The summer heat makes it easy for rice and flour to get bugs. I recommend a little trick: wrap some packets of Sichuan peppercorns in gauze and place them in different spots inside the rice or flour bags to ensure they stay bug-free.
Xu Wei, a member of the Heilongjiang Provincial Health Management Committee, comments: The reason Sichuan peppercorns can repel insects is that they are a natural antioxidant with a special aroma. Rice bugs are very sensitive to smells and will avoid this particular scent at all costs. The specific method is: Prepare several clean small pieces of gauze, wrap a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn shells in each one, tie them up, and place them in the rice or flour, positioning them in different spots in the bag to ensure they protect the entire contents. Additionally, you can soak the rice bag in boiled Sichuan peppercorn water for 10 minutes, let it air dry, and then use it to store rice, which can also effectively prevent insects. It's best to use freshly bought Sichuan peppercorns as they have a stronger scent. After a while, when the scent fades, replace the gauze packets with new ones.
Similarly, star anise, fennel, baijiu (Chinese liquor), and garlic can all be effective in preventing rice bugs. You can place a clean liquor bottle in the rice jar with the opening above the rice level, and fill it with 100 grams of baijiu to both prevent bugs and weevils. Alternatively, mixing some garlic cloves into the rice can also prevent weevil infestation. If the rice or flour already has bugs, you can place fresh ginger in it to drive them out.