Maggots in the bio bin are disgusting. Especially in warm months, the fly larvae crawl around the walls and the lid of the bin in abundance. If you lift the lid, they fall down and often over the edge of the bin. The larvae of the houseflies and blowflies feel at home in the warm, dark and damp barrels. They find enough to survive and have a good time. Animal proteins in the barrels cause the number of maggots to explode. How can you prevent the infestation and how do you get rid of the pests?
Table of Contents
Preventing maggots
Prevention is better than fighting it, so that maggot infestation does not occur in the first place. Those who load their bio bins correctly have hardly anything to do with the fly larvae. In addition, there is a suitable location, because the sun accelerates the process.
- Do not put the bio bin in the sun. It should be in the shade all day.
- Do not put meat in the bin because it magically attracts flies. Meat waste and the like belong in tight bags, must be well sealed and then disposed of with the general waste.
- Either wrap moist organic waste in newspaper or pack it in special organic waste paper bags. Paper handkerchiefs, kitchen crepe paper, egg cartons and paper napkins are also suitable.
- Do not use magazines!
- The compostable plastic bags offered in stores are not suitable for packing organic waste. They do not rot in the short time in the composting facility and affect the compost. Often they have to be collected individually. In many communities these bags are banned anyway.
- Sawdust absorbs moisture. The sawdust from rabbits and guinea pigs can therefore be disposed of in the organic waste. However, only the leftovers without urine and feces are allowed in.
- Lavender cut doesn’t like flies. So it’s always cheap to have some lavender in the bin.
- Rinse emptied organic bins and place in the sun with the lid open to dry and dehumidify. It is best to place the barrels upside down.
- The bottom layer of the emptied and cleaned bin is a layer of newspaper or egg cartons. Both soak up the moisture.
- It is beneficial to attach a rubber seal to the bin so that flies cannot crawl into the bin when the lid is closed.
- Good ideas for maggot prevention at: www.madendeckel.de. Various bio filter lids with a circumferential edge seal ensure that the bin is tight. Additional filters prevent gases from escaping that attract flies and other insects. Becker Umwelttechnik offers a wide range of hygiene items for everything to do with the bin. The biofilter cover is particularly recommended, see: www.becker-umwelttechnik.de/Madendeckel-Biofilterdeckel
Eliminate maggots
After emptying the bio bin, it must first be cleaned thoroughly. It is best to use a pressure washer to rinse out all of the eggs and larvae. Then the bin has to dry. If maggots reappear despite the use of hygiene bags and the use of newspaper and sawdust, targeted action must be taken against them.
- Douse maggots with vinegar water and wipe the rim of the barrel with vinegar water.
- Do not use too much vinegar water, otherwise the contents of the bin will ferment and it will start to stink.
- Sprinkling the maggots with salt also kills them quite reliably.
- A few drops of orange or tea tree oil should also help against the fly larvae.
- Scattered unslaked lime over the maggots suffocates them. You can buy quicklime in the hardware store. When handling this, the regulations must be observed. Algae lime and slaked lime are more environmentally friendly.
- If you want to offer a feast for the birds in the area, you can leave the lid of your bin open. Hardly a bird can resist it.
- Clean the empty bin properly. All eggs must be removed.
- There are also special remedies for the maggots that are glued into the lid of the bin. These periodically release substances in vapor form that kill all maggots.
- Raiffeisen gartenkraft® fly and maggot stop – the dispenser box is glued into the lid. Active ingredient dichlorvos, works very well, but not very environmentally friendly. There are similar products from numerous suppliers. For me, the better solution is vinegar, salt or rock flour.
Garbage cans hygiene
Litter for the organic waste bin prevents maggots and vermin from settling down. After the bin has been emptied, a layer is applied to the bin to cover the ground. In the case of great heat or large amounts of waste, a layer can always be scattered in between.
This granulate is available at www.theis-produktion.de/produkte/mytonni.html. In addition to preventing maggots, the remedy helps against unpleasant odors, reduces the formation of bacteria, binds moisture and dries out the bin. The distributor expressly points out that it does not contain any chemical additives.
Conclusion
It is important to prevent flies from laying their eggs in the bin, because maggots are nothing more than fly larvae. Food containing protein does not belong in the organic waste bin. All the others are better wrapped in newspaper or something similar. I’ve never had maggots in the organic waste bin, because only our green waste goes in there. It has already happened in the residual rubbish bin, and someone must have slouched while packing. Although I’m not a fan of the chemical club, that’s where it came in. Once sprayed into the bin, the lid closed and it was quiet. Chemicals are eliminated from the organic waste bin. They are also not necessary at all. Vinegar or salt will do. Lime also works well. But prevention is always better.
