Means against maggots in the apartment

They are there just in time for the beginning of the beautiful season. Unsavory maggots are spreading in the kitchen and living rooms. If you don't put a stop to the repulsive goings-on, sooner or later you will have to deal with an infected apartment. It is important to find the root of all evil in order to take efficient action against the infamous maggots in the apartment. The following tips for fighting maggots show how you can stop the plague in the long term.

root cause analysis

Panicking and taking the first step at the sight of the first maggots only achieves sporadic success. In order to permanently counteract the repelling insect larvae, careful research into the causes is indispensable. To do this, target the spot where the worms first caught your eye. It is highly probable that this is not the place of origin, but you discovered the pests in search of food or a hiding place for the pupation. Therefore, keep an eye out for the following possible sources of evil:

• Groceries lying around openly, fruit and vegetables
• Garbage can with leftover food
• Volatile packaged foods
• Food bowls with leftovers
• Substrate on houseplants

If you don't find what you're looking for here, you can use the organic waste bin and the residual waste bin, provided they are in the immediate vicinity of the apartment.

immediate measures

Regardless of which insects laid their eggs in the apartment, the following immediate measures to combat maggots have proven effective:

• Wrap and dispose of all infected food in newspaper
• If in doubt, also remove flour, sugar and other dry supplies
• Empty the trash can, clean it and line the bottom with a thick layer of newspaper
• At the next opportunity, exchange the bucket for a model with a lockable lid
• Repot infected houseplants in fresh substrate
• Disinfect the new potting soil in the oven at 150 degrees beforehand

cleaning

Once all sources of the worms have been identified and sealed, a meticulous cleaning is on the agenda. There is no need to swing the chemical mace now. The following home remedies are just as effective at removing even the slightest dirt in your home.

pepper water

When it comes to fighting maggots, pepper water has so far exceeded all expectations. You can clean objects and surfaces that have come into contact with insect larvae without using any chemicals. Proceed according to this recipe:

• Bring a liter of water to a boil
• Add at least a tablespoon of pepper and stir
• Allow the mixture to cool while stirring repeatedly

You now use the home remedy in two stages: fill the pepper water in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the maggots. If these died after a few minutes, carefully clean the infected areas with the remaining pepper water.

Vinegar

Vinegar is well known to experienced housewives as a versatile household remedy. In the fight against maggots, this home remedy has an eradicating and preventive effect at the same time. This is how you can optimally use vinegar as a remedy for maggots in the apartment:

• Add several tablespoons of vinegar essence to one liter of water
• Spray the mixture on the worms first
• Then sprinkle salt over the brood to enhance the effect

After a few minutes the larvae have died and can be removed. Now wipe the infested objects and surfaces thoroughly clean with the vinegar water. Since the smell of the vinegar has a repellent effect on maggots, the areas should be allowed to air dry.

Soda and soft soap

In biological pest control on plants, soda and soft soap have gained a good reputation. Its effectiveness can be perfectly transferred to combating maggots in the home if the infestation starts from indoor plants. Thats how it works:

• For 1 liter of water there are 2 tablespoons of soda and 15 ml of curd soap
• The addition of 15 ml spirit intensifies the effectiveness of the agent
• Spray onto the affected plant with the pressure sprayer
• Alternatively, soak a cloth in the mixture and wipe the leaves

Since the substrate is usually also infected, the plant should then be repotted immediately. The bucket is thoroughly cleaned with hot soda or vinegar water. By no means all indoor plants tolerate spraying their flowers and leaves with liquids of any kind. In this case, you still don't have to admit defeat to the maggots. As an alternative, powder all parts of the plant with rock dust, which dries out the larvae within a short time.

Fighting maggots in the carpet

Small white worms in the carpet are a clear indication of a maggot infestation. While flies tend to lay their eggs near food, moths prefer carpeted floors for their brood. The larvae can be found in particular where children or pets romp about, as they feed on crumbs or leftover food. In view of the circumstances, combating it proves to be more complex than in the kitchen or on smooth surfaces. However, there is a good chance of getting rid of the plague if you do the following:

• Thorough and repeated vacuuming
• Ideally, a wet cleaning of large carpets or carpets follows
• Equipment for the intensive spray extraction process can be rented at low cost
• Put a small rug in the freezer for 8 days or discard

Since it cannot be ruled out that biscuit crumbs and other starchy residues will end up on the carpet fibers in the future, the moths themselves should be fought afterwards. The nocturnal insects can be dealt with using sticky traps, repellent scents such as lavender, camphor or walnut and beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps.

prevention

So that you are not confronted with repellent maggots in the apartment in the first place, we recommend a wide range of preventive measures.

• Equip all windows and doors with fly screens
• Thoroughly inspect every purchase of fruit and vegetables for maggots
• Store all food in tightly sealed glass or plastic containers
• Empty bowls after feeding and rinse with hot water
• Close gaps behind pieces of furniture and screens
• Replaster cracks in the walls
• Empty the trash can daily
• Set up self-made fly traps out of water, sugar, fruit juice, vinegar and washing-up liquid

Leftovers in the trash can magically attract flies. Insects particularly like to lay their larvae here, since the brood immediately find food in abundance. Therefore, pay special attention to this potential source of maggots. In addition to the daily emptying, you can prevent an infestation at this point as follows:

• Lay used paper towels, kitchen towels, or sawdust on the floor as the first layer
• If an unpleasant odor develops during the day, sprinkle rock dust or slaked lime over the garbage
• Never mix organic waste with leftover food or meat
• Clean the empty trash can including the lid with vinegar water

The organic waste and residual waste bins in front of the apartment also attract insects, from where they quickly find their way into the house. The cause here is often that the lid is not tight enough. The following tip shows how you can counteract this without great expense and effort: A square, close-meshed curtain is provided with an elastic band. In addition, slipped over the bin opening, it prevents the flies from having any access.

Conclusion

Nobody has to put up with maggots in the apartment. There is a wealth of effective means available that work against the small worms without immediately bringing out the chemical club. The first priority is dedicated research into the causes. All affected objects and surfaces are then meticulously cleaned with pepper or vinegar water. From now on, no food or feed may be left lying around in the apartment. If you now prepare the rubbish bin against maggot infestation and secure the apartment with fly screens and traps, there is a good chance that you will be spared the plague in the future.

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