what we need in order to adapt to what's coming, and the sooner they happen, the better.
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:28 am Post subject: food storage/flour moth
Food storage has one big disadvantage it could be wasted. If you have anything like flour or oats you will have these flour moths, unless you seal the stuff in airtight containers, which might cost you more than what's in.
Are there organic deterrents for this pest? A smell they don't like.
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:33 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
a single room in the house can be well defended against insects and weather. Other tools at your disposal include vigilance. _________________ If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984
Joined: Sep 04, 2005 Posts: 338 Location: central MA, USA
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:35 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
alokin wrote:
Food storage has one big disadvantage it could be wasted. If you have anything like flour or oats you will have these flour moths, unless you seal the stuff in airtight containers, which might cost you more than what's in.
Are there organic deterrents for this pest? A smell they don't like.
And you attract mice as well.
You don't want to be storing large quantities of flour for a long time anyway. Whole wheat will last much longer; grind to flour as needed. Still vulnerable to mice, though.
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:04 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
Unground grains are just as susceptible to grain moths as flour. AFAIK, there are four food-safe ways to deal with grain or Indian meal moths. You can heat the grain in the oven or microwave, put it in the freezer, radiate it, or put out traps for the moths. This Ohio ag bulletin has details of the heating and cooling methods. If you might want to plant the grain at some point, heating isn't a good solution.
There are lots of grain moth traps out there. They use pheromones to lure the males to a tanglefoot trap. The only problem with this is that it doesn't help as much to prevent an infestation.
If you know the grain doesn't have moths, you can put it in a couple of layers of plastic garbage bag or in containers that seal well. From my experience, the moths find food primarily by smell, and can eat through plastic and cardboard to get to it if they detect food. The double layered plastic bag approach works by holding in the food smell. A single layer ziploc bag isn't usually enough.
Joined: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 11367 Location: Village of Idiots
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:04 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
Freeze to kill existing insects; put in two layers of barrier (plastic bag, then in a sealed bucket). _________________ "...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow..." - jboogy
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:09 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
A few suggestions:
* I suggest foodsafe metal pales with seal tops, food safe plastic pales or glass.
Regarding the cost of the container being more then the grain, just
wait a couple years. A jar for a pound of flour might cost 50 cents.
Prices are probably headed up more then that.
* There are a lot of threads and FAQ's on food storage.
Joined: Sep 04, 2005 Posts: 338 Location: central MA, USA
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:12 am Post subject: Re: food storage/flour moth
kjmclark wrote:
Unground grains are just as susceptible to grain moths as flour.
True. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, just that even if you successfully keep the flour "moth free", it will spoil far faster than if you keep it as unground berries.
at the thrift shop they are thinking yet: "this lady is crazy buying all the containers", the trap method sounds good, I'll buy a few, but kpeavey, we're a normal family of four we don't live in a palace, our entire house is 70 m˛ and we have no basement and not garage.
(But admittedly we have some mice and buddhist mouse traps)
at the thrift shop they are thinking yet: "this lady is crazy buying all
the containers", the trap method sounds good, I'll buy a few, but
kpeavey, we're a normal family of four we don't live in a palace,
our entire house is 70 m˛ and we have no basement and not garage.
You could get a shovel and do some creative gardening. Get some railroad ties
and buckets, make some raised beds. You could make all the space you need...
steam_cannon wrote:
kuidaskassikaeb wrote:
Dear Mr. Retired Guy:
Can I ask why you would want something like that? What would you store in them?
By the way, if he's looking for some info on root cellars or
miniature root cellars for gardens, here are some links...
Quote:
The Food Torpedo
In my book I tell the story of how many years after the London
bombing had stopped, the piles of rubble were finally cleared away
to make room for new houses. As the bulldozers worked clearing
the site of each once standing house, the people who had lived
there flocked like birds. As soon as they were able, they pulled
containers of all kinds (glass jars, tin boxes, etc.) from the ground.
Each was recovered with precious contents intact. In many cases,
pictures of sons and daughters lost in combat, family heirlooms,
important records, and other family treasures that would have been
lost in the mass destruction were saved because they were kept
underground all those years, the hiding place known only to the
person who buried such treasures.
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