How to Get Rid of Maggots In the Bin

When your bin is infested by maggots, you end up refusing to get near it and avoid it at all costs. If you don’t know how to deal with maggots in the bin, this article will be your guide.

So, how to get rid of maggots in the bin? Here are five ways to get rid of maggots in the bin.

1. Spray maggot repellents
   • The most effective way to get rid of maggots including flies and the eggs in the area where they hatched is spraying an insect repellent.
   • There are a lot of fly or maggot insecticides that can be purchased from any local store so if you see one, you should immediately buy yourself an insect repellent to get rid of them. It works quickly and all it takes is a few spray and you’re done! 
   • You just have to make sure that you will also clean the bin afterwards to make sure there are no other eggs laying around and keep your garbage bins closed so that no other flies can come back around to lay their eggs on it once again.
2. Boiling water
   • According to research, maggots don’t really drown but spilling boiling water on them can hurt them. So, if you want to get rid of them immediately without having to go to the store to buy repellents, you can try to use boiling water first.
     
     Just make sure that it is really boiling hot so it will be effective enough to kill them. Leave their remains inside the trash bag within the bin for disposal.
   • You can try to add bleach with the boiling water. If you do not have bleach, you can replace it with cinnamon.
   • Clean out the bin afterwards because the water might have caused a few maggots to fall at the bottom of the bin. Secure the bin and make sure it is clean.
3. Sprinkling salt
   • Some people claim that sprinkling a good amount of salt on maggots worked for them.
     
     However, there are different kinds of maggots out there which means it may or may not work but it’s definitely worth the try, isn’t it? You can try to drop some salt on maggots inside the bin and see the reaction.
     
     If it works on one of the maggots, then you can assume that it might work for the others as well. If it’s not enough, then you can try the boiling water too. You have many options and you should use them as much as you can.
4. Raise a pet
   • Another way you can get rid of those maggots is actually raising an animal that naturally preys on insects like flies and maggots. If you are a fan of amphibian or reptile pets, it’s your time to take advantage of that. Pets like frogs, chameleons, iguanas, lizards and geckos can clear those maggots for you.
     
     Some type of birds also eats maggots and spiders on the other hand also eat and catch those kinds of insects.
     
     One more exotic option for you is the Venus flytrap plant. Although it is a plant, some people like to refer to it as a “pet”. You can feed those maggots to your Venus flytrap plant and they can also catch some of the flies hanging around so the number of eggs turning into maggots will also be lessened.
5. Use force
   • Worst comes to worst, sometimes we must just use force because we don’t really have a repellent available all of the time or have the energy to boil water and see if the salt method works.
     
     Take out the infested bin and remove its contents (trash bags). You can try to burn the maggots off or crushing them with a solid object. This is only an option if the first three options does not work well for you.

The best method is the first method, but it will be best to check out the rest on the list to explore more options for your bin infestation problem.

The bottom line is cleaning the entire bin inside and out after removing the maggots using one of these five methods.

How to avoid maggots in your bins

Maggots come from fly eggs and flies like to lay their eggs inside your bins because they have food in there and that is why maggots show up in garbage bins.

Whatever attracts a fly, could cause them to lay their eggs around it.

To stop maggots from appearing in your bins, you must also stop flies from coming to your bins.

Well, the best way to stop maggots from appearing in your bins is to keep your garbage bin properly covered. Shut the lid close and keep the surrounding area clean.

Better yet, simply keep everything in your environment CLEAN. No maggots or flies will appear as long as your place is clean.

Maggots do not only appear in your bins, but they can also show up in other filthy areas too.

To fully protect your area from maggot infestation, not just your bins, you must understand what causes maggots in the first place.

Here are the things flies are attracted to. Avoid these things and you can prevent maggot inside your bin and you won’t worry about having to get rid of them again.

1. Garbage
   • Flies usually find food inside garbage bins. They consume food such as fermented fruits, spoiled meat, overripe fruits and vegetables. This is why we must keep the garbage lid closed and shut off properly in order to avoid making flies swarm over the bin and lay eggs that turn into maggots.
2. Feces
   • Flies, almost all kinds of them, consume feces from nearly any kind of animal. This is also the reason why they carry so many bacteria and develop various transmittable diseases. Clean up feces so no maggots will appear around it.
3. Plants
   • Certain plants such as mint, sunflowers and daises attract flies for consumption purposes. Flies may also drink from plants and lay their eggs on plants. Sometimes, they just simply land on plants to rest for a while.
4. Carcasses
   • Consuming carcasses is another way for these flies to fill their stomachs and they also lay their eggs on carcasses so that once the egg hatches, the larvae will have something to feed on the moment they are born.
5. Liquid substances
   • Spilled soda and juices from fruits can be very inviting for these flies. Not only are they able to hydrate themselves through these consumable liquids, they are also satisfied by the sweet flavor it contains.
6. Unattended food
   • It is true that they still come near unattended food but without human intervention, they can feast on the food without worry of getting caught by human traps and other animals too. They are opportunistic and therefore, they will take what they can.
7. Warm temperatures
   • Like other animals and insects, flies are also quite weak against the cold. They thrive better under warm temperatures and thus will seek places that are warm to keep their bodies functioning under normal circumstances.
     
     In the winter, they suspend the activities in their bodies in a way that allows them to survive but some of them usually lay their eggs on winter so the larvae can hatch by spring.
8. Light sources
   • Flies have a natural attraction towards light because of positive phototaxis, the locomotive movement that occurs when a living being moves closer or further away from a light source. This is because most whole organisms benefit from receiving light through photosynthesis.
9. Other flies or insects
   • The presence of your own kind is a good sign to take that you are welcome at that place. When one fly sees another or even a similar insect, it will make it seem as if they are safe around that area.
     
     Some will also intentionally seek companionship from other flies in order to breed.
10. Unkempt rooms
    • An unkempt room is more likely to have unattended food, unnoticed carcasses or feces of small animals that could have been lurking around the room unknowingly and can be a safe resting place for the flies including their eggs if they are about to lay their eggs.

Why you should get rid of maggots in the bin

Maggots are not only… disturbing to look at, they also carry a lot of potential health risks which is why you must avoid contact with maggots, including flies.

They are notorious carriers of various bacteria and transmittable diseases. Here are the things that maggots and flies could cause and WHY you should get rid of them AND keep your area clean.

• Maggots can cause:
  1. Skin irritation (skin infections)
  2. Allergic reactions
  3. Myiasis
  4. High fever attacks
  5. Stomachache
  6. Food poisoning – vomiting, nausea
  7. Diarrhea
  8. Difficulty in breathing
  9. Swollen skin, swollen face
  10. Facial edema
  11. Uncontrolled weight loss
  12. Random body pain
  13. Risk of getting mild to severe deafness and blindness
  14. Anosmia (losing your sense of smell)
  15. Epidemic Conjunctivitis

You may learn more by reading: “Are Maggots Dangerous?”

Related Questions

Does salt kill maggots?

Yes, a large amount of salt can kill maggots as it dries maggots out of moisture.

How to get rid of maggots in the car?

You can get rid of maggots inside your car by using vacuum. You can kill the maggots first by sprinkling boric acid or large amounts of salt on maggots and then use vacuum to remove them from your car. This will also remove the remaining fly eggs.