How to Kill Maggots

Maggots are the larvae of flies and can be quite unpleasant to find in your home or around your property. These small, pale worms thrive on decaying organic matter like food scraps and animal waste. While they help break down organic material in nature, you definitely don’t want them indoors. Thankfully, getting rid of maggots isn’t very hard, and there are many home and store-bought solutions to help you remove them. Knowing how maggots grow and what attracts them helps you stop them at the right time.

Before looking at ways to kill maggots, you should know what brings them in. Flies look for places with a strong smell, especially those with leftover food or animal feces. They lay eggs in these moist spots, and the eggs hatch into maggots within a day. The maggots feed and grow quickly before turning into adult flies. Breaking this cycle and getting rid of their food source is key for lasting results.

Ways to Kill Maggots

Boiling Water: Quick and Simple

Pouring boiling water onto maggots is one of the fastest ways to kill them right away. Simply boil water in a kettle and pour it carefully over the maggots, making sure to soak them all. This works well for places like the bottom of trash cans or whenever you find a group of maggots gathered in one area.

While water at 212°F (100°C) kills maggots instantly, water as warm as 140°F (60°C) also does the trick. Once you’ve drenched them, let the area cool, throw away the dead maggots in a tightly sealed bag, and clean and disinfect the spot. This keeps things sanitary and keeps flies from coming back.

Hot Vinegar Solution

If you want an added deodorizer, make a mix of white vinegar and hot water. Maggots can’t stand vinegar, and the heat helps even more. Mix one part white vinegar with three parts hot water and pour it over the maggot-infested area, like a trash can. If possible, close the lid and let it sit for 30 minutes.

This method not only kills maggots but helps get rid of the bad smell that brings flies. Afterward, pour out the liquid, rinse thoroughly, and spray or rinse again with the same solution for extra cleaning. This leaves the area clean and less likely to attract flies in the future.

Salt and Lime: Dries Maggots Out

Salt dries out maggots much like it does to slugs and snails. Sprinkle a thick layer of plain table salt over the maggots and nearby surfaces. You can make it stronger by adding lime powder (found in hardware stores).

To use: Mix salt and lime powder (equal parts) and spread it well over the maggots, then try to put the area in direct sunlight for about an hour. Sun plus salt (and lime) will suck out the maggots’ moisture quickly, killing them fast. Rinse away the remains and bag everything tightly before disposal.

Diatomaceous Earth: Natural Powder

Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from crushed fossilized algae. To humans, it feels soft, but it has sharp edges at a tiny level that cut maggots’ skin and dry them out. It’s safe and works well where maggots are found.

• Make sure the area is as dry as possible
• Cover the maggots with a layer of the powder
• Wait several hours for the powder to work
• Clean up the dead maggots, bag them, and disinfect the spot

Diatomaceous earth is available at most hardware and garden stores.

Bleach or Common Cleaners

If you want a fast chemical fix, many household cleaners and bleach will kill maggots. Mix bleach with warm water (equal parts) and pour or spray it over the maggots. Let it sit a while before rinsing. For smaller trash cans, a little bleach solution with the lid closed lets the fumes kill maggots inside.

Most all-purpose cleaners mixed with hot water will also work. These options clean the area and get rid of smells that attract flies. Always use gloves and make sure the room is aired out when using bleach or other strong chemicals. Follow safety instructions on the label.

Does Freezing Kill Maggots?

Yes. Very cold temperatures kill maggots. If the infested item is small enough (like a small trash can), put it in your freezer for a couple of hours to freeze and kill the maggots. Then rinse the container and dispose of the maggots in a sealed bag.

If you live somewhere cold, leaving infested bins outside during freezing weather works the same way. This is an easy, chemical-free method if the weather helps you out. It’s less useful for big indoor infestations or if it’s warm outside.

Bug Sprays and Chemicals

For big or stubborn infestations, store-bought insect sprays made for flies and maggots will kill them quickly. Spray the entire infested area and leave it for at least 30 minutes. The maggots should die off.

If you use these products, always wear a mask and gloves. Chemical sprays can harm other animals or plants, so try safer options first. Be careful near food or where pets play.

