# bugs in my dried beans



## luv2farm (Feb 15, 2008)

I dried some October (kindly like a pinto) beans this past fall. Then put them in an airtight tupperware container. I went to cook some on this COLD winter day and found bugs. Tiny black beetle type bugs INSIDE the bean. Only 1 bug per bean. But, there are beans with tiny holes, no bug. 

:help: a couple of questions:

--what do you think it is?
--how do I avoid them next year?
--can I plant them as seed beans this summer?


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

I don't know what they are other than bean beatles.
After they are good and dry, freeze them for a week in a air tight containor. This should kill the eggs.


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## Blair (Sep 3, 2007)

Plant them as seed beans? Probably not. Sounds like very few would grow due to the bugs. A seed of any kind needs to be whole to sprout and since the bugs are chewing holes in them.............


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

I would put the container in the freezer...the adults you see may have already laid eggs in/on some more of the bean seed. Give them a couple of weeks to be sure all bugs/eggs are dead then inspect the beans and try a seed germination test with several that appear undamaged. Bug chewed seed can sprout if the bug misses the germ where the plant embryo is..the majority of the bean seed is the food source for the germ and tho it won't be pretty when it pops the soil(misshapen) it still can do it's job of feeding the seedling until the first set of true leaves unfolds. In a "I can't get more seed" situation if it doesn't work all you lose is time to run the germination test.


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