Not sure if this is the right forum but it's about seeds. I just bagged up a large amount of hardy hibiscus seeds and notice there are little black bugs crawling up to the top of the bags. I used zip locks so I'm not sure if the bugs will die on their own or if I should kill them off with something. Sugestions?
Problem two I bagged up some cosmo seeds a couple of days ago and notice today it looks like some mold is growing in the bag. Maybe not, it might just be chaff that's turning color. What should you do if for some reason some of your seeds start growing mold? I had them inside and let them dry out for a day or two then bagged them.
A little problem
If they got moldy, they are no good....plastic is notorious for that. As for the bugs...I don't know what to tell ya.
Little weevils seem to crawl inside the hibiscus seed and eat the embryo. Some of the seeds will then be useless as they are just hulls. There isn't much you can do about it unless you use insecticides before they are inside.
I believe the eggs are inside and the seed is eaten from the inside out. It happens often. Some seeds will be ok. You can store them in the fridge, some people freeze them to kill the larvae.
Always allow your seeds to dry thoroughly. It is probably best to post this on the saving seeds forum. They may have more advice than I can give.
Copied this from another forum. Hope it helps
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
September 11, 2007
8:54 PM
Post #3964479
Be aware of that insidious little Hollyhock weevil. If you look closely at some of the individual seeds you may see a tiny hole on the edge. One year I made the mistake of putting my stash of HH seed in a zip-lock and kept it in our nice warm house. Boy what a mess of weevils that was. A couple weeks in the freezer seemed to kill the larvae. When the lower pods begin to dry and the "husk" begins to open you can clip them off the stalk, bag them and stick them in the fridge or freezer.
This message was edited Oct 15, 2007 9:34 PM
Weevil sounds like my problem. I have a good amount of seeds I'll throw those in the freezer and next year freeze them as soon as I cut them off.
I don't think the cosmos have mold, looks like the chaff drying out and turning color. I cleaned them up but not that well.
The bugs are giving me the creeps right now.
For the future would I be better off using paper then plastic for storage?
I usually use my old pill bottles for storing seeds. I let the seeds dry on a paper towel, at least a week, and then throw them in a old bottle. Works for me. It looks like I own a pharmacy, in one room. lol : )
~Lucy
Corey, you might give a try placing a small packet of dissicant gel inside your seed container, as those you get with new boots, purses, &tc.
some folk put their seeds into glassine envelopes and then put them inside plastic zipbags, in order to keep seeds fresh and also to combat static electricity which can drive you nuts with the very tiny seeds. just about the same thing is achieved if you store your seeds in paper envelopes, with or without further confinement in plastic bags.
The chaff of the cosmos should turn white and be able to be gently blown away from the seeds. If I were you, I would take the seeds out of plastic for now and redry them on either paper plates or paper towels or even inside an old newspaper folded over. I used to dry my seeds under the couch because no pets could bother them and no one could see them. You can also place them under dressers or chests or anything with a small gap to stick them under and out of the way. Then you can let them dry for a long time undisturbed. If you are drying the cosmos it is better to open up the seed pod so they can dry better. Separated they are usually dry in a week or so.
LOL about the Weevils-I just did a Round Robin and got many Hollyhock seeds to share with newbies-I was so grossed out by the Weevils I am sure I will never plant them-EVER-At first I thought squishing them would be the best-but there was more yellow guts in the baggie than I care to think about-and there was still more weevils-it was so nasty the way they marched like a little army to the top of the bag-I shiver just thinking about it. I finally heard about the freezer thing and I bet one package of seeds is still in there cuz I am not touching the things eewww.
Yuck
Robbi - - here's the poem of the hour:
Bugs
by Brett Nicholas Moore (from Tales of Brother Goose )
Quoting:
Bugs are on the wall
Bugs are on the ground
Bugs are in the trees
Bugs are all around
If you see a bug
Just crawlin about
Then stick out your foot
And stomp its guts out
Some bugs they do sting
And some they do bite
It’s best to kill them
In case they just might
Love and peace are things
You should always try
But for slimy bugs
Those things don’t apply
LOL!!
ROFL that is way to funny-my motto!
I really have tried hard to tolerate bugs so my kids don't get a phobia-but those weevils-eeewww
I do have to say that some times (but not very often) bugs can be fun.
case in point, this video i made when my grandson found this critter having a blast on our fireplace hearth a few Christmases ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jTM2RcRMpI
enjoy! (and please be sure to leave a comment and rate it)