What Are Maggots and How to Get Rid of Them
Where Do Maggots Come From?
Have you ever wondered where maggots come from? If so, you aren't alone. A "maggot" refers to the larva of a fly. After a fly lays its eggs, the larvae hatch and begin consuming whatever surrounds them. After a few days, this is followed by molting (i.e., the pupa stage), where they transform into adult flies.
At the risk of sounding like a moron, I’ll admit that I thought they just sort of appeared. Oftentimes, it really does seem like maggots appear out of nowhere! But that's because we don't usually notice the fly or its eggs, which are laid hundreds at a time and begin to hatch within a day.
After doing some research, I thought I’d compile the basics about these creatures and share what I discovered. In this article, we will discuss the life cycle of maggots and look at some of the most common varieties found near urban and residential areas. We will also look at their overall danger to humans and examine some of the best ways to eliminate them from your home. Are you ready to get started? Great! Let's get to it!
A Fly's Life Cycle
Before we get started, it's important to understand the life cycle of a fly. As we briefly discussed above, this cycle consists of four separate stages: egg, larva (maggot), pupa, and adult. Let's take a closer look at each:
- Stage One: The life cycle of a fly begins when a female first lays her eggs. On average, most adult flies are capable of living upwards of a month. During this stage, the female will lay 500 to 2,000 eggs in batches of about 75 to 150 at a time.
- Stage Two: A day after the eggs are laid, the larvae (maggots) will appear. This stage is essential to a fly's life cycle, as it represents a time of rapid growth and development. Over the next few days, maggots reach an overall size of 3–9 mm and maintain a white or cream-colored complexion. Depending on the species, though, some can grow upward of 20 mm. Ew!
- Stage Three): After reaching their optimal size, the maggots will enter the pupa stage. During this phase, they encase their bodies in a puparium, which consists of a protective outer coating. Similar to butterflies, the maggot will undergo a metamorphosis while inside their cocoon. After several days (or weeks in some cases), they emerge in the form of an adult fly.
- Stage Four: On average, it takes approximately 14 to 36 days for the eggs to hatch and morph into flies. After reaching adulthood, most flies live for approximately 15 to 30 days.
A fly will lay its eggs anywhere, as long as it looks like their offspring will be safe and well-fed. This is why it's so common to see them around old or rotting food. In their early stages of development, maggots need to eat non-stop and require a steady source of food. This provides them with the best chance of survival.
How Long Do Maggots Live?
As we discussed above, maggots represent the second stage of a fly's life cycle. After hatching from their eggs, maggots continue developing for approximately 8 to 10 days. Afterward, they begin to molt before entering the pupa stage.
Where Do Maggots Live?
Maggots live in a wide array of habitats. As with many animals, different species prefer certain conditions over others. Some are found in forests and fields, while others are more common in urban-based environments. In general, though, nearly all maggots share a desire to be near dead animals, feces, garbage, or decaying materials.
Types of Maggots
It is currently estimated that 120,000+ species of fly exist worldwide. Approximately half of these species produce larvae that are classified as "maggots." As you might have guessed already, some are more prevalent than others. Here is a list of the most common maggots found near urban and residential areas:
- Housefly Maggot: This is the most common variety of maggots. As their name implies, they are commonly found in homes and resemble large grains of rice.
- Apple Maggot: This variety is considered a major pest in the United States, as they feed primarily on fruit (especially apples). These cream-colored larvae eat for approximately 30 days before dropping to the ground. From here, they bury themselves underground, where they develop into the pupa stage.
- Root Maggot: These maggots are common in gardens, as they feed primarily on the roots of plants (especially onions and carrots). They are typically white or yellow in coloration and can live underground for up to four weeks.
- Seedcorn Maggot: This variety is primarily found in gardens (similar to root maggots). From here, they feed primarily on corn, beans, and various legumes. After about two weeks, they begin pupating in the soil.
- Rattailed Maggots: This variety is found worldwide and is common around brightly-colored flowers, stagnant water, and dung piles. They can be easily identified by their cylindrical bodies and breathing tube that resembles a tail.
Preventing Maggots
Are you looking for ways to prevent flies and maggots from taking over your home? Look no further! These strategies will help you prevent flies from laying their eggs and nip any maggot problems in the bud! As we will see below, one of the most effective strategies involves eliminating their food source. Here are some of the best ways to prevent maggots and flies from getting inside your home:
- Remove All Food Sources: Always clean up leftover food and never leave it sitting out. You should also store food in sealed containers and tie your garbage bags tightly. Likewise, be sure to remove garbage from your house frequently. With no food sources, the flies will lay their eggs elsewhere.
