Maggot infestation can quickly become a nightmare in the summer. It is possible to avoid it with a few simple actions.
It’s one of the summer’s dreads, a small invader that quickly disgusts and most often requires a major cleaning: the maggot and worms that make our trash cans their new home. In summer, trash cans become a breeding ground for maggots, these fly larvae that proliferate in food waste. With the heat, flies lay their eggs where they detect organic matter and humidity, which makes trash cans a dream place for these larvae.
To prevent maggots from invading your trash cans, start by limiting their access to food waste. Place food scraps, such as fruit and vegetable peelings, in airtight bags or disposable containers before throwing them away. This reduces the attractiveness of trash cans to flies. Also, avoid throwing hot food directly into the trash can, as the heat can attract flies and encourage maggots to breed.
A few small preventive measures can help you keep maggots out of your bins. Asked by Het Laatste Nieuws, a pest specialist and expert at Rentokil, Dominique Debie, recommends “throwing away as little wet food leftovers as possible, especially meat and fish leftovers”, two foods that are particularly attractive to flies.
Regularly throwing out the trash and emptying the bags are welcome gestures. To absorb the stagnant moisture at the bottom of the trash cans, which particularly attract flies, a few simple products can also be used. “A light sprinkling of talcum powder or old newspapers at the bottom of the trash can can help absorb moisture and prevent the formation of maggots,” says this expert.
Are there already maggots at the bottom of your trash can and the invasion has begun? It is then crucial to act quickly. The first step is obviously to throw out the trash and then move on to a major cleaning. Once the trash can has been washed, you can place it in the sun to kill the remaining eggs. Adding a little salt can also help kill the maggots by drying them out. Don’t delay in taking action, warns the expert. One last valuable piece of advice: make sure you don’t leave any food accessible when you go on a trip, even for a weekend. “If the maggots are free to invade your trash can, for example because you are traveling, they can spread to other places.” Cleaning up after your vacation will only be more difficult…