The next time you reach into the cabinet to grab the spices to add to your food, you might want to double check it to make sure there's no insects in it!
The Huff Post says that insects can be found in the spices we all have in our kitchen and can be found in pepper-based spices the most like paprika, cayenne, and chili powder.
An entomologist at the Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County, Jody M. Green says, "The pepper family appears to contain the nutritional requirements necessary for multiple generations of stored product beetles to successfully sustain life."
She continued to say that this doesn't mean that you won't find it in other spices but they're "particularly fond of products derived from dried sweet peppers/chiles/red pepper products like red pepper flakes, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne,"
The bugs most commonly found in these spices are cigarette and drugstore beetles.
These bugs are a reddish-brown color and are about the size of a sesame seed.
Jody also mentions that both of these bugs can fly!
She recommends inspecting the spice jar at the store by looking for damaged packaging and checking for larvae and beetles inside of it.
You could also put your spices in the freezer for four days at a temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit before putting them away.