- Cover Your Pet's Food Dish: Flies will lay their eggs in your pet’s food as well, so make sure you change their food frequently (and don’t just top it off). Also, it's a good idea to keep the dish covered when not in use.
- Clean Your Garbage Cans: Using bleach is probably your best bet. Also, make sure the lids are always sealed tight.
- Seal Your Compost Bin: If you compost, be sure to keep it completely sealed. Flies see this as a potential food source for their young.
- Pick Up After Your Dog: If you have a dog, be sure to keep your yard free of dog poop.
- Maintain Your Window Screens: Seal any holes in your screens to help keep flies out. Although some flies will manage to find a way inside, this will dramatically reduce their chances of a quick entry.
- Catch the Flies Before They Can Lay Eggs: You can also make a trap to catch the flies, hopefully before they lay eggs. Fill the bottom of a container with a couple of inches of water, then add some smelly bait and a couple of drops of liquid dish soap.
- Put Fly-Repellant Plants in Your Garden: There are certain plants you can place around your home that will help keep flies away. These include marigolds, chrysanthemums, lavender, and tansy. Don't forget the venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant that loves to eat insects.
- Use Electronic Fly Traps: These traps plug into your outlets and emit a white UV light that attracts flying insects. When a fly comes into contact with the device, it zaps them with electricity. It's worth noting, however, that you should only use these devices when needed, as they kill all kinds of flying insects, even ones that we really need.
- Swat or Stick! If all else fails, use a fly gun or a good ol’ fly swatter. You can also get some fly paper, or make your own. (See video below.)
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Signs of Maggot Infestation
One of the most common signs of a maggot infestation involves a strong, unpleasant odor in your home. In most cases, the smell will be most prevalent around your garbage can, compost bin, or areas that are warm and poorly ventilated. All of these places are ideal spots for maggots to grow and thrive.
If you suspect an infestation, a quick inspection of your home is all that's needed to reveal the culprit. When inspecting, look for large numbers of flies, as this is a definite sign of infestation. Also, be sure to check the soil around your home for maggots or pupae. If discovered, they should be eliminated immediately.
Health Risks: Are Maggots Harmful to Humans?
Although maggots are unpleasant to deal with, their overall risk to humans is relatively low. Nevertheless, it's important to note that contact with these creatures can be dangerous, as they are known to carry a variety of pathogens and diseases. This is often passed on to humans when they eat food that comes into contact with maggots or fly eggs. For these reasons, it is essential that you prevent maggots from entering your home. Some of the most common health issues associated with these creatures include:
- Skin irritation (or infection)
- Allergic reactions
- Food poisoning
- Conjunctivitis
- Diarrhea or stomach ache (if ingested)
It's also worth noting that maggots can infect human tissue, causing a disease known as myiasis. This infection is caused by flies depositing their eggs on (or near) a wound or sore. This allows the larvae to hatch and burrow into the skin. When left untreated, this condition can result in serious health complications, including death.
Fortunately, myiasis is rare in the United States and occurs primarily in tropical or subtropical areas. It's also highly treatable but requires antiparasitic medication to kill the larvae. As long as you practice good hygiene, prevent infestations, and ensure your food is washed thoroughly before consumption, maggots shouldn't be a problem for you and your family.
Getting Rid of Maggots
If you've already got maggots, don't worry! There are lots of ways to get rid of them. Depending on your personal preference, you can use chemical products or do it naturally. The choice is yours. Just keep in mind that extreme infestations will likely require professional assistance. Here are a few of the most effective ways to kill maggots:
- Boiling Water: Pour boiling water over maggots to kill them instantly. If you want, you can add a cup of bleach and 1.5 cups of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of boiling water. This helps to sterilize the area. Just be sure to wear old clothing when using this mixture, as bleach can permanently stain your clothes if it splashes on you.
- Dish Soap and Borax: Dish soap works great as an insect repellent or insecticide. Most dish soaps contain a little borax, which is the active ingredient. This compound is effective, as it thoroughly dehydrates the maggots, causing them to die.
- Herbs and Natural Ingredients: Natural fly repellents include vodka and aromatic herbs like lavender, basil, and bay leaf. Lemongrass oil, cloves, witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, and camphor (or citronella) smoke are also effective at eliminating maggots or flies around your home.
