JG Pest Control – Reduce The Risk Of Maggots In Your Home

Maggots are fly larvae. Generally speaking, all fly larvae is referred to as maggots. They tend to be cream or light brown in colour. It doesn’t have teeth but mandibles. These are what helps it grasp its food. Maggots have a dark mark-like breathing hole on their rear end.

Flies lay their eggs on rubbish. These can hatch into maggots within 24 hours and soon become flies. The whole life cycle of a maggot is around 10 days in summer or 30 days during the cooler winter weather.

The main way to reduce the risk of maggots is to remove the food and waste. Food and waste are what attracts the flies in the first place. By getting rid of the food and waste, you can get rid of the flies, which lead to maggots, which lead to more flies.

You may be attracting flies and maggots in or near your home by the way you store your rubbish. Storing your rubbish outside of bins or leaving dogs droppings on the lawn for too long can both lead to an attractive ground for maggots and flies. A dead animal on, or near your property can also be attractive to maggots and flies.
There is no proof that the presence of maggots in your home is anything more than unpleasant. They do not pose significant health risks, but they are not nice to look at and can cause sickness. If you have pets, a maggot infestation can cause your pets to get very sick. Any food that contains maggots ill have the accompanying bacteria. This can cause humans to become poisoned and very ill too. It’s also unsightly in or around your home.

If you don’t like the idea of maggots in or around your home, here are some things you can do to reduce the risk of maggots and flies.

• A wheelie bin is a great way of eliminating flies that may be attracted by your waste. They work a lot better than black bin bags, for example. If possible, we would recommend you don’t place your bin in direct sunlight either as this will speed up the lifecycle. Keep the bin lids firmly closed too. This will prevent flies from getting in.

• Make an effort to only give your pets the food they need. Leaving cat or dog food out all day, uncovered can lead to maggots. This is because flies are likely to eat the food for your pets and lay eggs while they are there.

• It’s a good idea to rinse any food packaging before throwing it out too. This includes plastic trays, take away food boxes, tins, cans and polystyrene food trays. Reducing the food waste will also help reduce the risk of maggots in and around your home.

• If you are struggling with flies and maggots in and around your home, there are fly sprays available. Citronella is a good natural remedy as pests do not like the smell of it.

Do you have a pest infestation in your home that you are unable to control? Call our team now and we can talk you through some pest removal and pest prevention solutions.