Maggots in the home are found in the cleanest homes. They are never welcome guests. Where there is one, others can be suspected. Maggots are not only found on food, but can also be found on the ceiling. Since they develop and multiply rapidly, action should be taken the first time you see them. Here’s how to get rid of them and other things to know.
Table of Contents
emergence
Maggots are the offspring of insects. The mothers usually lay their eggs near sites that serve as a food source for the offspring. The maggots develop from the eggs, which are up to mischief until shortly before pupation. If they have been spotted on the ceiling, it can be assumed that they did not come from outside. This also means that there are probably several more in the house.
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There are numerous insects whose offspring are roaming the house as maggots. They differ partly in appearance, but above all they mostly prefer different food sources. The most common ones found in the home are descended from the following insects:
- Food or clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella)
- Mehlkäfer (Tenebrio molitor)
- Schmeißfliege (Calliphoridae)
- Stubenfliege (Housefly)
- Fruit/Drosophila (Drosophilidae)
whereabouts ceiling
There are usually no textiles or foods on ceilings, although the latter can certainly occur. Maggots follow every trail of food, so gravy may have splattered on the ceiling while cooking or the juice from an apple while slicing. Sometimes that’s enough to attract maggots. They usually avoid light, but if the ceiling light is switched off but still radiates heat, the caterpillar-like little animals can make their way there because they like warmth. If there is a food cupboard underneath, a maggot can sometimes get lost on the ceiling.
Food recognition
Effective control is required to get rid of the pests reliably and in the long term. In order to choose the right one, it should definitely be maggots, which is why identification is necessary. They can be recognized by the following characteristics:
- Elongated, caterpillar-like body shape
- Body color: white, creamy-white, fawn to tan or black-tan
- Body length varies between one millimeter and 30 millimeters depending on the species
- Have no legs or visible head
- Locomotion through small stub extensions on the “belly”
- Body shape tapering at the front
- Rear wider body shape
- Small pincer-like mouth hooks
- Hard outer shell, usually with slight transverse bulges
combat
There are several ways to get the maggots under control. In this way you can tackle the larvae with mechanical and biological means.
collecting or sucking up
The simplest and most conventional way is to collect or suck up with a vacuum cleaner. For example, hold a piece of cardboard under the maggot and use an object to detach it from the ceiling. They usually fall down by themselves, because they usually roll up when danger arises and thus lose the support of their stub extensions. Then simply dispose of it. In the case of a filter device, the animal must then be removed when sucking off. With a bag vacuum cleaner, the bag with the crawling creatures should be thrown away after vacuuming.
Killing with heat
If you’d rather have them dead, you can get rid of them with heat. A Bunsen burner is less suitable for this, but a powerful hair dryer can do the same job. The prerequisite is that you can get close enough to the animal/animals with this. A chair usually helps here. It is important to ensure that this is not positioned directly under the parasites on the ceiling, so that the dead animals do not fall on the hair or blouse.
Alternatively, hot water can be filled in a spray can and the animals sprayed with it. Here, however, care must be taken that the hot water does not get on clothing or skin and cause painful burns there.
soft soap
Soft soap is a tried and tested household remedy against countless pests and is also effective against maggots on the ceiling. This method works better than spraying with hot water, since small amounts are enough to get rid of them. The effect of soft soap is reflected in the sticking together of the respiratory organs. As a result, they suffocate. The soft soap is to be produced as a lye as follows:
- Pour about 20 to 30 grams of soft soap into boiling water and stir well
- Alternatively, curd and potash soap can also be used
- Add 2 tablespoons of cooking or baking soda
- 30 milliliters of spirit increases the effect (alternative: 15 milliliters of vinegar)
- mix well
- Allow to cool, pour into a spray container and the solution is ready
predators
The main predators of the parasites are spiders and parasitic wasps . No one will probably want to bring this into their home. But should they happen to be present, the pests will eat them.
Find all maggots
Where there are one or two maggots in the house, there are usually more. The best means are useless if the “hearth” is not fought. Now it’s time to look for where others could still be and to fight them as well. To do this, it is helpful to know and control the ideal places of attraction. They can always stay close to their food.
clothes moth
- cotton materials
- silk
- Animal wool products
- Carpets, curtains and blankets made from natural materials
Meal Beetles & Food Moths
- Any type of flour
- trip
- pasta
- Crushed nut’s
- spices and dried herbs
- legumes
- cookies and similar baked goods
- Dry animal feed
blowflies
- Protein-containing and/or animal foods (spoiled) also animal meat feed
- Cat
- carcasses of dead animals
Stubenfliege (Housefly)
- Sugared foods
- foods with fatty acids
Fruit/Drosophila (Drosophilidae)
- Spoiled/fermented fruit
- Rotten fruits and vegetables
prevention
In order to be spared from maggots in the future, some preventive measures can be taken. The main thing here is to keep the mother animals at a distance. The following home remedies work effectively, are environmentally friendly, protect your health and are cheap:
- Place/hang/put lavender sachets or peppermint in food and wardrobe cupboards
- Always store food tightly closed
- Store natural textiles airtight in the closet
- Dispose of spoiled food immediately
- Clean the trash can regularly
- Especially at high temperatures, do not leave perishable food (leftovers).
- Check fruit and vegetables daily for freshness
- Fly screen hoods over favorite food sources when not going into the fridge
- Always clean animal bowls after eating and store leftovers airtight
- It is better to vacuum carpets once more than too littl