- Salt and Lime: Similar to borax, this solution is effective, as it helps to dehydrate the bodies of maggots, causing them to die. Best of all? This mixture is all-natural and affordable.
- Insecticide: If you choose to get rid of them chemically, use a product that contains permethrin, a chemical that is used in many insecticides. One of the most well-known (and effective) products is Raid.
Benefits of Maggots
Despite their nasty appearance, maggots are utilized by humans for a variety of purposes. Even though you might think they're gross, there are many ways we benefit from their existence. Here are some of the most important uses for maggots:
- Modern Medicine: In the realm of medicine, live maggots are sometimes used in hospital settings to clean wounds and dead (or infected) tissue. They are especially useful for wounds that are healing slowly. This practice has been around since ancient times and greatly enhances the healing process.
- Forensics: Maggots are very helpful to forensic entomologists and investigators. They are often used to calculate the time of death for humans. This makes them highly valuable to murder investigations.
- Ecosystem Maintenance: Maggots are critical for many ecosystems, as they help to reduce waste and break down organic matter. This helps to keep the environment cleaner and makes nutrients available to plants and other organisms.
- Pest Control: Some maggots, especially those who spawn from hoverflies, are known to actively feed on common pests (i.e., aphids and greenflies). This helps to keep troublesome insect populations under control.
- Sports and Recreation: Finally, it's worth noting that maggots make great bait for fishing. Fish love these insects as they are relatively large and packed with vital nutrients.
Final Thoughts
Whether we like it or not, maggots are an important part of our ecosystem, as they help reduce waste and break down organic matter. Unfortunately, though, many of them are known to carry dangerous pathogens and diseases that are harmful to the human population at large. For this reason, it's essential that you prevent infestations inside (or near) your home.
Fortunately, this process is relatively simple and straightforward. As long as you put away leftovers and prevent garbage from piling up, you’ll likely remain maggot-free. I hope this article has been helpful and informative. Thanks for reading!
Sources
- Bishop, Beth. “Early-Season Maggots.” 30 April 2008. University of Michigan: MSU Extension. Accessed: 17 November 2023. Web.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Parasites: Myiasis.” CDC. Accessed: 18 November 2023. Web.
- Dubey, Anna. “Maggot: Insect Larva.” 6 October 2023. Britannica. Accessed: 17 November 2023. Web.
- Gonzalez, Amanda. “How to Get Rid of Maggots.” 23 January 2023. WebMD. Accessed: 16 November 2023. Web.
- Liverpool John Moores University. “5 Reasons to Love Maggots.” Accessed: 19 November 2023. Web.
- Pennsylvania State. “Seedcorn Maggot as a Pest of Field Corn.” 19 December 2022. Penn State Extension. Accessed: 16 November 2023. Web.
- University of California, Riverside. “How Hoverflies Spawn Maggots that Sweeten Your Oranges.” UC Riverside Department of Entomology. Accessed: 17 November 2023. Web.
- University of Minnesota. “Cabbage and Onion Maggots.” UMN Extension. Accessed: 15 November 2023. Web.
- Wikipedia. “Maggot.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed: 16 November 2023. Web.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
© 2012 Kalux
Comments
Vanessa Tarcak on September 02, 2020:
Thanks so much for these tips!! I hate using chemicals around the house and with the compost, the maggot risk is so much more frequent, boiling water works like a charm
Maggot.. on August 21, 2020:
I was cleaning my room and I saw trash behind my TV, and I saw maggots (baby flies) on a peace of paper and bread crust and I was freaking out but I got rid of e’m
Abbie on August 20, 2020:
I found magets in some rotten potatoes on my floor near other food. Should I despose of the food around the potatoes as well or do something else. Pls help
HeeBee on August 08, 2020:
I'm finding fly larvae in my bedroom. its dry and clean. My theory is something is dead in the ceiling and may be dropping from a vent. I;ve sprayed and closed the vent.. will they just disappear if there is no food source? is there anything else I can do? I can't get into the ceiling.
GamerPumpDaUchihaJuice on August 05, 2020:
honestly so many ants are in my shower
Freya on July 19, 2020:
Do maggots come by themselves or are they usually found in groups?
