How to Stop Maggots in the Garbage

Keep maggots out of your garbage with a few simple techniques.

Maggots are the larvae of flies. Flies like to lay their eggs in organic waste, rotten food and feces. Maggots emerge from their eggs within eight to 20 hours and immediately start feeding on the material they are born in. Residue left behind in a garbage can provides ideal conditions for maggots. Flies can reproduce rapidly, creating a maggot infestation within a short period of time. If you discover maggots in your garbage, get rid of them immediately before an infestation occurs.

Things You'll Need

• Broom
• Bleach
• Pot of boiling water
• Fly traps
• Scrubber
• Permethrin product

Instructions

1. Take the garbage container outside. Remove the trash from the can and use a broom to sweep the maggots onto the ground.

2. Pour boiling water over the maggots to kill them. Add half a cup of bleach to a pot of boiling water and directly pour it over the maggots.

3. Eliminate flies to control maggots. Place fly traps around your garbage can to attract flies. Don't leave food uncovered for flies to land and lay eggs on.

4. Clean your garbage container once a month with bleach to deter maggots. Mix three-quarters of a cup of bleach and one gallon of water. Dip a long scrubber into the solution and scrub the inside of the garbage container. Allow to sit for five minutes before rinsing with water.

5. Use a product containing permethrin to kill the maggots. This chemical affects the insect's nervous system. Spray the treatment directly on the maggots to kill them. You can find permethrin products at your local garden center.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure proper ventilation when using products containing permethrin. Open as many doors and windows as possible.

References

• Pestcontrol: Maggots: How to Get Rid of Maggots Fast
• Maggots: How to Get Rid of Maggots

Resources

• EPA: IPM for Flies in School