How to Kill Maggots

Maggots are larvae of flies, which they feed on for 3-5 days in their early life. During this time, the maggots are white and small in size. Although small, they are difficult to eradicate without the right solution. Fortunately, you can get rid of maggots using a combination of chemicals, natural substances, and preventive measures.

Table of Contents

Measures at home

Getting infested with maggots can be frustrating, but perhaps you have the means to get rid of them in your home:

If you have a dog bath , you can make a solution of permithrin to kill the maggots.
If bleach is available, you can use it as a cheap but effective maggot killer.
If you have a baby fuel tank rinse , you can create an effective maggot killer.
If you have diatomaceous earth , you can sprinkle it on the maggots to dry them out.
If you have vinegar , you can kill the maggots and prevent them from coming back.
If you have essential oils , you can prevent maggots from infecting the trash.

Using chemicals

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Spray water-based permethrin on moderate numbers of maggots. Permethrin is a synthetic chemical used as an insecticide, insect repellent and arachnid. Permethrin sprays are usually specially formulated to treat scabies and lice, but 2-3 sprays are enough to kill the maggots. Liquid products (bath oils) and creams also contain permethrin. You can mix 4 parts boiling water with 1 part dog bath oil and slowly pour it over the maggots. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Spray or pour the permethrin mixture within a radius of 1.5-7.5 m from the location where the maggots gather. This will treat the entire area with maggots and prevent them from returning.
Permethrin is safe to use on your hair and scalp, but you should be careful not to get it in your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. If you accidentally get the medicine on the above parts, you need to quickly wash it off.
Permethrin and synthetic pyrethroids can be fatal to cats and fish – avoid using them near pets!

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Mix bleach with water in a bowl and pour over the maggots in bulk. Mix 1 cup (240 ml) of bleach with 1 cup (240 ml) of water in a plastic or metal bowl. If you want to pour the mixture on the ground, gently splash the area with the maggots, being careful not to miss any maggots. If you are dealing with a trash can, close the lid immediately after pouring the mixture in to allow the bleach vapors to suffocate the maggots. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Wait for the bleach to work for about 30 minutes before opening the lid and emptying the trash. After cleaning the maggot-infested area, splash another bowl of bleach over it to prevent reinfection.

Use natural methods

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Pour boiling water over the maggots as a simple solution. Heat a large pot of water for about 5 minutes until boiling. Pour slowly and carefully over the maggots. This method is especially useful if the maggots are in isolated areas such as trash cans or tight spaces. In the meantime, take out the trash that the maggots are eating. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Cover the trash can to keep the heat inside.
Avoid using this method to kill maggots on walls or carpets, as moisture can damage furniture and breed mold.

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Sprinkle diatomaceous earth over the maggots so that they lose water gradually. Diatomaceous earth is a sedimentary rock that is widely used in cleaning and pest control. Sprinkle enough diatomaceous earth to completely cover the maggots. The diatomaceous earth will cling to the maggot’s outer shell, causing them to dehydrate and die. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Diatomaceous earth is available at grocery stores, home stores, and department stores.

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Drown the maggots with a solution of water mixed with cinnamon as a quick solution. Dissolve 1/6 cinnamon with 5/6 water in a bowl and slowly pour over the maggots. Larvae can die within 6 hours. Maggots don’t like this mixture, so it’s also a precaution against them coming back. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

You can also use a solution of 1/6 apple cider vinegar and 5/6 water, but this mixture takes 18 hours to kill the maggots.

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Sprinkle lime and salt on the maggot-infested areas to absorb the water from the scattered maggots. Lime and salt will dry out the maggots and cause them to die from lack of water. Mix ¼ cup (60 ml) of lime (calcium hydroxide) with ¼ cup (60 ml) of salt, then sprinkle the mixture over the areas where maggots are growing. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Watch for the maggots – if they don’t die, add lime and salt.
You can also use quicklime sold in grocery stores.

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Use beer to attract small maggots to come and drown. Pour beer into a plate and place near maggots. Many times the maggots will be attracted to, crawl into the plate and drown in the beer. However, this is not a long-term solution for dealing with large numbers of maggots. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Thanks to that the beer dish must be accessible to the maggots.
Although some people leave lights on next to beer to attract maggots, research shows that maggots actually hide from light. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Freeze maggots at -20 degrees Celsius for at least 60 minutes when no other option is available. Sweep the maggots into the trash, empty them into a zippered plastic bag, and put them in the freezer. Maggots will die when frozen for about 1 hour. ^{[12] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source}

If the maggots are not dead, freeze them longer. Check about every hour and dispose of dead maggots.

Take preventive measures

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Avoid throwing meat and fish in the trash. Flies (which lay eggs that hatch into maggots) mainly feed on rotting fish. To reduce the risk of maggots, never throw leftovers in the trash. Here are some solutions to eliminate the source of the problem: ^{[13] X Research Source}

Cook meat broth using leftover bones and meat. You can put excess bones in a pot of boiling water, add some bay leaves and spices, then simmer for at least 1 hour.
Store excess meat/bones in a separate refrigerator (or freezer) until garbage day and empty it all at once. Meat will not spoil if refrigerated or frozen.
If you have to dispose of excess fish meat in the trash, wrap it in a paper towel before you throw it away. Flies are less likely to lay eggs if they don’t have access to leftovers.

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Spray essential oils like peppermint, bay leaf, and eucalyptus onto the maggot-infested area. Essential oils repel flies. Dilute 4-5 drops of essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spray a thin layer on areas where maggots are present. You can also spray the diluted essential oil onto a dry rag and use the rag to wipe the maggot-infested areas. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Wash the trash can with vinegar and water once a week. Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water in a bowl. Dip a rag in the solution to scrub the trash can inside and out. Use a dry rag to wipe the trash can after washing and dry in the sun or in a dry room before placing the trash bag in the bin. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Throw out the trash when it’s full and wash the trash can at least once a week. Always use trash bags to keep food scraps out of the trash.
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the soap when washing the trash can.

Advice

Throw away food that has passed its use-by date.
Always keep trash cans covered and clean periodically.
Attach insect nets to windows.
Wash food and beverage containers before throwing them away or putting them in the recycling bin.
Pick up fallen fruit in the garden.
Never leave pet food outdoors.

Measures at home

Steps

Using chemicals

Use natural methods

Take preventive measures

Advice

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