You never want to open up a trash can to be surprised by hundreds of crawling, disgusting maggots infesting the area. Not only does trash usually smell bad, but it can also be a daunting task to clean up when you find these fly larvae lurking in your cans.  Here is how to get rid of maggots in trash can if it ever happens to you.

If you discover maggots inside your home, you need to empty out all trash immediately to prevent further infestation. Once you empty out the inside trash cans, you should thoroughly clean and disinfect the receptacles. You can do this by washing out the cans with boiling water and soap/disinfectant to kill off any remaining larvae eggs. Then, use a mixture of one part vinegar and two parts water to eliminate any odors that attract these insects. Be sure to dry the can out completely and always use a trash can liner to dispose of trash. You may also want to take precautions by disposing of any food waste in smaller plastic bags before throwing in the bigger receptacles to prevent the attracting of flies and other insects while your trash can is filling up.

If you find the maggots in your outside trash cans, you may have to wait until trash day for them to be emptied. After the trash is picked up, complete the same steps as above to clean and disinfect the cans. To get rid of maggots in the trash can and simultaneously prevent future presence, it is very important to fully clean and completely dry out the bins. For your outside cans, let them dry in the sun before re-lining them with trash bags. Maggots thrive in moist conditions, so this step is very important. Again, always use trash bags and, when disposing of food rations, be sure to seal them in smaller bags rather than disposing of them directly into the containers.

If you experience recurring infestations of maggots and/or other insects surrounding your trash, you might want to contact a pest control specialist to help eliminate the problem. Try using TalkLocal to locate one near you. TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable professionals in your neighborhood, within minutes. Simply enter in your problem, location and availability and TalkLocal will contact multiple pest control companies, who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Volatile traps (the kind of trap that slams down on the mouse, effectively killing the mouse upon impact) are difficult and dangerous to build. However it is very easy to build humane traps that will simply trap the mouse without killing it; you can even use everyday household objects. Use the following steps to learn how to build a mousetrap.

Materials needed:

A big basket with smooth insides so that the mouse can’t climb back out, duct tape, scissors, 2L soda bottle, peanut butter, some leftover cardboard.

1. Cut the bottom end of the soda bottle – about 5 centimeters in. You should have a big hole.

2. Dab some peanut butter (or any other sticky bait) to the edge of the cut bottle.

3. Then position and hold the bottle so that the narrow neck of the bottle is perched on the edge of the smooth basket with the cut inside of the bottle positioned over the basket. Find some leverage (cardboard structure, etc) that will hold the bottle in the place.

4. Apply the duct tape between the bottle and the edge of the basket at the outer side to function as a hinge system – the idea is that the weight of the mouse will collapse the bottle’s hinge as the mouse follows the end of the bottle to get to the peanut butter, making the mouse fall and trapped in the basket.

You may want to even add some counterweights to the neck of the bottle so that the trap will be more balanced – but be careful. Too heavy of a counterweight will result in mouse just getting away with the bait. Too light of a counterweight will result in a broken trap.

The placement of the trap is important as well. Try to put it in around area that you know the mice are active while the people around the area are inactive at certain times. Be patient and try new baits and spots as you hunt. You will want to test whether the trap works by gently placing your finger on the bottle near the bait to see if it falls.

Additional Help

If you feel like you need professional help on catching these annoying critters and advice on the best bait to use for mouse traps, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.