Not everyone likes to use insecticides and pesticides in their homes.
For some pests like bed bugs, termites, roaches, fleas, you need insecticides to get rid of them.
These pests are tough, sneaky, and they bring a higher chance of re-infestation.
But for some bugs and pests like moths and maggots, you can use home stuff to get rid of them.
One of that stuff is bleach.
So, will bleach kill maggots? Yes!
And bleach helps not only to kill the maggots but also clean the place where the maggots are.
In this post, we’ll tell you how you can use bleach to kill maggots.
And not only that, but we’ll also tell you some other home items that kill maggots.
So, let’s dive in!
How To Use Bleach To Kill Maggots?
Maggots are the larval stage of flies. Flies lay eggs on garbage cans that are left open, unclean, for days.
The waste, especially organic and food waste, in the garbage bin attracts the flies.
After a couple of days, these eggs hatch, and the maggots come out. Maggots look like a white-creamy and greasy crawling worm, with no legs.
They have two hooks on their mouth, which they use to eat and crawl.
Maggots feed on the trash and organic waste in the garbage cans, stale food, rotting meat, and carcass before forming a cocoon.
From the cocoon, adult flies pop out.
Bleach kills maggots. It’s the cheapest and the most effective maggot killer.
But you need to how to use bleach for effective results. Thankfully, making a maggot-killing recipe from bleach isn’t rocket science.
Anyone can prepare it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide in making a maggot-killing recipe using bleach.
Items you’d need –
- Clorox Bleach
- A Bucket
- 1 Gallon of Water
- Disinfectant
Step 1
Heat one gallon of water till it starts to boil.
Step 2
Pour the hot water into the bucket. Add ¼ tbsp of bleach into the hot water.
Step 3
Stir the mixture of water and bleach using a bar or stick for 30-60 seconds. While mixing, make sure that no water splashes on your face or skin. It can be dangerous.
Step 4
Slowly pour the water in the trash bin or wherever the maggots are.
Step 5
Let the bleach and water mixture settle in the trash bin or on the area where you’ve poured the mixture for 10-12 minutes.
Step 6
Dispose of the water with dead maggots. If you’ve poured it on a floor, then use a mop to clean the surface.
Step 7
Finally, spray a disinfectant in the trash bin or on the floor. The disinfectant will act as a double shield repelling the flies from laying eggs and breed again.
Word of Caution
If you find maggots on soft furnishings like carpet, rug, or sofa, DO NOT use bleach.
Bleach will damage the furnishing beyond repair.
If you find maggots on the carpet or inside your car, sprinkle diatomaceous earth and then vacuum clean. Diatomaceous earth kills maggots.
Other materials are readily available that kill maggots.
Let’s check them out.
Vinegar
Vinegar kills maggots fast.
All you’ve to do is mix half a cup of vinegar with boiling water. Then pour the mixture on the maggots.
So, should you use vinegar over-bleach?
It depends on your choice. Both are effective maggot killers.
Some people don’t like the acidic smell of vinegar, so they prefer to use bleach.
The best part of using vinegar is that you don’t have to use the disinfectant after using it.
It’s because the vinegar’s acidic smell will remove the fly-attracting stink from the place of maggot infestation.
It repels the flies. The acidic smell also prevents them from laying eggs in the same place.
Ammonia
Ammonia kills maggots too. Many cleaners have ammonia, like Austin’s 00051.
All you need to do is pour a cup of cleaner straight from the bottle in the bin or on the surface where maggots are.
Leave it for a few minutes.
After a few minutes, clean the surface or the garbage bin to remove the dead maggots. That’s it.
Salt
Salt also kills maggots, but it’s not an instant killer.
Once you pour a generous amount of salt in a maggot-infested area, like a garbage can or carpet, you need to wait for at least 4 hours for the maggots to die.
Some maggots may escape by sneaking into the gaps during this period, especially on a patio or floor.
Do Windex And Lysol Kill Maggots?
No, Windex and Lysol don’t kill maggots. But if you pour any one of these on the maggots, some maggots may die.
Some maggots die because they may get drowned if you overpour Windex and Lysol on them. Both Windex and Lysol don’t have enough ammonia or chlorine like bleach and Austin’s 00051 have.
So, for better and faster results, either use bleach or ammonia.
What Kills Maggots Instantly?
Bleach or ammonia mixed with boiling water kills maggots instantly.
But it’d be best for you if you wait for a while after using the mixture to kill the maggots. When the solution sinks in well in the maggots, it ensures all the maggots are dead.
Also, using hot water with bleach and ammonia is essential in killing maggots. If you use regular water, it won’t work.
Conclusion
Bleach or ammonia, when mixed with hot water, kill maggots.
But you must use this approach to remove maggots from trash bins, patio, or floor.
Do not use a mixture of hot water and bleach/ammonia on carpet, rugs, or any soft furnishing.
For getting rid of maggots on the carpet, the best approach is to use diatomaceous earth and vacuum cleaning.
Sprinkle a generous amount of diatomaceous earth on the carpet with maggots. Diatomaceous earth kills maggots.
After 15 minutes, vacuum the carpet to get rid of diatomaceous earth and dead maggots.
Nang Chen is an Entomologist and Arachnologist who is associated with Vienna’s museum of natural history. He’s also a consultant with real estate groups, insecticide conglomerates and law enforcement groups as a forensic entomologist. Nang Chen holds an M.S. from South China University and he’s a regular contributor to our site.