Keeping food in fridge?

[n4tive]

Hey guys! I haven't posted in a while.

I can't find any similar question here anywhere, so I'll just ask and give it a go. ^^

I bought this for my Syrian today and found those tiny black bugs you find in rice (not moving, so I guess they're dead). Anyway, I don't like bugs (dead and/or alive) so I was wondering if I could keep all my hamster food and treats in airtight containers/original packaging in the fridge to prevent/kill bugs?

Thanks in advance, guys!

[Shannonmcn]

You could stick it in the freezer to kill bugs, I dont think a fridge would be cold enough. I keep my food in those little airtight Tupperware boxes from when it's opened to keep bugs and nasties out (crazy amount of beetles in my flat sometimes, it's mad).

[n4tive]

Alright, I'll do that now. But can I also keep the food in the fridge/freezer 24/7?

[Shannonmcn]

It couldn't hurt to keep it in the fridge but if it's normal dried food I don't think you'd need more than an airtight box. I dunno about the freezer, you'd have to defrost bit regularly so it wasn't too cold for the hams, seems like a lot of effort.

If you're storing mealworms or more perishable foods that's a different issue and sorry I don't really know!

[NiceCrocs]

You'll need to put it in the freezer to kill any bugs that might be in it, as the fridge won't be cold enough. It's fine to keep it in the freezer all the time though, as long as they're kept airtight they should be fine until their use-by date. Since hamster foods are generally very low in moisture, you won't need to defrost them or anything.

[BrainGirl]

Are you sure they're bugs and not thistle seeds? Got a magnifying lens? But yeah, definitely the freezer. I often keep my dry foods that won't be used up in a hurry in there

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Funny part of this is the bugs in the food actually show the food is very fresh. You can store your dry food in the freezer until needed and I keep my 22 lb seed bag in a room that goes down to freezing all winter and no need to thaw out either.

[DrKMcK]

I also keep hammy food in the freezer. Even the 2018 Harlan Teclad block food. It's fine. Even if there were dead bugs...it only protein to the hams.