Married to Someone with a Phobia of Maggots on July 13, 2020:
Also, fun little fact I forgot to mention, not all maggots are fly larvae, bee larvae are also called maggots and as someone who has watched many infested videos because I'm not really phased by much, I've seen some parts where people have had a bee infestation in their walls and suddenly found out because the maggots would start coming out from the bottom of the wall(s) that was/were infested with them. Just thought it would be an interesting tidbit for folks to know as well just in case that actually turns out to be the case for someone.
Married to Someone with a Phobia of Maggots on July 13, 2020:
So, as someone who is married to someone who has a phobia of maggots (as in will go full fledged panic mode if seeing ANY at all) I've had to deal with some of these little buggers myself. First off, if you run on septic and not sewer, use septic treatments regularly, it helps to lessen a source of food for them. They will come out of your sink/garbage disposal if it's not cleaned regularly, it's still a source of food for them and a source of water to boot. Now then, if you're seeing them randomly appear and you're certain you haven't left anything for them to feed on, they may have gotten into some cracks or crevices in the floor or walls, might even be in the ceiling, especially if you are randomly finding them in a bedroom on top of fresh covers or randomly on the bedroom floor wandering. I would suggest inspecting the ceiling/attic or any crawlspaces that you may have. Sprinkle a perimeter of salt by the edges of a room where you are finding them in regularly, you will know if they are coming from within the room itself, if you stop seeing them in that room then they were coming from elsewhere, possibly even in the walls like I said before. If you continue finding them in the room then start gradually salting different sections until you pinpoint their origin. If they're flooding a yard frequently, then you likely have something decomposing back there or have a decomposing body dropped back there regularly (doesn't have to be a person, can be an animal). Your best bet is to do a sweep back there for anything decomposing and then to remove it, I highly recommend using gloves. Bleach is indeed a good agent for clearing them out, actually just had an incident where they got in the outside trash can and didn't notice until they were coming out onto the top, and I poured a whole quart of bleach as well as put a circle of salt around the can to contain them as they won't cross that line willingly, next morning they were almost all dead, fun fact, direct bleach seems to cause a fogger-like effect with them so that helps in driving them away. Also you can spray them with an aerosol, they dehydrate and suffocate them.
Montanino on July 11, 2020:
I just killed a fly that was delivering live maggots.
Dave on June 25, 2020:
Will flies lay eggs on maggots I have previously killed with only boiling water?
hugheskimberley911@gmail.com on June 20, 2020:
Hi what If a predator positioned magnets in your body and have full control of your body.
TrudiLubiewski on April 26, 2020:
I found 20 or so maggots in the middle of unused bedroom tiled floor. Gutted room found nothing. Worried there will be more never had that before and home is a detached no near neighbours And clean . We only have small house flies that I kill all the time as we are in the mountains in Spain. I’m wondering why, when so many of these posts match my questions there are no answers here.
Tamara on April 01, 2020:
Ive had maggots suddenly appear all over my patio & I've used boiling water, bleach as well as fly spray, now I've opened my fridge & theilre in there too .
So frustrated I'm a very clean person. Please help
JUSTIN TIME on March 16, 2020:
The last 4 people live a dirty disgusting habitat. Enjoy your maggots. Ugh!
Code on February 21, 2020:
I left some bags in my garden as didn’t have room in my bin and now I have loads of maggots they are huge ! Have tried bleach boiling water and acid stuff and the still not dying I have to young children please help
Devon on February 11, 2020:
it helps my son with his homework
Karen on January 12, 2020:
My daughter seems to have an infestation of maggots most days fir the last 2weeks or so. Mostly when its wet and they appear from her small lawn towards her house. There are no bins in her back garden whatsoever but these maggots appear. She has used boiling water bleach disinfectant etc but theykeep coming back. Its obviously causing her some distress with 3 young children to look after. Any advice would be gratefully received
John Garrison on December 31, 2019:
Every morning my back porch has at least 30 to 50 flies on the screen. I have never seen one maggot my recycle can is back there but it is always emptied and cleaned it is not garbage. Nothing is dead and I have fixed any holes in the screens. It's a mystery
Macy on November 22, 2019:
My husband left a chicken piece and I found lots of maggots there!
