Keeping a clean home is everyone’s priority. However, there are always those small things that we tend to overlook. Keeping the trash can clean and unspoiled is one of them. Even though it does not seem like a big deal, it can become one if maggots start to grow in your trash can. With a little bit of prevention and cleaning routine maintenance, you can keep your house free of maggots. Here are some useful tips on how to prevent maggots in the trash can:
How To Prevent Maggots In A Trash Can
Don’t Leave Food Out
Maggots and flies usually come together. Maggots love decomposing food. To prevent maggots from growing in your trash can, stop leaving food out. Make sure to put away any food scraps as soon as they are discarded. This will help prevent flies from breeding in your trash can. You can also put food scraps in a compost bin to avoid having to throw them away.
Clean and Dry the Can Weekly
Keeping the inside of the can clean and dry will help prevent maggots from breeding and growing in your trash can. Every week, take a disinfectant and wipe down the inside and outside parts of the can. Be sure to remove any food that may have fallen inside. If you have a can with a removable lid, you can also wipe the inside of it as well. Using a damp cloth or disinfectant wipe is the best way to clean the inside of the can. Using water and soap may cause the can to rust. After the can is dry, you can store the trash in it again. If you leave the can open, the maggots will come back.
Store Your Trash in a Lidded Container
If you have a small child or pet that might be tempted to rummage through your trash, it may be a good idea to store it in a closed container. A closed container can also limit the smell of your trash. If you decide to store your trash in a closed container, make sure you clean it out weekly. You don’t want to store the maggots and the smell in the container.
Use Fly-repelling Sprays
Fly-repelling sprays such as insecticide and fly-repelling sprays can help keep the flies away from your trash can. Fly-repelling sprays can also be used to spray areas where you’re seeing a high number of flies, such as your door and windows. Because these sprays can leave an oily residue, make sure you wipe up the excess spray. You can also use a small mason jar to trap flies. Put a small amount of apple cider in the jar to attract flies, and then seal the jar with a lid. The flies will get trapped in the jar, preventing them from being able to fly to your trash can.
Why Maggots Are Important To The Environment?
Decomposition Is Essential For Ecosystem Health
Decomposition is the process of breaking down organic materials, like dead plants and animals, into their basic components. This is a natural process that occurs whenever organic materials are left alone. It’s important for the natural breakdown of organic materials to occur, as it helps to break down pollutants and return nutrients to soil. Decomposition also provides food for many soil organisms, like bacteria and fungi, which are vital to the growth of plants. This is one of the main reasons why maggots are important to the environment. Without maggots breaking down dead organisms and plants, nutrients would not be returned to the soil for other plants to use. Maggots are an important part of the natural ecosystem.
Maggots Help To Fertilize The Soil
When plant and animal matter decomposes, it produces organic compounds like ammonium and nitrate which are essential for plant growth. This is particularly important in places where the soil has been depleted of nutrients by agriculture. When crops are grown using chemical fertilizers, they remove those nutrients from the soil. Maggots can help return these nutrients to the soil by breaking down the bodies of dead animals and plants. Maggots are known as “biological agents” because they produce nitrogen and other nutrients without the use of chemicals. These natural fertilizers help to restore soil health, as well as provide food for animals.
Maggots Help To Break Down Animal Fats And Oils
Maggots have the ability to break down all types of organic materials. During decomposition, they can break down oils and fats, like those found in meat and dairy products. Maggots have the ability to digest these fats and oils through the process of “automization,” which is when enzymes break down large molecules into smaller ones. This is important, as fats and oils are a major source of pollution in our environment. When fats and oils are not broken down properly, they can clog up drains and pollute waterways. Maggots play an important role in helping to break these substances down. This can prevent harmful build-ups of fats and oils in our ecosystem.
Maggot-Eating Animals Keep The Maggot Population In Check
Many animals also feed on maggots. These include frogs, birds, and snakes, which eat the maggots when they’re at their larval stage. This can help to keep the maggot population in check and prevent it from growing out of control. When the maggots reach the pupal stage, they burrow into the soil where they transform into houseflies and flesh flies. If there are predators that feed on the maggots, they’ll eat some of the larval population too. This can help to prevent the maggot population from growing too quickly so that it doesn’t become a problem for people.
Tips For Preventing Maggots In Your Trash Can
Install A Fly Trap
A fly trap is a wide-mouthed container with a sticky substance inside. Flies will be attracted to the trap, enter, and become stuck in the sticky substance. Once you remove the sticky substance, you can clean and reuse the trap. Fly traps are easy to install and can be very effective in getting rid of flies in your home and in your outdoor trash can. A word of caution: If a fly trap is large enough to trap a housefly, then it may be large enough to trap a honey bee. If you live in a bee-friendly area, avoid fly traps that are large enough to trap bees.
Change Your Trash Bag Often
When you are dealing with an infestation in your indoor trash can, it is best to completely empty the can. However, an outdoor trash can is harder to completely empty. When you change your outdoor trash bag, make sure to do it often. Once a week is an ideal frequency for changing a trash bag outside. This will keep your trash can from getting too full and help to prevent flies from accessing the inside.
Use Fly-Fighting Sprays
While you are changing your trash bag, use fly-fighting sprays to kill flies on the outside of your trash can. Be sure to select an insecticide that is safe for flies, bees, and other insects. Most fly-fighting sprays are effective for about an hour or two. If you have ongoing problems with flies, repeat the application every two hours. If you are using a spray that includes oil, you may want to wait until the bag is full and the spray has dried before you put it in the trash can.
Add Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a natural insect and flies repellant. You can add a few drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle of water and use it to spray the outside of your trash can. If you prefer, you can also add peppermint oil to a pot of water and then use a spray bottle to mist the outside of your trash can. Both of these methods will allow the peppermint oil to evaporate and produce a lasting effect. You can also add a few drops of peppermint oil to your outdoor trash bag. This will help prevent flies from accessing the inside of your outdoor trash can. Be sure not to add too much peppermint oil, as it can leave a sticky residue on your hands.
Try Baking Soda And Dish Soap
Baking soda is another natural fly repellent. You can try adding a handful of baking soda to your outdoor trash bag. You can also try adding a few drops of essential oil like peppermint or citrus to the baking soda and then misting the outside of your trash can. You can also use dish soap and water to prevent flies from accessing your trash can. Simply add a few drops of dish soap to a spray bottle of water and mist the outside of your trash can. This mixture will kill flies that land on it and will not leave an oily residue.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that flies are attracted to food, so don’t leave any food items in your trash can. However, it’s important to note that maggots do not come from food items; they come from decaying items, such as meat or cheese. If you keep your trash can clean and dry, you can prevent maggots from growing in your trash can. To avoid having to clean your trash can every week, you can store your trash in a closed container. You can also use any fly-repelling sprays to keep the flies away from your trash can. With these tips, you can keep your trash can clean and unspoiled!
