How To Get Rid Of Maggots | Cleanipedia ZA

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Key steps in avoiding maggots

To avoid having maggots in your home follow these key steps:

1
Get rid of any maggots in your home as soon as you see them.
2
Keep your house clean with an effective cleaner, like Handy Andy.
3
Remove any old, over-ripe, or gone-off food from your home immediately.
4
Switch to a smaller bin for food and kitchen waste if you have recurring problems with maggots.
5
Consider the use of essential oils to prevent maggots from coming back.

Nobody likes to find a maggot infestation in their home, but did you know you likely already have the tools you need to get rid of one? Follow our comprehensive guide to getting rid of maggots below. We’ll discuss, what causes them, and how to get rid of them if they find their way into your home.

Always use good quality cleaning products such as Handy Andy to ensure you eradicate the dirt and grime that attract maggots.

What are maggots and where do maggots come from?

Maggots are essentially the larvae of the common housefly. They come from the eggs that adult flies lay and will feed off almost anything to help them grow into adult flies. They are particularly drawn to leftover food and waste products which makes homes a prime target for infestation[1]. As flies can be found almost anywhere, it's unlikely you'll escape them - or maggots - completely but you can do things to make your home less maggot-friendly.

What causes maggots to come into the home?

Maggots are attracted to rotting and dirty things. In the common household, maggots are mostly attracted by leftover food or decomposing perishable goods[2]. Good maggot prevention, therefore, is about making sure there are no such things around the house – read our advice on deep cleaning your kitchen for help with this.

Safety Warning

Never eat foods that have become infested with maggots. Be sure to check anything that has been near a maggot infestation carefully and throw away anything that was not covered and sealed.

How to get rid of maggots: a step-by-step guide

Maggots still made it in despite your best efforts? Wondering how can you get rid of maggots? The process is quite simple:

1
Throw away anything with maggots in them and remove any maggots you can see.
2
Clean cupboards and surfaces that had maggots on them with hot water and a strong antibacterial cleaner. Using a potent bleach like Domestos would do the job efficiently.
3
Clean the rest of the room and empty any rubbish bins. Check your cupboards for out-of-date food.
4
Wipe surfaces with essential oils or add the fragrance to the room. Maggots dislike flowery scents so this is a good deterrent.

How long do maggot infestations often last?

The duration of maggot infestations can vary depending on the circumstances. In ideal conditions, maggots can develop into adult flies in as little as seven days. However, factors such as temperature, humidity, and the availability of food can affect the speed of their life cycle[3]. Therefore, it is crucial to take immediate action to get rid of maggots and prevent them from reproducing and prolonging the infestation.

How to get rid of maggots in a bin

While the steps above are designed for general maggot infestations, there is one place they often get into that can be hard to remove them from ... the bin! Finding maggots in your bin is never pleasant but you can get rid of them quickly with one of these tips:

✦
Take the bin outside and give it a good spray with the hose. Use a pressurised spray if you can.
✦
Clean the bin with a strong disinfectant and ensure you use a bin liner rather than putting loose rubbish inside the bin directly.
✦
Douse the outside and inner rim of the bin with essential oils to deter maggots from wriggling inside.

A person is replacing a bin bag in a trash can.

How to get rid of maggots in the kitchen

The best way to get rid of maggots in the kitchen is to locate and eliminate their food source, which is often rotting food or organic waste. Thoroughly clean and disinfect any affected areas, including garbage cans, drains, and countertops. Use hot, soapy water or a mixture of vinegar and water to clean and sanitize these areas.

If maggots are present in the garbage can, remove the trash and dispose of it immediately in an outdoor bin. You can also use natural repellents such as peppermint oil or diatomaceous earth to keep flies and maggots away from your kitchen. Now you know the best way to get rid of maggots and all the things you can do to prevent maggots in the house or bin, there’s no reason to suffer this infestation anymore.

Pro Tip: We recommend having a kitchen cleaning schedule to prevent maggot infestation.

Organised pantry shelves with labeled jars of food being accessed by a person.

References:

1. Sunny, B., Sulthana, L., James, A., & Sivakumar, T. (2018). Maggot Infestation: Various Treatment Modalities. The journal of the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists, 8(1-3), 51–53. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213510318300101?via%3Dihub

2. Maggots and rotting food waste: a new recipe for sustainable fish and animal feed. (2018, July 31). University of Cambridge. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/maggots-and-rotting-food-waste-a-new-recipe-for-sustainable-fish-and-animal-feed

3. Mas‐Coma, S., Agramunt, V. H., & Valero, M. A. (2014). Neurological and ocular fascioliasis in humans. In Advances in Parasitology (pp. 27–149). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-800099-1.00002-8

Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Maggots in the House

What causes maggots in the house?
Maggots often appear in the home when old, rotting food is left out or in the bin for long periods of time. Make sure you stop maggots from infesting by removing over-ripe or rotting food quickly. Moreover, and make sure you keep your dustbin lined and clean every day.
How do maggots appear out of nowhere?
Maggots are the larvae of the common housefly. The housefly will lay its eggs in the over-ripe or rotting food left out and the maggot will eat anything and everything around it as it grows bigger. You often won’t notice the housefly’s eggs until they have turned into a big, white maggot.
How do I rid my house of maggots?
Keeping your home and kitchen free from rotting food is your first step. And, if you’ve already got maggots, throw out the trash in which they are in or on and make sure you thoroughly clean. Moreover, sanitise the bin or bowl you’ve found them in. Read the informative article above on how to get rid of maggots and make sure they don’t come back.
What can I do about maggots in my bin?
Keep your bin lined with a plastic bag or bin liner at all times. Take your trash out to the refuse often too, to avoid a large bin getting over full. You can place a few drops of strong, floral essential oil in and around your bin to keep maggots away.
What products to use to get rid of maggots?
A great cleaning product like Handy Andy is the best way to clean up after you’ve found maggots. You can also use a product with bleach in it for extra disinfecting.
What kills maggots instantly?
A vinegar solution or boiling water will kill maggots instantly. For quick chemical control, you can use an insecticide or a bleach solution.
Does salt kill maggots?
Because salt is a natural dehydrator, it can effectively kill maggots. These pests will not survive without water.
How long does it take for salt to kill maggots?
In general, you’d have to wait for several hours before the dehydration process of salt kills maggots. So, if you’re looking for a home remedy for killing maggots instantly, salt is not the best option.
What smell kills maggots?
The fumes of bleach will suffocate and kill maggots. So, if you’re worried about residual larvae, soaking the affected area in bleach will take care of the problem.