Bad bad bad suspended animation

My Mid-dau cooked Bean soup.

She always asks me to mix the cornbread up. (I think she’s tryna include me, so sweet of her :thinking:)

I go in the kitchen and she hands me a new bag of Martha White cornmeal the other ingredients are right close. She hands me 3 eggs. I say “so you want the big skillet?” she nods.

I carefully open the bag of corn meal in order to keep the dust down. I look in. Fine.

I put the eggs in the bowl and spurtle them up. Pour a little buttermilk and mix(this is how Granny taught me).

Got a small bowl with flour, sugar a little salt, baking soda and powder.

Go to scoop out the corn meal. I noticed it was very speckled. I swooped the scoop in and all hell breaks loose. Something(s) flying up in my face.

Oh crap.

Gotta trash that. We always have more but it made me nervous. So I inspected another bag very carefully.

Why did they not fly up when I opened the bag? Why is there critters in my corn meal at all?

Disgusting!

Most likely family Dermestidae, probably Larder beetles.
They are extremely hardy, and will quickly get into any flour or meal, so be vigilant.

Could also be Pantry moths. Also a nightmare to get rid of.

When you bring things like that home, throw them in the freezer for a few days. Then store them in something glass or metal and airtight.

I put the old bag directly in the burn pit.

Outta the house.

I’m sure they came from the store.

Reminds me of the time I was at a friend’s house, and I was about to pour myself a bowl of cereal, and a cockroach fell out of the box, ran around the bowl, tumbled out of the bowl, and skittered away.

Least successful prize in the box ever.

I am creeped out by any insect name that involves the name of a food storage area! :astonished_face:

Let’s see …

crevice cockroaches

shower slugs

armchair ants

bucket bees

And my favorite: Space Spiders!

:scream: eeek

You do mean the foodstuffs, right?

Maybe. :neutral_face:

What does it mean, “Spurtle”?

Are you from around here, or not?

Spurtle is a particular stirring spoon. Paddled shaped wood.

They work great. For stirring batters. Bug infested or not. :scream:

Thanks!