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Wheat is a grain which is bought and stored in most of the houses. Especially in villages, there are several quintals of wheat which have to be kept in the house for more than a year. If a mistake is made in storing it, then weevils get involved which eat the entire wheat and make it hollow from inside. If care is not taken, the weevils spoil all the wheat within a few days. To prevent this, you should keep some small things in mind while storing wheat and there are two such things which if put in wheat bags or containers, then weevils do not get there.
Weevils mostly affect wheat and spoil it very quickly. Actually, the larva of the mite grows inside the grains and then it hollows out the wheat from inside. In this way only the upper husk is left, so let us know how you can protect wheat from weevil infestation.
If you want to protect wheat from weevil infestation, then the first ingredient you need is neem leaves. You dry these leaves in the shade. Apart from having a bitter smell, Neem is also full of antibacterial properties and hence, it is very effective in protecting against insects.
Another ingredient you will need while storing wheat is slaked lime. This will help you in protecting your wheat from weevils. Actually, slaked lime absorbs extra moisture and its nature is alkaline, due to which it forms a natural barrier, which prevents insects. Now know the use of both.
If you are going to store wheat in a bag, then instead of keeping it straight, put a polythene bag of the same size inside the bag. You will easily get this in the market. Actually, this will protect your wheat from moisture, which will greatly reduce the chances of weevil infestation. Now first of all you have to put a bunch of neem leaves on the bottom. After this, fill half the bag with wheat. Now take dry pebble-like pieces of slaked lime and tie it in a fine cloth. You put it in wheat. Now add wheat again on top. When the katta remains a little empty, again put a bunch of neem leaves on top and then close the katta by sewing it with thread.
Similarly, if you are storing wheat in a container, then also keep neem leaves at the bottom. Then wheat has to be added. After this, lime and lastly you have to add neem leaves on top. Keep in mind that if the container has increased, depending on the quantity of wheat, you may have to apply two to three layers of neem and lime instead of one layer.
Moisture is the cause of weevil infestation in wheat. First of all, note that when you are storing wheat, it should be completely dry. Have you brought wheat from the market or from the field? It should be exposed to good sunlight for one to two days. The place where you are keeping wheat. There should not be moisture there either. Also check the katta and container beforehand to ensure that it is completely moisture free.
