I keep reading that dry ice is a good way to keep bugs from grain in storage buckets. No one I've ever asked has known where to buy dry ice. Can someone in this forum answer this question? Thanks for any help.

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), March 30, 1999

Answers

Look under "Ice" in the yellow pages and you will find suppliers for parties, store catering, restaurants etc. This includes regular ice but also dry ice.

-- Debbie (dbspence@usa.net), March 30, 1999.

The UPS shipper in your area probably has it.

-- Ned (entaylor@cloudnet.com), March 30, 1999.

Try your local grocery store. You'll have to ask for it. I got mine from Safeway when we had electrical construction going on.

-- Grandma (no@email.com), March 30, 1999.

Using C02 or nitrogen will asphyxiate the weevils as they hatch. However, once you open the container you lose your protection.

You might consider DE, diatomaceous earth instead. Once treated the grain will stay bug free. See http://www.bigbirds.com/ridgewood/earth.htm for more info.

Use http://www.dogpile.com or other search engine for DIATOMACEOUS, many places sell it. It is also useful for treating pets and plants.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), March 30, 1999.

When you put the dry ice in your bucket, it may cause condensation that will then be trapped in the bucket and cause your grain to mold rather quickly. Risky. And you can't use dessicants and dry ince intogether, their chemicals conflict. If you are storing white or basmati rice, it is not likely to come with insect eggs in it, as the insects lay eggs on the outside of the rice in the field before it's harvested, but these are removed in the processing. Brown rice is another story. It will have eggs on it. And it also goes rancid in 6-12 months, but lasts longer if kept cool. Grains keep twice as long at 60 as they do at 70. More important to keep them cool and dry than to worry about nitrogen packing.

-- Shivani Arjuna (odnsmall@aol.com), March 30, 1999.