It is summertime, and you are enjoying a nice backyard barbecue with your family on your patio.
You have just finished off another delicious burger on the grill when suddenly you spot it: a big, fat maggot crawling up the side of your patio table!
How can you get rid of these disgusting creatures on your patio? The easiest way to do so is by following the three steps below.
What Is A Maggot?
Maggots also called “fly larvae,” are a type of young fly that has the potential to infest a number of different animals and plants.
The maggot attaches to its host by using two sharp hooks on its posterior end. They do not have an exoskeleton like adults, so they have to eat in order for their bodies to grow and develop into flies.
DID YOU KNOW: Maggots are commonly used in medicine to clean wounds because they eat dead tissue and release enzymes that inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Why do I have Maggots on My Patio?
Flies are attracted to rotting flesh, overripe fruit and vegetables in your compost bins, unused pet dishes, trash cans, or inside your recycling bins where the female mosquito will want to lay her eggs. Thus creating a perfect breeding place for maggots.
As most people know, maggots are the larvae of a fly. Flies lay eggs in things that have recently died as this is what their offspring need to survive.
Some species will even eat healthy flesh if it’s infested with bacteria and other microorganisms.
Maggots live anywhere there is death and decomposition, so this could be anything from a dead mouse on your doorstep to the inside of a butter dish (gross, but true).
If you don’t give maggots what they want – death and decay – they won’t hang around your house looking for it.
Here are some ways to prevent them from ever showing up in the first place.
9 Ways to Get Rid of Maggots On Your Patio
Maggots are known for infesting decaying flesh and animal carcasses. They also love to live in moist, green plant life such as leaves or grass clippings on patios – these are the perfect breeding grounds for maggots.
If you notice a swarm of small flies on your patio, it is likely your patio has become home to maggot eggs!
1. Don’t Leave Food Out
This is a simple, yet extremely effective way to prevent maggots from inhabiting your patio space.
Flies tend to lay eggs on foods that are rotten or about to go bad. If you throw away your old produce and keep your trash can sealed tight, there will be nothing on which flies can land and lay their eggs.
Get a small trash bin with a lid for the patio and immediately take out the garbage every night when you’re done cooking.
You might feel like this is overkill (and I’ll be honest, it kind of is), but not doing these things could lead to an infestation that’s even more difficult to get rid of.
2. Use Garbage Disposal
There will always be food scraps on plates and in the sink, so it’s important to have a good garbage disposal.
Flies can’t lay eggs on things that are recycled into liquid, but they sure as hell can lay them on dishes that are left on the patio.
A useful side benefit is that disposals also smell less than trashcans and don’t need to be taken out every day!
3. Keep Clutter Under Control
The more organized your patio is, the easier it will be for you to clean.
And organizing means keeping all your stuff off the floor so there isn’t anything rotting underneath your patio table or grill.
This step may not seem as important as the others, but it’s actually integral. I’ve been in some patios so covered in clutter that you couldn’t even see the ground and it was very clearly infested with maggots.
If your patio is always a mess, flies will have more opportunities to lay their eggs and you’ll inevitably have a problem before too long.
4. Remove Breeding Grounds
The most effective way of getting rid of maggots in your backyard or porch is to take away the food they need to breed.
In this case, that means cleaning up any rotting food you might have lying around. This includes trashcans with leftover food inside, wet fruits and vegetables sitting out on the counter, anything dropped on the patio floor, etc.
Without these things, flies can’t lay eggs and you’ll be completely maggot-free in no time!
5. Don’t Feed Pets On The Patio
Pets are pretty much the reason why some people get fly infestations in the first place. If you let your dog go outside with half a hotdog, or feed it some old raw meat from last night’s barbecue, flies will be all over in no time.
No matter how much I’ve begged people not to do this, it never seems to work and their dogs always come back covered in maggots. If your pet eats outdoors or around the house there will always be more food sources
6. Use Salt
Maggots cannot survive in high-salt environments. So if you sprinkle some salt around the area where they are congregating, they will scatter away from that area and die within hours.
This technique may take more than one application to fully eradicate them all if there is a large infestation, so be sure to keep sprinkling salt on a daily basis for several days.
If there is an infestation in your yard and all around it, this method may take longer than one application due to the large area you must cover.
