They are there just in time for the start of the beautiful season. Unappetizing maggots spread in the kitchen and living rooms. Anyone who doesn't consistently put a stop to this disgusting activity will sooner or later end up with a contaminated apartment. It is important to find the root of all evil in order to use efficient means to combat the infamous maggots in the home. The following tips for combating maggots show how you can put a lasting stop to the plague.
Causal research
At the sight of the first maggots, panicking and resorting to the first remedy available only achieves sporadic success. In order to permanently counteract the repulsive insect larvae, careful research into the causes is essential. To do this, target the area where you first noticed the worms. It is very likely that this is not the place of origin, but that you discovered the pests while looking for food or a hiding place for the pupation. Therefore, keep an eye out for the following possible sources of evil:
- Food lying around in the open, fruit and vegetables
- Trash can with leftover food
- Vasily packaged foods
- Food bowls with leftovers
- Substrate for houseplants
If you can't find what you are looking for here, you can consider the organic waste bin and the residual waste bin, provided they are in the immediate vicinity of the apartment.
Immediate measures
Regardless of which insects laid their eggs in the apartment, the following immediate measures have proven effective in combating maggots:
- Pack all infected food in newspaper and dispose of it
- If in doubt, also remove flour, sugar and other dry supplies
- Empty the trash can, clean it and line the bottom with a thick layer of newspaper
- At the next opportunity, replace the bucket with a model with a lockable lid
- Repot infected houseplants into fresh substrate
- Disinfect the new potting soil in the oven at 150 degrees
Tip:
Since maggots cannot be deterred by thin plastic packaging, all food supplies are stored in tightly sealable Tupperware containers or similar containers. This precaution also applies to your freshly purchased food.
Cleaning
As soon as all sources of the worms have been identified and closed, meticulous cleaning is on the agenda. There is no need to resort to chemical warfare now. The following home remedies are just as effective at removing even the slightest dirt in your home.
Pepperwater
Pepper water has so far exceeded all expectations when it comes to fighting maggots. Without using chemicals, you can clean objects and surfaces that have come into contact with insect larvae. Follow this recipe:
- Bring a liter of water to the boil
- Add at least a tablespoon of pepper and stir
- Let the mixture cool down while stirring repeatedly
Use the home remedy in two stages: Fill the pepper water into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto the maggots. If these have died after a few minutes, clean the infected areas carefully with the remaining pepper water.
Tip:
Where cleaning agents do not penetrate into the corners, use a hot hairdryer to get rid of the maggots.
Vinegar
Savvy housewives know vinegar as a versatile home remedy. When it comes to fighting maggots, this home remedy has an eradicating and preventive effect at the same time. This is how you can best use vinegar as a remedy against maggots in your home:
- Add several tablespoons of vinegar essence to one liter of water
- First spray the mixture onto the worms
- Then sprinkle s alt over the brood to intensify the effect
After a few minutes the larvae have died and can be removed. Now wipe the affected objects and surfaces thoroughly clean with the vinegar water. Since the smell of the vinegar has a repellent effect on maggots, the areas should be air dried.
Tip:
The vacuum cleaner can be used to thoroughly remove dead maggots without having to touch them.
Soda and soft soap
Soda and soft soap have earned a good reputation in biological pest control on plants. Their effectiveness can be transferred excellently to combating maggots in the home if the infestation originates from house plants. This is how it works:
- For 1 liter of water add 2 tablespoons of soda and 15 ml of curd soap
- The addition of 15 ml of spirit intensifies the effectiveness of the product
- Spray onto the affected plant with the pressure sprayer
- Alternatively, soak a cloth with the mixture and wipe off the leaves
Since the substrate is usually also infected, the plant should be repotted immediately. The bucket is thoroughly cleaned with hot soda or vinegar water. Not all house plants can tolerate having their flowers and leaves sprayed with liquids of any kind. In this case, you still don't have to admit defeat to the maggots. As an alternative, powder all parts of the plant with primary rock powder, which dries out the larvae within a short time.
Fighting maggots in carpets
Small white worms in the carpet are a clear indication of a maggot infestation. While flies usually lay their eggs near food, moths prefer carpets for their brood. The larvae can be found in these places in particular where there are children or pets, as they feed on crumbs or leftover food. Given the circumstances, combating them proves to be more difficult than in the kitchen or on smooth surfaces. Nevertheless, there are good chances of getting rid of the plague if you proceed as follows:
- Thorough and repeated suction
- Ideally, large carpets or carpets should be wet cleaned
- Equipment for the intensive spray extraction process can be rented cheaply
- Put a small rug in the freezer for 8 days or throw it away
Since it cannot be ruled out that cookie crumbs and other starchy residues will end up on the carpet fibers in the future, the moths themselves should be fought afterwards. The nocturnal insects can be controlled with sticky traps, repellent scents such as lavender, camphor or walnut and beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps.
Prevention
So that you don't have to deal with disgusting maggots in your home, we recommend a wide range of preventive measures.
- Fit all windows and doors with fly screens
- Check every fruit and vegetable purchase thoroughly for maggots
- Store all food in tightly sealable glass or plastic containers
- Empty bowls after feeding and rinse with hot water
- Close gaps behind furniture and panels
- Replaster cracks in the walls
- Empty the trash can daily
- Set up your own fly traps using water, sugar, fruit juice, vinegar and dish soap
Food leftovers in the trash can magically attract flies. The insects particularly like to lay their larvae here, as the brood immediately finds food in abundance. Therefore, pay special attention to this potential source of maggots. In addition to daily emptying, you can prevent an infestation here:
- Lay out used paper or kitchen towels or sawdust as a first layer on the floor
- If an unpleasant smell develops during the day, sprinkle rock dust or slaked lime over the trash
- Never mix organic waste with leftover food or meat
- Clean the emptied trash can including the lid with vinegar water
The organic waste and residual waste bins in front of the apartment also attract insects, from where they quickly find their way into the house. The reason for this is often that the lid does not fit tightly enough. The following tip shows how you can counteract this without a lot of expense and effort: A square, close-meshed curtain is provided with an elastic band. If it is also placed over the barrel opening, it prevents the flies from having any access.
Conclusion
Nobody has to put up with maggots in their apartment. There are a we alth of effective remedies available that work against the small worms without having to resort to chemical weapons. The first priority is dedicated research into the causes. All affected objects and surfaces are then meticulously cleaned with pepper or vinegar water. From now on, food or animal feed is no longer allowed to be left open in the apartment. If you prepare the trash can against maggot infestation now and secure the apartment with fly screens and traps, the chances are good that you will be spared from the plague in the future.
