If the garbage cans placed outside your house are not cleaned regularly, you may find maggots in them. This becomes a frequently occurring acute problem in warm weather, mainly when garbage tends to decay rapidly.
Maggots are fly larvae and resemble tiny beige/white worms. They grow in the garbage can when flies enter the can and feed on the organic garbage present, eventually laying eggs inside the garbage can.
The eggs hatch in a short time and become tiny larvae called maggots. Maggots in garbage cans are very small and resemble the grains of white rice.
They serve a useful function in nature as they consume the carcasses of dead organisms, particularly animals, but of course, they are not to be kept in garbage cans.
Fortunately, they can be easily identified, eliminated, and prevented.
Why maggots are present in your garbage can?
Maggots can be seen at almost any time of the year. Still, they grow to enormous amounts, particularly in the hot months when humidity levels also go up, and high temperatures pair up with it creating perfect conditions for them.
Garbage rots faster, and the smells created can start a maggot mine.
The good news is that you are not the only one facing the maggot problem. No one likes to admit this, but maggots are a common issue found in every garbage can.
So, there are several measures out there to eliminate them and also for preventing them from coming back as well.
To stop their infestation, maggots will have to be removed entirely, and a deep cleanse shall be given to the garbage can to remove any residue present of the organic food residue which attracts flies.
Now, find some means to secure the lid of the garbage can so no more flies enter it in the future.
How to kill maggots in the garbage can?
1. Wait for the garbage collection day.
To get rid of a maggot infestation in your garbage can, start with removing all the trash from a can.
Wait until the garbage service comes to pick up the garbage or take the trash to the dump yourself if you want to get it done asap.
Once the trash is out of the bags, remove any debris at the bottom of any loose items present in there as well. It is much easier to get rid of maggots when all the garbage is removed from the can.
If your can is not cleaned after killing the maggots, flies will repopulate in it within a short time, and the maggot bonanza will start again.
Hence, to tackle this most efficiently, your trash should be emptied before getting your hands dirty in the business.
2. Pour boiling water over the maggots:
You can spend a lot of money on diatomaceous earth to sprinkle inside your garbage can or could get a safe pesticide, which is not even completely safe.
It is a swift, effective, and free-of-cost method that kills maggots instantly. All you need to do is empty the trash can first, and tip some boiling water over all the maggots.
Having a good bath with this boiling water, the maggots will be all good and dead. The war, however, isn’t over yet!
3. Deodorize and Disinfect
Once you have rinsed and scrubbed the can with hot water, prepare a cleaning solution using two parts of warm water and 1 part of distilled vinegar.
The vinegar will act as a disinfectant and deodorant, so there will be no need to use toxic chemicals.
Scrub the entire interior of the can and garbage can lid using the solution of vinegar and a sponge mop.
Make sure you do the thing thoroughly, going deep into every cranny and nook. Let the vinegar solution rest for half an hour to give them ample time to neutralize the odor of this garbage.
Pour the solution out, and rinse the entire can using clean water. Let the lid stay separate for a while and allow the container to dry completely before you place a new trash bag in it.
Randall Edwards
4. Get hold of some jumbo cart liners:
This little hack will ensure that every last maggot in your garbage can goes away with all the other trash on your garbage collection day.
All you have to do is grab some jumbo trash can bags and line your clean garbage can with them. The entire week’s trash will go into it, and the whole lot – the garbage and maggots both will vanish away on the day of collection.
This trash can liner comes in different sizes. And work like magic. Just make sure that you get one that is a little bigger than that of your trash can, so there is no garbage spilling when a lot of it piles up.
5. Use a super-sized elastic band to secure the garbage can liner.
Cart liners can work wonders for your garbage, but if the ship slips down, the food waste can leak out and create a considerable mess leading to more maggots and odor in the bin.
This is why it is recommended to have the bag in place using these extra large-sized elastic bands. They will keep the trash liner in the perfect position to ensure that the trash does not come out, preventing the garbage can from becoming a home to maggots again.
The best part, they are very cheap as well. So there you have it – an affordable and accessible solution to it!
6. Preventing maggot infestation in the future
A few simple steps, if involved in your daily routine, can help you avoid maggots in the future:
- Once your garbage can is thoroughly cleaned, you can prevent further maggot infestations by scrubbing the container with a vinegar and water solution regularly.
Doing this once a week shall be good enough. Whenever you close the garbage can lid, make sure it is scorched as maggots also attract moisture.
- Always make sure your trash is sealed in plastic garbage bags instead of throwing it in the can directly. This is especially important when disposing of items that attract flies, like meat or bone scraps.
- Placing a few drops of peppermint essential or some bay leaves crushed at the bottom of the trash can may help you prevent flies from entering as the pests dislike these items.
- Simplest solution: make sure the lid of the garbage can is securely closed to prevent any flies or pests from entering it.
These are some simple ways how to get rid of maggots in the garbage can and also prevent their infestation in the future. If you follow the above guidelines, you can quickly bid farewell to this problem forever!
