Maggots are fly larvae. The term covers fly larvae in general, and you will usually find them cream or light brown in colour. A maggot has no teeth. Instead it uses a pair of mandibles to grip its food, and you can spot the dark, mark-like breathing hole at its rear end.
Flies lay their eggs on rubbish, and those eggs can hatch into maggots within 24 hours before quickly developing into flies of their own. The whole cycle runs to roughly 10 days in summer, stretching to about 30 days in the cooler winter months.
Why maggots appear
The single best way to reduce the risk of maggots is to take away the food and waste that draws the flies in the first place. Clear the food and waste and you break the cycle: no flies, no maggots, no next generation of flies.
Quite often it is the way rubbish is stored that creates the problem. Bagging waste outside a bin, or leaving dog mess on the lawn for too long, both give maggots and flies an ideal place to thrive. A dead animal on or near your property has exactly the same effect.
Are maggots a health risk?
There is no firm evidence that maggots in the home are anything worse than unpleasant. They do not pose a significant health risk in themselves, but they are deeply off-putting and can make you feel queasy. They are a bigger worry where pets are involved, since a maggot infestation can make animals very ill. Any food carrying maggots also carries the bacteria that comes with them, which can poison people and leave them seriously unwell. Beyond all that, they are simply unpleasant to have in or around your home.
Practical steps to keep maggots away
- Use a wheelie bin rather than black bin bags. It does a far better job of keeping flies away from your waste. Try not to stand the bin in direct sunlight, as the heat speeds up the lifecycle, and keep the lid firmly shut so flies cannot get in.
- Only put out the food your pets actually need. Cat or dog food left out and uncovered all day is an open invitation, because flies will feed on it and lay eggs while they are there.
- Rinse food packaging before you throw it away. Plastic trays, takeaway boxes, tins, cans and polystyrene trays all count. Cutting down on food residue cuts down on maggots.
- If flies and maggots are already a problem, fly sprays can help. Citronella is a good natural option, since pests dislike the smell of it.
If you have a pest problem at home that you cannot get on top of, call our team. We will talk you through the right removal and prevention options for your situation.