Which bug is this?

[Brah]

About the size of a tiny ant, black, with a long pointy 'nose'.

Looks a little like this: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/kissbug2b.jpg

Found it in the common area of our condo. I was worried because there is an insect called the Assassin Bug which carries a sleeping-sickness disease.

[Brah]

Looks kinda like the one in the lower left-hand corner: http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/barbu ... eetles.jpg

[the lynx]

About the size of a tiny ant, black, with a long pointy 'nose'.

Looks a little like this: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/kissbug2b.jpg

Found it in the common area of our condo. I was worried because there is an insect called the Assassin Bug which carries a sleeping-sickness disease.

Based on your description, especially the size, I would guess that might be rice weevil. We have assassin bugs in Singapore but they are not carriers of disease, so you can breathe in relief of that. And assassin bugs are generally larger than ants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_weevil

Does that match with what you saw?

[Brah]

Thanks - I think you've got it. Good to know and these don't seem like the ones I thought were dangerous.

Phew.....

Based on your description, especially the size, I would guess that might be rice weevil. We have assassin bugs in Singapore but they are not carriers of disease, so you can breathe in relief of that. And assassin bugs are generally larger than ants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_weevil

Does that match with what you saw?

[Brah]

More information on this:

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-prevent ... rai-140955

On Lynx's intel I did some searching, this link has some pretty good information of prevention and proactive measures, and there's even an entry in the comments section from someone in Singapore.

[sundaymorningstaple]

When you open up a bag of rice, if you see some occasional grains of rice that are not opaque/ivory looking but instead looks chalky white and dull looking you can be almost positive that you have weevils. And, if you are a hoarder (tend to keep a well stocked pantry) and say you keep a couple of bags of rice, be sure to always use the oldest first as the longer you keep the bag, the more that will hatch, procreate, and new hoards born. To get rid of them without throwing away the whole bag of rice, spread the rice out on a wide dray and leave it in the sun for a while. Mass exodus of weevils. (except for the ones in the dull chalky grains than haven't hatched yet. But no worries. They are protein which will help to offset the starches of the rice.

[durain]

for the rice, chuck in some raw garlic (no need to skin it).

[Mi Amigo]

When you open up a bag of rice, if you see some occasional grains of rice that are not opaque/ivory looking but instead looks chalky white and dull looking you can be almost positive that you have weevils. And, if you are a hoarder (tend to keep a well stocked pantry) and say you keep a couple of bags of rice, be sure to always use the oldest first as the longer you keep the bag, the more that will hatch, procreate, and new hoards born. To get rid of them without throwing away the whole bag of rice, spread the rice out on a wide dray and leave it in the sun for a while. Mass exodus of weevils. (except for the ones in the dull chalky grains than haven't hatched yet. But no worries. They are protein which will help to offset the starches of the rice.

Eeeeuuuwww. Now I like rice even less than before.

[JR8]

Would these grains float when you rinse the rice; as you would think the larvae contains and also makes some form of airspace?



/Just Thinking Aloud

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, it does. But you don't want to do that with a 10kg bag of rice. It works when you are preparing to cook the rice, but until then, they are hatching and breeding and so forth. (like I said, some protein is good.

[JR8]

Yeah, it does. But you don't want to do that with a 10kg bag of rice. It works when you are preparing to cook the rice, but until then, they are hatching and breeding and so forth. (like I said, some protein is good.

But

The bugs can't be living perpetually in the rice grains, it is surely a 'vector'.
[Where's Lynx?]

[sundaymorningstaple]

The weevils bore a hole in the rice grain, deposits the egg and moves on. When the eggs hatch, the larva eat the grain of rice from the inside, leaving only the husk, when they grow to adulthood, out they come, mate and start the process all over again.

[the lynx]

Haha saw this too late, but gramps did a very good explanation. There is no need for me to add on.

Eeeeuuuwww. Now I like rice even less than before.

Actually there are other beetles that infest on pasta and flour here but that will be OOT to describe it further. Bottom line? Keep your grains or grain product is secure, air-tight container to prevent infestation from external sources.

[nakatago]

The weevils bore a hole in the rice grain, deposits the egg and moves on. When the eggs hatch, the larva eat the grain of rice from the inside, leaving only the husk, when they grow to adulthood, out they come, mate and start the process all over again.

I had a bag of brown rice once that was infested with weevils. I put the uncooked rice to soak and a significant number of grains floated---hollowed out by the weevils already.

[Brah]

What about other foods? So far we have uncooked rice, pasta, wheat goods - anything else?

We have Japanese cooked rice in plastic packets, the kind you microwave - hard plastic bottom, thinner pull-away plastic top. I want to try SMS's sunlight test, because the water test probably won't work for these as the grains are cooked.

And I'm looking at everything else JIC.

What about Baking soda? Sugar? Tea? Coffee? Corn starch? Nuts?