Food Matthew 6:19–20 . . . I am humbled.

[Gercarson]

I live in a brick house and am amazed that RATS have found a way to proliferate inside my home.
I have been very side-tracked taking care of an ailing brother who needed me to help him. He has since passed and, of course, I am still in that mind numbed fog. He was an angel.
Rats have torn open EVERY 50 lb bag of rice that I had sealed in mylar with oxygen absorbers. Some I know I will have to dispose of and will - but my question is if they haven't really gotten TOO into the bags - is the rice still safe to consume? There must be four hundred pounds of rice that I would have to dump otherwise. Makes me feel somewhat nauseated to think I could have felt that secure and "safe".
Anyone have advice for me?

 

[naturallysweet]

I live in a brick house and am amazed that RATS have found a way to proliferate inside my home.
I have been very side-tracked taking care of an ailing brother who needed me to help him. He has since passed and, of course, I am still in that mind numbed fog. He was an angel.
Rats have torn open EVERY 50 lb bag of rice that I had sealed in mylar with oxygen absorbers. Some I know I will have to dispose of and will - but my question is if they haven't really gotten TOO into the bags - is the rice still safe to consume? There must be four hundred pounds of rice that I would have to dump otherwise. Makes me feel somewhat nauseated to think I could have felt that secure and "safe".
Anyone have advice for me?

Unless we are in a famine, I wouldn't try. Rice is cheap be replace. Next time, use buckets or a freezer.

Do you have chickens or other livestock? They won't eat dry rice. But I've cooked up lots of mice eaten rice and fed it to chickens .

 

[Illini Warrior]

I live in a brick house and am amazed that RATS have found a way to proliferate inside my home.
I have been very side-tracked taking care of an ailing brother who needed me to help him. He has since passed and, of course, I am still in that mind numbed fog. He was an angel.
Rats have torn open EVERY 50 lb bag of rice that I had sealed in mylar with oxygen absorbers. Some I know I will have to dispose of and will - but my question is if they haven't really gotten TOO into the bags - is the rice still safe to consume? There must be four hundred pounds of rice that I would have to dump otherwise. Makes me feel somewhat nauseated to think I could have felt that secure and "safe".
Anyone have advice for me?

if the rats had only knawed their way into the buckets - you could disinfect the bucket & mylar bags and re-seal into containers >>>> any contact with the food itself is wayyyyyyyy to chancy - even the rural type rats can carry disease that's too much ....

 

[Bensam]

New metal trash cans with tight friction fitting lids will keep the pesky rodents out. They hold a large amount of rice or beans in Mylar bags.

 

[nomifyle]

I didn't see in the OP that the bags were stored in buckets, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm storing in mylar in buckets.

Ten years ago I stored bulk food in paint cans, the last 5 years in a crappy shed. Food is still good.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've never had a problem with rodents getting into my preps, but ANTS, on the other hand!!! Had to throw out around 30lbs of sugar I had stored in sealed storage bags.

 

[Gercarson]

Thanks for the replies and know that each recognition is valued.
Next question . . . will rice burn? Can I just put it in my burn pile and burn it along with the leaves and limbs that accumulate so rapidly? I need to dispose of it the easiest way.

 

[Gercarson]

I've never had a problem with rodents getting into my preps, but ANTS, on the other hand!!! Had to throw out around 30lbs of sugar I had stored in sealed storage bags.

I have NO idea as to how rodents even GOT into my house - I have checked and re-checked. I had the rice stored in my pantry and felt it was safe from bugs and ants . . . had NO idea that rodents could penetrate the brick wall - obviously I am NOT one of the three pigs who built his home with bricks.

 

[Illini Warrior]

I have NO idea as to how rodents even GOT into my house - I have checked and re-checked. I had the rice stored in my pantry and felt it was safe from bugs and ants . . . had NO idea that rodents could penetrate the brick wall - obviously I am NOT one of the three pigs who built his home with bricks.

make sure your drainage is well screened off - they can come up sewer pipes and go thru to your floor drains and even the toilet ....

double check around your door openings - mice & rats are flexible & strong enough to push under vinyl floor sweeps & weatherstripping - they only need a crack ....

 

[Gercarson]

By the way . . . rice DOES incinerate - just takes forever to burn but does so in a steady, high heat sort of way.
Makes me feel blasphemous to have to dispose of so much food.

 

[China Connection]

When one cooks dry food all the germs are killed if not restored.