Method	Materials Needed	Where to Use	Precautions
Boiling Water	Kettle, water	Trash cans, hard surfaces	Avoid burns, clean after use
Vinegar Solution	Vinegar, hot water	Trash cans, hard surfaces	Vinegar smell can linger
Salt and Lime	Salt, lime powder	Outdoor or non-porous areas	Avoid inhaling lime by dust mask
Diatomaceous Earth	DE powder	Dry areas, bins	Use food-grade DE, avoid breathing dust
Bleach/Cleaners	Bleach, cleaners	Trash bins, floors	Ventilate and wear gloves
Freezing	Freezer, cold weather	Small containers, outside bins	Bag and dispose maggots after thawing
Insecticides	Bug spray	Severe infestations	Follow label, PPE, keep ventilated

Killing Maggots in Different Areas

Inside Trash Cans

If you find maggots in your indoor bin, they’ve likely found a good spot thanks to food scraps. Remove all trash and take it outside. Then use any method above (boiling water is fast, vinegar is good for smell). Use bin liners that close tightly to stop flies from laying eggs inside. Check your can’s lid and replace it if it doesn’t fit snugly.

Outside Trash Bins

Outdoor bins are exposed to more scraps and the weather, making them easy targets for flies. Pour boiling water or a salt-lime mix into the bin, kill the maggots, then rinse with a bleach or vinegar mix. Keep bins out of heat and tied off tightly with secure trash bags. Wash bins regularly and keep the lid closed tight.

Areas with Pet Food or Waste

Spaces where you keep pet food or where animal droppings build up can attract flies-and therefore maggots. If you see maggots in pet food, throw it away in a sealed bag outside. For pet waste, remove it daily and bag and dispose of it right away. Killing maggots with boiling water or salt works here too.

• Store pet food in airtight containers
• Bag all animal waste quickly
• Hose down outdoor areas often

Compost Bins and Gardens

Compost piles often have maggots, which actually help break things down, but too many can be a problem or gross to deal with. Use diatomaceous earth on the pile, or sprinkle salt where needed. Turn the compost regularly and keep a mix of “greens” (scraps) and “browns” (leaves/paper) to make things less appealing for flies. If maggots start leaving the bin, clean up fallen fruit and use more DE or salt as needed.

Cleaning Up After Killing Maggots

How to Throw Out Dead Maggots

After the maggots are dead, sweep or scoop them up along with any mess. Double-bag everything in strong plastic and throw it away outdoors. If your bins are emptied soon, that’s even better, as dead maggots can still draw flies or other pests.

How to Clean Surfaces

After removing maggots, clean the affected area well. Rinse bins with hot water, then scrub with a mixture of vinegar and water (1:3 ratio) or a bleach mix. Clean all corners and crevices, and let everything dry fully before use to avoid bringing flies back.

How to Stop Maggots from Coming Back

Storage and Sanitation Tips

The best way to handle maggots is to never have them in the first place. Store food, especially anything likely to rot, in airtight containers. Always clean up spills and crumbs right away. If you have raw meat scraps, bag them and freeze them until trash day if possible to stop smells and flies.

How to Manage Trash

Take out your trash often, especially after cooking or parties. In warm weather, don’t leave garbage sitting as the smell grows quickly. Use thick garbage bags, tie them securely, and choose shaded, cool spots for outside bins to limit smells.

Keeping Bins Clean and Closed

Wash indoor and outdoor bins every few weeks, using an eco cleaner or your own vinegar solution. Make sure the lid closes properly. Replace it if needed-an open or broken lid is an open door for flies and maggots.

Controlling Maggots in Compost

Maintain a good balance of scraps and dry material in your compost to keep maggots under control. Turn your pile often to introduce air and reduce moisture. Always bury new food scraps under leaves or old compost. You can buy or make food recyclers (like Mill or Lomi) that dry out and grind scraps, making it impossible for maggots to use them as food.

Should You Call Pest Control?

If your maggot problem is large, keeps coming back, or if you’re finding maggots in strange places like inside walls, you may need help from a pest control professional. Sometimes, maggots inside the house mean there’s a hidden source, like a dead animal, that only an expert can find and fix. Pest control experts can also give advice and provide longer-term ways to keep your place maggot-free.