Five ways to stop maggots taking over your food waste bin during the heat

Searches for “stop maggots in bin” have increased by 500 per cent over the past week, according to Google Trends data cited by waste experts.

The increase comes after food waste collections were introduced for households across the UK, with warm weather creating ideal conditions for flies and maggots.

Mark Hall, a bin expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, said: “Maggots are quite prevalent in the summer due to the heat, but there are a lot of easy ways to prevent and remove them.

“Just applying a couple of these tips should be enough to prevent these pests from becoming a problem.”

Keep your bin clean

Keeping bins clean can help prevent infestations, waste experts recommend scrubbing the inside with hot water a disinfectant or diluted bleach solution, and then rinsed and dried paying particular attention to corners and crevices.

Use boiling water

If maggots are already present, pouring boiling water over them can kill them and bins should then be cleaned and disinfected to remove any remaining waste and eggs.

Seal food waste

Food waste should be placed in the appropriate caddy using a liner, which should be securely closed before being emptied into the outside bin, for smelly or leaking waste, such as meat, fish, dairy and rotting fruit, experts recommend using two bags.

Try insect repellents

Insect repellent powders or diatomaceous earth can be used around the rim and base of a bin; diatomaceous earth can kill maggots by dehydrating them.

Keep bins in the shade

Bins should be kept somewhere cool and shaded where possible, a garage, shed or shaded area can help slow the development of maggots and reduce unpleasant smells.

For more information visit http://businesswaste.co.uk/.