How to Get Rid of Housefly Maggots
According to the University of Rhode Island, house flies deposit 100 to 150 eggs on carrion and other materials that are moist and rotting, such as garbage in waste receptacles. Within one to two days, white larvae called maggots emerge from these eggs and will continue to feed on the material. Seeing this larvae in your yard or garbage is enough to make most people cringe. Although coming into contact with them is a distasteful project that you will need to undertake, getting rid of them is fortunately simple to accomplish. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove some of the maggots immediately by taking away their source of food. Dump garbage cans into a large outdoor dumpster if one is available. If the maggots are on a dead animal carcass or other rotting material, discard it. If the maggots are on a surface such as a bench or the ground, use a broom to sweep as much of them as you can into a bucket and set it upright.
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Fill one or more pots with water and bring it to a boil on your stovetop. Pour the boiling water over the maggots in the bucket; take care not to burn yourself as you pour the water. If the maggots are inside your garbage can, pour the water into it so it comes into contact with all of them. Leave enough of the boiling water to pour over the bristles of the broom to kill any larvae that may be caught there.
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Sweep the maggots into a pile and place them in a plastic bag or container if you prefer not to boil them. Seal and label it for easy identification and place it in your freezer. Leave the bag or container in the freezer for one to two days until the maggots are dead. Throw the bag or container in your trash.
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Gather maggots in a plastic bag and use them for bait when fishing if you prefer to get rid of them in a more practical way than simply killing them outright. If you have chickens, maggots may also be given to them as a treat.
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Clean the infested area or object after the maggots have been cleared away. Wipe down the area with a scented cleaner to remove any lingering smell of the rotting material or food. The smell of the cleaning product will act as a deterrent to flies coming back and laying more eggs.
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References
- Photo Credit maggots image by Anton Chernenko from Fotolia.com
