Is microwave safe and effective for destroying weevils in flour?
Hi,
Is microwave can get rid of weevil in flour?
Is microwave safe for health?
I'd probably look into getting pest control, and finding the source of the bugs, and eliminating them from the source. According to google, they can apparently lay their eggs in the flour. Talk to a pest control expert.
What is the context here? Are we talking about personal use i.e. you've found weevils in a bag of flour at home? Or are weevils present in your manufacturing process?
If the latter, definitely contact your pest contractor immediately.
Sources seem to suggest that microwaving (note not necessarily domestic microwaves) can kill weevils:
This work confirms that microwave heating is a promising, eco-compatible solution to fight the spread of weevil.
https://www.nature.c...icles/srep45299
you want to use the microwave, spread the stuff on a glass dish or plate, and run it for 5 minutes.
https://getridofthin...rid-of-weevils/
The samples were then exposed to microwave energy
at four different power levels 200, 300, 400, and 500 W for two exposure times of 28
and 56 s. Complete (100%) mortality was achieved for adults of all three insect species
at 500 W for an exposure time of 28 s and at 400 W for an exposure time of 56 s in
barley and wheat.
https://mspace.lib.u...tion?sequence=1
As far as I know, microwaves (when used as intended per manufacturer's instruction) are safe to health, thought I am no expert by any means in that area.
I'm quite concerned though by the prospect of dead bugs in flour/food. Depending on the species I believe some can be several mm in size.
Please provide more information to clarify the situation.
Hi,
Microwave radiation, with good penetrability, can kill pests existing inside or outside grain kernels. This point brings the research initiatives especially on microwave (MW) heating for their potential use for disinfestation of stored food grains.