How to Remove Maggots

Maggots are fly larvae that commonly infest compost piles and garbage cans. In addition, they are also found in soil next to germinating plants. As they feed on vegetable and plant matter, maggots cause considerable damage to root systems. It is important to be able to identify maggots in your flower bed and compost respond with appropriate treatment. Monitor your plants during warm seasons, because the maggot population is the highest during wet months.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Plastic bag
• Pesticide
• Fly traps
• Yellow buckets

Instructions

1. Inspect your plants, vegetables, garbage and compost pile for maggots. Look for white worms that are 1 to 8 mm long. You can find maggots in clumps around the base of vegetable plants and flowers. Maggots take from two to four weeks to turn into pupae. Pupae is another part of their developmental phase when the maggot is almost ready to turn into a fly. Maggots are dark brown in color in this stage.

2. Gather the maggots you see with gloved hands and place into a plastic bag. By reducing the amount of maggots by hand, you can make a dent in the population that you will have to control. Go around plants and through compost heaps. Burn or throw away your plastic bag.

3. Spray your plants, vegetables and soil with a pesticide like Malathion, which has a low-toxicity level to humans. Pick a dry day with little wind to spray. Make sure you follow the directions accordingly and reapply in a couple of weeks.

4. Pour boiling hot water on your compost pile. Boiling water will generally destroy maggots. Allow compost to dry and pour more water over the pile. Be sure to conduct an inspection of the compost pile before using it in your yard.

5. Hang yellow sticky traps that contain hydrolysate near plants or set out yellow pails (flies are attracted to the color yellow) of soapy water near gardens to help you determine if your chemical management is working. Keep track of when their population is the highest in your yard, so you will know when to spray again next year.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove anything from your yard that can attract flies like open trash cans, rotting fruit or food thrown on the top of compost piles.

• Avoid using fresh animal manure in your garden. Allow for it to completely dry before using.

References

• University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Onion and Garlic Maggots
• Virgina Tech Department of Entomology: Blueberry Maggots
• University of Minnesota Extension: Cabbage Maggots

Resources

• Oregon State University Department of Horticulture: Cabbage Maggots