Maggots are the larval stages of common house flies and insects found in trash bins and decaying meat. When flies lay eggs on leftover and rotten food waste, the eggs hatch into larvae which start feeding on old, rotting food waste, meat, dead animals, and pet food. They eat rotten material continuously for 4 to 5 days. In this article, I’ll share with you my tips on how to kill maggots with bleach and other methods.
The presence of these adult flies and maggots around your home and in the kitchen is annoying and unhealthy. So it is essential to eliminate larvae as soon as possible before they become a real problem (they can cause bacterial infections).
Related: Root Maggots: How to Get Rid of Root Eating Insect Pest Naturally?
The question is
Can we kill maggots with bleach?
It is an intriguing question that pops up in our minds when we encounter severe maggot infestation. At this time, the household bleach spray becomes a staple and handy to kill maggots.
It is an intriguing question that pops up in our minds when we encounter severe maggot infestation. At this time, the household bleach spray becomes a staple and handy to kill maggots.
To kill maggots, the household bleach spray can serve the goal of a cost-effective maggot killer because homeowners may be reluctant to use harmful insecticides in their homes.
How to Kill Maggots With Bleach Spray? (Step-by-Step Guide)
See Also: Common Types of Houseplant Bugs: Who They are & How to Get Rid of Them?
Step One
To prepare the bleach spray to get rid of maggots, we need
- Bleach (Clorox)
- Water
- Plastic and metal bowl
- Disinfectant
Step Two
Combine the equal parts of water and Clorox bleach in a container and bring it to a boil.
Step Three
Stir the mixture with a wooden spatula for 30 to 60 seconds. Be cautious that no water splashes on your face because it can harm the skin of your face.
Step Four
Now pour the mixture onto a trash bin, immediately close its lid, and leave it for 30 minutes, allowing the fumes to work on maggot infestations.
Step Five
After half an hour, open the trash bin and remove the dead larvae. Then, thoroughly disinfect the trash bin with a bleach solution or other home-available disinfectant.
Note: Wear suitable quality gloves and face masks to avoid any injuries. Also, keep your pets and kids away from the treated areas.
Do Bleach Kill Maggots Instantly?
The answer to this question is that the bleach spray kills maggots, and it is the most satisfying treatment for eliminating larvae in the household. Unfortunately, the bleach solution does not kill these grubs instantly and takes half an hour for complete action. However, bleach spray and ammonia kill maggots instantly and provide long-lasting protection.
Bleach is the most effective and multipurpose disinfectant containing sodium hypochlorite that helps kill maggots.
Does Boiling Water Kill Maggots?
Yes, boiling water is also a great way of killing maggots and eliminating their infestations in households. The simplest way is to pour boiling water on maggot infestations because it will instantly kill maggots and relieve the homeowners of their unpleasant presence.
Alternative Methods to Kill Maggots
Other materials can also eliminate the maggot infestation, and these are:
Use Vinegar to Kill Maggots
Like bleach kills maggots, vinegar spray is also helpful in killing maggots fast. Simply mix one cup of vinegar with boiling water and pour this solution into a trash can—infested with maggots.
The acidic odor of vinegar also repels the flies and stops them from coming back again and again.
Use Salt to Kill Maggots
The salt application kills maggots just like vinegar and bleach, but it does not kill instantly. It takes at least four hours to shrink and kill maggots properly. To treat a maggot-infested area such as a trash can or garbage bin, pour a handful of salt and wait for four hours for the complete salt activity.
Use Ammonia to Kill Maggots
Bleach, vinegar, and salt kill maggots. In addition to these materials, ammonia is also helpful in killing larvae. The large food units also use boiling water to kill maggots infestations. Therefore, you need to take one cup of ammonia, add it to boiling water, and pour the mixture into the trash can to eliminate larvae.
Use Permethrin to Get Rid of Maggots
Permethrin is a synthetic insecticide that is used to kill scabies and lice. In addition, it works as an insect killer and repellent. The two to three spray of permethrin is a practical approach to get rid of maggots. Apply the spray to 5 to 25 feet from the source of larvae, preventing the return of maggots.
Mix one cup of permethrin chemical with four parts of boiling water and pour the mixture onto areas infested with flies’ larval stages.
Use Bug Sprays
Although bug killer does not kill maggots instantly, four to five applications are enough to get rid of maggots. The bug sprays are not as effective as permethrin sprays, but it eventually helps the homeowners get rid of them.
Do not let children and pets stand near the trash cans treated with bug killers because it may cause harm to them.
Use Motor Oil to Get Rid of Maggots
Motor oil or carburetor cleaner can also effectively control maggot infestation. Mix one cup of carburetor cleaner per gallon of water and apply the mixture onto a garbage container. Close the container’s lid and let the toxic fumes do their work.
