How to Remove Meal Worms From Rice

Mealworms appear as tiny, white worms in stored grains. They are the larval form, or infants, of the mealworm beetle, and one grain they favor is rice. Mealworms like to borrow into the warm, dry environment created by rice stored in a cupboard. In some cultures, they are cultivated as a food source, and they also serve as food for birds and many other animals. Removing mealworms from stored rice is a simple process.

Things You'll Need

• Oven
• Flat, oven-safe pan
• Large container
• Trash can
• Airtight storage container

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Instructions

• 1

  Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

• 2

  Pour the rice into the oven-safe pan. Spread it out so that it will heat evenly, then put the rice in the oven.

• 3

  Bake the rice for two hours. This will kill the mealworms.

• 4

  Spread the rice out in the large container or on a flat, clean surface, and sift through it, removing the dead larva as you go. Dispose of the mealworms in the trash container.

• 5

  Place the rice in the airtight storage container to prevent further infestation.