TIP: If you do not have salt at home then you can use another substance such as baking soda or cornmeal to get the same effect.
7. Prevent Birds From Nesting In Gutters
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that bird nests always seem to appear near garbage bins… Just saying!
If you have a birdhouse hanging near your porch or backyard make sure there isn’t any rotting food inside of it that might attract flies (birds poop needlessly, trust me).
It may not be practical for everyone but this is one way of ensuring that the maggot problem constantly plaguing your backyard doesn’t move inside.
8. Put Out Maggot Traps
In my experience, these are by far the best way of getting rid of flies without resorting to chemicals.
Mag traps work 24/7 and they can catch several dozen flies in a single day. It’s a one-time investment that will improve your quality of life tenfold, and it can help keep your pets healthy as well (i.e. no maggot bites). You Can Find Some Here
All you need to do is pour about 0.5 liters of water into the bait dish at the top of the trap, then throw some fresh fruit or meat into the bottom section (just to attract them).
Check on it every now and then and empty out any dead flies you see… The more flies you get at once the better since they’ll be less likely to lay eggs inside your patio if there aren’t many around!
9. Use Diatomaceous Earth
This is a natural non-toxic powder that can work wonders for your (and your pets) health.
It was actually used in the military back in the day, so you know it’s legit. The best way of using earth is to spread a thin layer over any surfaces where flies might touch (windowsills, doorways, or patio furniture).
You can also sprinkle some into new bags of pet food or mix it with the soil around house plants.
What Kills Maggots Instantly?
When you pour boiling water over maggots, it kills them instantly because of the high heat. Temperature above the optimum level of 20°C (which is necessary for their survival) can kill them instantly.
Killing maggots with boiling water is an easy method than any other approach because you don’t have to dip the affected area in boiling water. Just pour boiling water over the affected area which will help kill Maggot larvae instantly.
Can Salt Kill Maggots?
Yes, salt can kill maggots. Maggots need a moist environment to survive, and salt dries out their protective layer. Salt does not only dry up the protective layer but also dehydrates it. Your maggots will turn into a dried-up husk and die.
Salt is also used to kill flies on the windowsill. A fine layer of salt will cut their feet and they’ll drop dead. Salt can be rubbed into all kinds of surfaces to prevent crawling insects like ants, cockroaches, and crickets from getting in.
You can drive away rats with salt and pepper. Raccoons are repulsed by it and other animals hate the taste of salt as well. Salt used for animal care works best when it’s coarse-grained so that licks will not dissolve too quickly.
Why Is There Maggots In My Patio Concrete Cracks?
A yard full of grubs, worms, beetles, or maggots can be a sign that you have a high population of insects living under the ground.
These insects eat decaying organic matter like dead grass clippings, leaves, and natural proteins like worms, grubs, and other bugs.
If these ingredients are present in your soil it will attract flies that lay eggs near the decaying matter where the fly larvae will hatch.
Maggots from those eggs usually migrate to the surface after eating their fill underground and look for drier places with more sunlight. Since cracks in concrete tend to retain some moisture they provide just enough humidity for them to survive.
Maggots like moist environments because they need to stay in a state of suspended animation so they don’t dry out too quickly and become the main course for any bird that might find them first.
Does Bleach Kill Maggots?
Yes, bleach is capable of killing maggots, but only if it is applied correctly. The key to successfully using bleach to kill maggots is the way that you apply it. You should mix a teaspoon of dishwashing soap in a bucket with two tablespoons of bleach and then fill the bucket up with hot water.
Do Maggots Come Out At Night?
The answer is YES. Maggots tend to be nocturnal eaters, so they can feed safely while away from predators (and before any humans might stumble onto them). This allows more food to be consumed during their short lifespan before they pupate and transform into an adult fly.
Maggots are the larvae of flies and are usually found in the soil or other decaying organic matter such as in dead animals and decaying food.
When it’s dark, adult flies will lay eggs on this material which will then hatch into maggots within several hours.
Conclusion
Maggots are a major problem for homeowners with outdoor patios.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to get rid of all the maggots and keep them away in the future: just spread salt around your patio!
Maggot-infested soil is acidic which means it has high levels of nitrogen that feed on plant roots (and other organic matter).
Salte will counteract this acidity by neutralizing nitrates and preventing further growth.
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