Every kitchen, no matter how clean and hygienic it is kept, can still be infested with maggots. These are larvae that hatched from fly eggs and are now on their way to find a suitable place for pupation. Even a single fly can be responsible for a mass infestation. Now it is important to find the original laying place of the eggs, since there are usually many more maggots here.
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Where do the maggots come from?
Suddenly they’re crawling on the counter in the kitchen or on the kitchen floor, disgusting maggots. But where do the animals come from in an actually clean kitchen? Unfortunately, even the cleanest rooms are not immune to maggot infestation. Maggots hatch from fly eggs. However, they are often confused with food moth larvae, which are actually caterpillars. The flies like to lay their eggs on leftover food, in the rubbish bin, on things left standingpet food or in the litter box. If crawling animals are spotted in the kitchen, they are usually on their way to find a suitable place to pupate. In order to get rid of and fight the maggots so that no new flies develop from them, the source of the source must be found, then the following means can be used to combat them:
- thorough cleaning
- Vinegar as a home remedy
- Pepper as a home remedy
- hot air from hair dryer
- artificial scents
- prevention
Thorough cleaning
If maggots have been sighted and the place of origin is also known, thorough cleaning must be carried out. The maggots, which have already made their way to the pupation, should not be forgotten. The source should be disposed of as follows:
- Pack infested food in bags
- close well
- Empty trash can
- Thoroughly clean the litter box
- Dispose of animal feed residues well packaged
- Clean the plates, garbage can or litter box thoroughly
- wash with vinegar water
- Put the plate in the dishwasher
The maggots often come from fresh, stored food that has a small damaged area. Flies also like to lay their eggs on potatoes or onions, which start to rot. This may already have happened on the vegetable shelf before the purchase. Therefore, when sighting maggots in the kitchen, you should also thoroughly examine these storage areas for maggot infestation.
Vinegar as a home remedy
Vinegar is a remedy that can be used in many ways, including fighting maggots and later cleaning. The preparation of the appropriate agent is very simple. Simply mix vinegar essence with water and put it in a spray bottle. After that, you should proceed as follows:
- Spray the larvae and eggs with the vinegar water
- then sprinkle with salt
- so maggots should die off quickly
- remove any dead maggots
- with a broom on smooth surfaces
- or together with the infested leftovers
- then clean objects well with vinegar water
Pepper as a home remedy
A very simple yet effective remedy for fighting maggots can be made from black pepper. All you need is pepper, which is usually available in every household, and water. The procedure for production and use is as follows:
- boil a liter of water
- Pepper, at least a tablespoon or more
- sprinkle and stir
- Let the water cool while stirring
- then pour into a spray bottle
- spray on the maggots
- Also spray into cracks and corners
Hot air from hair dryer
If the larvae of the fruit fly are in nooks and crannies, they are very difficult to reach. But here a hair dryer can help, which is set to the highest level. The hot air applied directly to the maggots and eggs kills them quickly. In this way, cumbersome wiping in corners and cracks can be avoided. After fighting the animals with the hair dryer, the cracks can simply be vacuumed out with the vacuum cleaner.
artificial scents
After a thorough cleaning, it often makes sense to apply scents that the maggots don’t like and therefore avoid. In this way, other flies and their larvae are not attracted again by the creeping tracks of the maggots that have already been removed. Artificial fragrances, of which one or the other is usually available in every household, help here. These include the following resources:
- aftershave
- Perfume
- washing powder
- Part
Collect food
Maggots can be very useful when they’re not in the kitchen or around your home. Instead of fighting the larvae of the flies, they can also be collected. Use kitchen gloves and sweep the crawling animals onto a dustpan with a broom. This is then emptied again in the garden in a bed or on the compost, also generously distributed. Here’s how the maggots in the garden do the following:
- Food for insects and animals of all kinds
- Wasps, Spiders, Dragonflies
- Lizards, birds, shrews, frogs
- Maggots themselves decompose organic matter
- form fertile humus
If you prefer a more natural garden and you find maggots in your kitchen, then you should definitely take them outside in a live state before attempting to combat the infestation.
prevention
In order not to have to experience a maggot infestation in the first place, it is effective if you fight the flies directly as the cause of larvae. So that they cannot get into the kitchen in the first place, it makes sense to install a fly screen in front of the window and any balcony or patio door. The remaining windows in the apartment should also be protected. Furthermore, the following can be prevented:
- use a lockable trash can
- empty regularly
- do not leave uncovered dishes or raw meat
- Dispose of old meat packaging in sealed bags
- Clean the litter box regularly
- Remove pet food from bowl after feeding
- Store fruit and vegetables under net
- remove rotten fruit quickly
- do not make compost near the house
- Do not place garbage cans directly under a window
