We have a couple of 30 Kg bags of rice that somehow got contaminated despite precautions. It has just started so there are not too many and I want to stop them from multiplying.

The only non-toxic way I can think of to kill them is to suffocate them with CO2 in a big plastic container. Just need a couple of handfuls of dry ice to do this.

There are probably better (and cheaper) ways to get hold of dry ice but I normally get a few chunks when I order take out ice cream at coldstone creamery at Central festival

I'm pretty sure there was once a thread about this but I did a search and couldn't find it. At any rate, if you have access to a chest freezer with enough vacant space, you could put the rice in there for a couple of days, and that should do the trick. I don't think CO2 is going to kill the eggs. You'll have to keep it sealed until all the eggs hatch.

re

Where to buy dry ice in Chiang Mai

here ya go ... call them

dave2

I'm pretty sure there was once a thread about this but I did a search and couldn't find it. At any rate, if you have access to a chest freezer with enough vacant space, you could put the rice in there for a couple of days, and that should do the trick. I don't think CO2 is going to kill the eggs. You'll have to keep it sealed until all the eggs hatch.

Eggs are living things too and without oxygen, will die eventually. Of course I don't know how long that will take. I don't have a chest freezer but I have plenty of big containers. The buggers can stay there for weeks for all I care! Being heaver than air, I think the CO2 will stick around for quite a while.

Bin the rice and buy some clean insect free.All supermarkets sell rice of different qualities ,why waste you time with contaminated rice with eggs, when it is cheap enough to buy a new bag?

Bin the rice and buy some clean insect free.All supermarkets sell rice of different qualities ,why waste you time with contaminated rice with eggs, when it is cheap enough to buy a new bag?

The infestation has just started, so the rice is still fine. Would be a shame to throw out 60 Kg of rice because of a few weevils...

Yes you are right to throw away 60 Kg of rice when the infestation has just started.I suggest you eat it as fast as you can and put less meat in you food!

I'm pretty sure there was once a thread about this but I did a search and couldn't find it. At any rate, if you have access to a chest freezer with enough vacant space, you could put the rice in there for a couple of days, and that should do the trick. I don't think CO2 is going to kill the eggs. You'll have to keep it sealed until all the eggs hatch.

Eggs are living things too and without oxygen, will die eventually. Of course I don't know how long that will take. I don't have a chest freezer but I have plenty of big containers. The buggers can stay there for weeks for all I care! Being heaver than air, I think the CO2 will stick around for quite a while.

The female weevil drills a hole in a rice grain and deposits an egg. Then she seals the hole. Apparently, there is enough oxygen sealed in to sustain the egg and hatchling until it emerges from the grain.

Most of the sources on the net seem to prefer freezing as it's the easiest. This one seems the most authoritative. But I didn't search all that hard.

http://www.getridofthings.com/pests/beetles/get-rid-of-weevils/

I'm pretty sure there was once a thread about this but I did a search and couldn't find it. At any rate, if you have access to a chest freezer with enough vacant space, you could put the rice in there for a couple of days, and that should do the trick. I don't think CO2 is going to kill the eggs. You'll have to keep it sealed until all the eggs hatch.

Eggs are living things too and without oxygen, will die eventually. Of course I don't know how long that will take. I don't have a chest freezer but I have plenty of big containers. The buggers can stay there for weeks for all I care! Being heaver than air, I think the CO2 will stick around for quite a while.

The female weevil drills a hole in a rice grain and deposits an egg. Then she seals the hole. Apparently, there is enough oxygen sealed in to sustain the egg and hatchling until it emerges from the grain.

Most of the sources on the net seem to prefer freezing as it's the easiest. This one seems the most authoritative. But I didn't search all that hard.

http://www.getridofthings.com/pests/beetles/get-rid-of-weevils/

It's going to be an interesting experiment!

Added protein. Good for you!

seems like it's going to be a lot of work. once you kill them, then you will have to sift through 60kg to get rid of the dead insects and eggs. 60 kg.? that could take weeks of putting in a couple of hours a day. no?

seems like it's going to be a lot of work. once you kill them, then you will have to sift through 60kg to get rid of the dead insects and eggs. 60 kg.? that could take weeks of putting in a couple of hours a day. no?

It's just started, so there are only a few - hardly notice them really. But I have to kill what few there are, otherwise in a few weeks there would be tens of thousands and then, what you said would apply.

In fact these rice weevils are as small as ants.

They way to go is to microwave a kg at a time.

When they are dead they are too tiny to even notice it when you see the rice moving that is alarming.

No different to drinking coffee with ants in it.

No big deal....if you are so concerned even buying another 30kg is only 750bt for piece of mind.

We store our paddy rice (about 450 kg) in sealed containers with dried Neem leaves ( Thai Sadao สะเดา).

All rice has some level of bugs in it, the trick is to stop them hatching & spreading.

We've kept it for 2 years this way, no problems.

I've heard Bay Leaves work, but never tried it.

Nichsal37, if you'd ever worked in a rice field, you would never throw rice away.

You can buy dry ice at the larger ice cream parlors. They sell blocks of it, but if you want several, it's best to order it the day before.

some of you guys must eat a lot of rice! i live amongst a couple of Thais and we seldom go through 5-6 kg. in a month. but we only eat brown rice (which seems more filling to me) and small portions and usually only once a day; occasionally twice a day.

In fact these rice weevils are as small as ants.

They way to go is to microwave a kg at a time.

When they are dead they are too tiny to even notice it when you see the rice moving that is alarming.

No different to drinking coffee with ants in it.

No big deal....if you are so concerned even buying another 30kg is only 750bt for piece of mind.

You drink coffee with ants in it??

I just want to report back that I bought a kilo of dry ice from Lanna Dry Ice for 30 baht . I sealed the rice and the ice in a container for one week . All the weevils are dead and no sign of new hatchings .

In fact these rice weevils are as small as ants.

They way to go is to microwave a kg at a time.

When they are dead they are too tiny to even notice it when you see the rice moving that is alarming.

No different to drinking coffee with ants in it.

No big deal....if you are so concerned even buying another 30kg is only 750bt for piece of mind.

Where do they sells this coffee with ants??? It could be the next big thing, especially for hipsters in the Nimm area!

I want some too!

In fact these rice weevils are as small as ants.

They way to go is to microwave a kg at a time.

When they are dead they are too tiny to even notice it when you see the rice moving that is alarming.

No different to drinking coffee with ants in it.

No big deal....if you are so concerned even buying another 30kg is only 750bt for piece of mind.

Where do they sells this coffee with ants??? It could be the next big thing, especially for hipsters in the Nimm area!

I want some too!

Could have potential, but wouldn't ant poo coffee have more panache?

I remember freaking out when first got here and found a bug in my food. Nowadays, I just take it out and continue eating. The real old hands just leave it where it is.

Seeing a little bug on veggies is a good sign the have not been doused with pesticides. Maybe they could be rinsed better.

As for the rice I suggest the OP buy a fresh bag rather than assemble a bizarre contraption channeling the CO2 off-gassing of dry ice, to kill "weevils".

I just want to report back that I bought a kilo of dry ice from Lanna Dry Ice for 30 baht . I sealed the rice and the ice in a container for one week . All the weevils are dead and no sign of new hatchings .

I'm impressed!. I'm guessing you didn't have an airtight seal but just counted on the weight of the gaseous CO2 since that weight of dry ice would expand into a huge amount of gaseous carbon dioxide.