1Something is after your rice.
2And it's coming from inside the pantry.
3But how'd it get there?
4The rice weevil is smaller than a grain of rice.
5But it could reduce your precious bounty to this.
6If you gave them eight months or so.
7They're just like us: they love carbs.
8Their long snout, called a rostrum, is strong enough to pierce raw grains of rice.
9Sharp mandibles at the tip cut through the hardest of grains.
10They gorge as they go.
11If they think they're in danger, they'll play dead.
12Don't they totally blend in?
13Now, I bet you didn't think this was happening in your cupboard.
14To prepare for her babies, mom does what she knows best.
15She carves out a hole.
16Then she turns around and lays an egg inside.
17Down here.
18But sometimes she misses!
19An egg outside a grain of rice won't survive.
20So, she recycles it...
21by slurping it up.
22When she does lay her egg inside the rice, it grows into a larva.
23The developing weevil devours the rice and emerges fully grown after about 30 days.
24All that's left is a hollow husk.
25Weevil moms lay their eggs inside rice in the fields...
26or when it's stored.
27Those rice grains become tiny trojan horses...
28making their way into your kitchen.
29Despite their name, they're not picky eaters.
30To keep weevils out, warehouses fumigate grains.
31But scientists are exploring an alternative.
32Using sensitive microphones,
33they pick up the sounds of larvae chewing, to find where they're hiding.
34This listening technique could one day lead to less spraying.
35If you discover unwelcome visitors in your rice, toss out the infested grains.
36Weevils won't reproduce if it's cold, and they need some moisture to live.
37So store your good stash in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.
38This will keep stowaways from spreading.
39If you do end up eating one, don't panic.
40Rice weevils won't make you sick.
41You've just gotten a touch more protein.