Melissa on October 05, 2019:
I keep a clean home. Weeks ago while I was on a business trip, my husband left some chicken in the garbage can, which is covered. I came home and took the garbage bag out to the trash. The next day, a whole lot of maggots showed up on our ceramic tile floor, throughout the house. We thought they were from the chicken he had left in the bag and whatever had possibly dropped off from that the bag as we took it out the trash. Since then, I've replaced my trash can with one of them that closes automatically. It's completely spotless but on 2 times since then, I found maggots on my floor. I can't find the source. They crawl in in many different directions and they're not together. Like they're looking for a food source. I can't find where they're coming from and I'm scrubbing my tile with cleaner and 409 and vinegar. I've sprayed around my doors with bug spray. I am still looking for the source. Where do you suggest I can find the source when my house is clean and I don't have food out? I don't have I just don't have stuff like that in my home. It's driving me crazy
Choua on September 23, 2019:
Thanks for your information although my living room and kitchen is fairly clean, I don’t leave any food out but I still notice maggots on the living room floor even after I have moped! I have no idea where they’re coming from.
Zj on August 21, 2019:
Found a maggot on my bed after putting snacks away now I’m paranoid but didn’t find no fly or anymore maggots at the moment i don’t know where it could have came from
JHRP on August 19, 2019:
HELP!!!! So it took a few days to notice maggots under the kitchen rug. By then, they were everywhere and had apparently traveled. I've gotten rid of the rugs and have cleaned furiously. However, I now have hatching flier everywhere as the nasty things made their way to other spots, hid and turned into pupae. What can I treat the areas with to get rid of the pupae? I just went home for lunch and literally killed 100 flies. Disgusting!!!
Anonymous on August 15, 2019:
They found our old burrito and there is thousands!!!! How do I get rid of them??!??
Wallace Johnson on August 14, 2019:
I Hate Maggots we had one in our trash can and we used boiling water so far it Worked!
Patti on August 11, 2019:
OMG we had a dead rat in the wall (poison bait trap we used) and now these maggots are sneaking thru the kitchen. I am horrified!
D on July 25, 2019:
Sprinkle salt, it sticks to their skin and they eventually die. Works GREAT!
Scott on July 14, 2019:
I drink a lot and one night after hitting the pub a wee too hard I somehow sliced my leg on something which made me bleed Very badly. I was in a lot of pain yet still passed out When back at me loft. I woke up in the right and thousands of maggots where eating my leg almost to the bone. I would Pull a clump of them out and I more quickly replaced them.. The top of my foot then cracked upon and a couple maggots came through followed by thousands. I set my
Ryan Mooney on July 08, 2019:
So it was two days ago go at my family reunion and my cousin was there and I punched him in the face he tried to punch me at school so that day I got revenge back I punched my almost favorite cousin in the face.
Pam Curry on July 06, 2019:
I recently had a cat who got torn up by a mean do. This was our family cat so I wanted to try to save her. She was a very big and beautiful Himalayan/Siamese. She had laid injured for several days before she finally limped home. She had two huge holes on her back side. They were full of maggots. The vet told me to leave the maggots in there so they could eat the bad flesh. I did that for 2 weeks. She didn’t get better, quit eating, and we eventually had to put her down. After removing her from the utility room I found a few maggots crawling. I killed them, disinfected, and sprayed fly killer. But a few days later I’m seeing a lot of tiny flies! I’m killing them often but wondering if there is something else I need to do?? Can maggots survive without something to feed on? Should I bomb the room? It’s right next to my kitchen and don’t want to do that unless necessary. Any suggestions?
bestfootie1 on June 30, 2019:
Today in London, England was pretty hot. We had been away for 4 days to Amsterdam (was fun!) and the weather in London has been a mix of lots of rain and then really hot weather. Frustratingly our Council will only collect bins fortnightly (that's 'every two weeks' for you American folk bereft of proper English). So the bins were overflowing with rubbish bags ("trash bags" for you American folk).
I was retching. I cannot believe I did not actually puke. It was like a dead body. When we managed to get the bags out so we could double and triple bag them and take them elsewhere we were greeted with THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of maggots. It was like a plague of biblical proportions! G-d was so generous to me today and helped me survive bH.
I honestly feel traumatised, like it's affected my inner subconscious. Every time I think about them. It was like a dead body. I understand and have a reference point now for what forensic investigators must feel when they come across rotting flesh.
Missy on June 30, 2019:
Can eggs hatch after the fly is dead? I sprayed 2big flies in my home about a week ago, now i have killed about 5 maggots but they were scattered thru the first floor, ex 2 in livingroom, 3in dining room. None in my kitchen ( thank goodness)! and thanks to my kittty for noticing them!!!