Hi,
A few months ago our local authority switched to bi-weekly refuse collection.
One of the unpleasant consequences of this is that our bin seems to have become permanent home to large numbers of unpleasant maggots....and the bi-weekly collection ensures some of them become flies.
Can anybody suggest an inexpensive way of controlling/killing them?
I thought a dribble of creosote over the bin contents would make the environment pretty hostile inside the bin.
David
Maggots breed on meat, so scrub the bin out with bleach.
Perhaps enclosing some of the 13-day-old waste so they can understand the problem?
I don't think it's acceptable at any time.
Owain
We had the same problem when our council decided the same collection, bi weekly. After numerous complaint from the local households about maggots in bin in hot weather. The reply was " It a trail scheme" We still have fortnightly collection after 4 years. Bins full to capacity and bin bags and other containers stack on the pavement waiting for collection. The only way to over come the maggot problem is to bag and tie all waste before placing in the bin and use wheelie bin liners in the bin. Council not interested.
1) Jeyes Fluid will do the job.
2) Creosote is no longer available for domestic purposes for toxicity reasons.
3) A letter to the council's environmental health department with a complaint about refuse collection, cc. to your councillor.It's not acceptable in hot weather to have bin collections every two weeks.
Maggots are pretty fussy as to their food source, they really only like meat, they may even only like raw meat. Remove their food supply and they will disappear.
I guess these days people don't clean the bones of the Sunday roast or boil 'em down for a good stock base. Clean(ish) bones won't attract flys, thus no maggots.
|Hi, | |A few months ago our local authority switched to bi-weekly refuse |collection. | |One of the unpleasant consequences of this is that our bin seems to have |become permanent home to large numbers of unpleasant maggots....and the |bi-weekly collection ensures some of them become flies. | |Can anybody suggest an inexpensive way of controlling/killing them? | |I thought a dribble of creosote over the bin contents would make the |environment pretty hostile inside the bin.
Put food debris in the compost bin/heap.
Our bin is only emptied every two weeks, but we've never had a problem with smells, flies or maggots. All our veggie waste goes on a compost heap. Any meat scraps, leftovers, etc, (cooked or otherwise), are double-bagged and put in the bottom shelf of the freezer until the day the bin is emptied. I use coloured bags so there's no chance of confusing the stuff destined for the bin with the remainder of the freezer contents. We don't have a massive amount of meat waste, so it doesn't take much space in the freezer. Been doing this for years with no problems at all.
Mike
You need a ground cone thing for meaty stuff.
Delivery of bags to reception of town hall?
The message from "Vortex" contains these words:
We've been on fortnightly collections for a year or so now. Never had trouble with bugs because there's never anything in there for them to eat. Anything nibbleable goes on the compost heap.
The message from "The3rd Earl Of Derby" contains these words:
Now there's a thing that doesn't cut roses! (non secateur).
The message from Andy Hall contains these words:
Works fine here. Accidentally went four weeks not long ago - no problem even with four in the house.
You must have been putting flesh into the dustbin.
If you must do that - I can't think why - you should seal it so that flies can't get to it to lay eggs.
Mary
:-)
Mary
This is all very well, but it shouldn't be necessary to have to mess around like this.
Large amounts of council tax are collected and refuse collection is about the most fundamental service that local authorities should provide.
We had exactly the same problem last year when our council bumbled onto this stupid, stupid policy (why can't they just sack a few pointless employees to save money, like a normal company? God knows they have enough of them). Toss a vapour strip into the bin and keep the lid closed. Seemed to kill all the flies in our bin. Alternatively, try a nice environmentally toxic dose of fly spray.
Pete
If that is done there won't be a problem with maggots and flies as the the latter can't get at the waste to lay eggs to hatch into maggots.
Around our way, there are several small firms which virtually follow the bin wagons about, cleaning wheelie-bins for a quid or two.
Rubbish, for us (a young family of four) every 4 weeks would at least mean the standard bin bag would be nearly full. The majority of the waste in the ordinary domestic waste is metalised flims (snack packets etc), everything else, card, paper, glass, metal, plastics and cartons are recyled.
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