My guys have had a dig box for a while.  Originally I used rice in the
box, but as the kitchen floor is white I never could see the pieces they
would fling out and would inevitably step on them.  To be so tiny, those
bits of rice sure do hurt!  I switched to unpopped popcorn.  I can get a
50lb bag at the local warehouse club for not a lot of money.  The weasels
seem uninteresed in eating them and I can see them on the floor after an
enthusiatic bout of tunneling.  The dog is prone to want to munch on
them, but they don't seem to harm her any.
 
If you want to use the starch peanuts, you might try calling businesses
around town.  I know we get more packing peanuts in at work than we can
handle and a lot of them are the starch kind.  You might find a company
that will give them to you.  Just a thought.
 
Anne
[Posted in FML issue 4729]