How to Get Rid Of Maggots in Outdoor Garbage Cans

Maggots are the larvae of a few species, including bluebottle flies, common houseflies, and fruit flies. Maggots are, therefore, the hatched eggs of these flies, which appear in different forms, sizes, and colors. According to pestsamurai.com, a single female fly that lives for a period of one month has the potential to lay 500 to 2000 eggs. These eggs are potential maggots and hence the need for elaborate measures to get rid of them. They can really become a menace, especially in the warmer seasons of spring and summer, where they can be found in thousands in places like yards and garbage cans. The ways explained below, which borders on either prevention or actual elimination, can help you get rid of maggots in outdoor garbage cans.

Make an Inspection

When you find out that your garbage bin is infested with maggots, you need to do a proper check-up to know which kind of maggots you will be dealing with as different types require different measures. You could also inspect other areas, such as cracks or crevices in your structures, which can be the entry point for flies.

Disposing Properly

While disposing of your garbage, you should ensure that the spoiled food is sealed properly with a plastic bag and by squeezing out air, which helps slow the decomposition of the food and thus stop the development of the maggots. It is recommendable to have the correct size of your garbage can. This way, all the waste material is enclosed inside, ensuring that any maggots are also disposed of. When disposing of garbage, ensure that you eliminate moisture by wrapping disposable nappies and avoiding food wastages.

Close your garbage can lid properly.

Ensure your garbage cans’ lids are closed properly, especially because they are outside, and the flies can easily get inside to lay eggs which eventually will turn to maggots. You do this by avoiding putting large debris which does not fit properly inside the garbage can. If you have pets, you may find it useful to have pet-proof garbage cans as ordinary garbage cans can be easily opened by your pets.

Prevention

This is probably the best method as taking precautions to avoid the breeding of flies is cost-effective and time-saving. The cycle of the formation of maggots begins with the laying of eggs. Maggots are defenseless and prone to predators like birds; hence flies will always lay eggs in hidden places where there is the availability of waste food materials. Therefore, you should avoid leaving uncovered food and pet foods because flies can lay their eggs before you trash them. You also ensure proper sanitization as this will kill the eggs, thereby breaking the cycle. Your garbage can should be kept in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight as a warm environment is a suitable bleeding point for flies. You should ensure frequent disposal of the waste materials, especially during warm seasons.

Use of Cart-Liner with a Super-Sized Elastic Band

Lining your garbage can with a trash bag is a proven way of ensuring that the decomposition process is slowed down by keeping the waste food materials in an air-tight condition. However, these bags, according to plasticplace.com, usually slip down, causing the food waste materials to leak down where the flies can breed. It is therefore important to use a supersized elastic band to keep the lining bag in place.

Recycle Your Garbage.

When you have two or more garbage cans, you will be able to sort out your garbage appropriately to biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste materials. The biodegradables materials can be used to make items like compost manure if you have a kitchen garden or can be offered to those companies involved in recycling waste materials that can even collect them at no cost. Having also garbage cans that can be alternated can slow and reduce the risk of maggots. According to cleanipedia.com, before disposing of food cans, rinse both recyclable and non-recyclable to reduce infestation of maggots.

Use boiled water

Boiled water is one of the home-based remedies that one can utilize to get rid of maggots. The process involves pouring boiling water into the garbage can and letting it sit in for a few minutes before pouring it out. The high temperature of the boiling water kills the maggots instantly. However, you need to clean it thoroughly with hot water and soap and scrub it with a sponge mop to keep off further infestation of maggots. This ensures that the flies don’t come back because of the moisture environment created by water.

Use of Vinegar

This is another effective method where you can form a solution of vinegar and hot water by mixing vinegar and hot water in a ratio of 1:2. The solution, when applied, is double-edged as it kills the maggots while at the same time removing flies attracting odors. An alternative is to use lemongrass oil repellant in place of vinegar since flies detest the smell of lemongrass. It is advisable to do this frequently as the odor of vinegar or lemongrass may wear off after some time.

Use disposable traps

Nowadays, many types of traps have attractants in them, and they can be used by hanging them just near the garbage cans to keep away flies by trapping and killing them. According to hunker.com, you can also use a trap called light fly trap which helps in trapping flies by attracting them with the light and electrocuting them. It is easy to use because you connect it to a socket which lights up a green light that attracts the flies where they are trapped. The idea behind this is to destroy the flies, which are the source of the maggots.

Use Insecticides for further control

When you use the above measures, and still the infestation is not over, you can go ahead and involve a professional who can get rid of the maggots. The professionals will be able to find the source of the infestation and treat them without any damage and further risks of infestation. The method may be quite expensive compared to the other proposed methods, but it will give you a permanent solution.