How do I keep maggots out of my brown bin?

If you have problems with maggots in any of your wheeled bins we can help. This information and advice may prevent you having future problems.

What are maggots?

Maggots are the larva stage of the common housefly. Flies are attracted to food and other similar types of rubbish; they lay their eggs on the brown waste and these hatch into maggots. The maggots form pupae and hatch into flies. The whole of this life-cycle on average can take up to 10 days in warm weather, and up to a month in cold weather.

Why am I getting maggots?

Don’t worry, you are not alone. Maggots only exist if flies have been allowed to have access to rubbish such as brown bin waste. So, if flies settle on this type of rubbish they may lay eggs, which will then hatch into maggots. Try to keep your waste covered either in newspapers or bio bags. This will prevent the flies from getting into the waste to lay the eggs.

How can I prevent maggots?

If flies don’t get into contact with your rubbish, you will not get maggots. Following these simple tips should prevent you from getting maggots:

place carefully wrapped food waste into your brown bin. Put the brown bin out regularly, leaving it to sit for a long time can lead to an increased build-up of maggots;

don’t leave food waste open in your kitchen. Ensure food waste is carefully wrapped and put in the brown bin as soon as possible. You may find it more convenient to have a kitchen caddy for storing your kitchen waste;

when putting food waste into the brown bin ensure that it is carefully wrapped in newspapers, kitchen paper or cardboard. You may use bio bags / paper bags which are available in some local shops or online;

make sure that you never leave any food, including pet food, uncovered. Flies can lay eggs on food before you have a chance to wrap it and put it in the bin;

rinse food trays, yoghurt pots and other food packaging before putting in the green or black bin to reduce the risk of smells;

ensure that the lid of your wheelie bin is kept closed;

store your wheelie bin out of direct sunlight, as the sun will warm up the bin, increase the risk of smells and help attract flies. If your bin is broken or does not shut properly contact our customer service team to arrange a repair or replacement.

How do I get rid of maggots?

In the event that maggots do get into your wheelie bin, most of them will go when your bin is emptied. If some are left behind:

maggots and fly eggs can be killed by using boiling water. Boil a kettle, pour it into the empty bin and close the lid, the steam should do the rest;

some people find that large quantities of salt kills maggots;

clean/wash your bin out after it has been emptied. If you don’t want to clean it yourself, you may want to get in touch with professional bin cleaners who operate independently in your area;

try using a cleaning product with a fragrance, which will help to deter the flies from your bin;

Using lemon around the rim of the bin has also been reported to deter flies.