After one hour, remove the dead maggots from the trash container and discard them properly. While the motor oil applications cause suffocation of the larvae. Maggots die due to a lack of oxygen.
Life Cycle of Common House Flies
Maggots are precursors to flies and are known as the larval stage of common house flies. The flies are attracted to rotting food and lay eggs in the larvae. These larvae are legless, whitish, and transparent creatures that live for the first, second, and third larval stages.
During this time, larvae consume rotting food material continuously.
After the third molt, they undergo the pupal stage. After three days, the pupal stage changes into adult flies.
The average life cycle of flies varies from 3 to 30 days, and the average life span is 15 to 25.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Do about a Maggot Infestation?
The maggot problems in your home and kitchen are annoying and cause health problems. The best you can do is instantly take action and get rid of them in the following way:
- Identify the pest type—is it maggot or not
- Source of infestation
- Remove the source of infestation such as food waste, rotting food, and meat leftovers.
- Disinfect the kitchen counters, tables, and clean the floor
- Apply bleach mixture, insecticides, and dog shampoo in trash bags to eliminate the problem completely
- Maintain cleanliness to avoid the return of flies and maggots invade
- Properly discard the kitchen waste
Why are Maggots in My House?
The leading cause of active maggots infestations in your home is improperly stored rotting vegetables and rotting meat. These materials attract flies that lay their eggs on them, and eggs hatch into legless larvae or maggots. The maggots burrow down into food waste and start non-stop feeding on it.
Instant control is necessary because it may cause food poisoning in humans and sickness in pets.
Can Maggots Harm Humans?
Yes, maggots can harm humans. They cause bacterial posing if you consume maggot-infested or rotten food. The symptoms of bacterial poisoning range from mild to severe and can last several days.
Can Maggots Enter Human Skin?
Yes, maggots can enter human skin in a disease known as cutaneous myiasis. In this condition, the larvae of flies, ticks, and mosquitoes penetrate the skin and develop in tissues under the skin. The most common symptom of this infection is a raised bump similar to an insect bite. At the same time, the patient experiences severe pain and a feeling like the larvae are moving around the tissues in cutaneous myiasis. The infected person also experiences vomiting, irritation, and diarrhea. It may be due to the consumption of flies contaminated food items.
Do Maggots Carry Disease?
Maggots may tend to cause bacterial infections due to contaminations. For example, such larvae contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli bacteria cause severe disease symptoms. It includes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, cramping, and irritation.
Another essential and severe condition is cutaneous myiasis. It involves the penetration and development of larvae in the skin tissues.
Can Diatomaceous Earth Kill Maggots Instantly?
Like all other chemical and natural solutions, diatomaceous earth is also effective in killing and getting rid of grubs. Apply the diatomaceous ground to trash cans or garbage containers infested with maggots and close the lid. Let this white mineral powder work for a few days, and then remove the dead larvae from the bin and disinfect it through bleach. While properly discarding the dead larvae so that the chickens won’t eat chemically dead maggots.
How Do You Get Rid of Maggots on an Animal Wound?
Hydrogen peroxide and chloroform is the best way to get rid of maggots on an animal wound. First, apply the hydrogen peroxide directly onto an injury, and it will push out the larvae or any other insect contaminations. After this, use tincture iodine or povidone solution followed by wound dressings.
Make sure to keep the surroundings of the pet neat and clean. For example, disinfect the floor to repel the flies coming towards the wound to sit and lay eggs.
Does Fly Spray Kill Maggots?
Fly spray can kill the maggots and flies, and worth giving a try to kill grubs with it. If you have an indoor bin, take it outside and spritz it with bug killers. It will kill the maggots and flies, leaving behind their corpses to dispose of.
Sources for Further Reading
- Moth or Drain Flies Management Guidelines–UC IPM. (2014). University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74167.html
- Pests, H. T. M. (2021, April 30). Will Bleach Kill Maggots? Find Out Now! How To Murder Pests. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://howtomurderpests.com/will-bleach-kill-maggots/
- Deibe, I. (2021, July 21). How to stop maggots in your wheelie bin. Express.Co.Uk. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1313060/how-to-stop-maggots-bin-outside-kitchen-bleach-salt
Do you kill maggots with bleach? Share with us your method in the comment section. Also, check out our other articles:
Organic Grasshopper Control & Effective Tips for Long Term Protection!
How to Get Rid of Earwigs (Pincher Bugs) Naturally in Homes and Gardens?
Are Japanese Beetle Traps Helpful for Organic Pest Management?
