Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags? | Let’s Find Out!

Maggots are the larvae of flies. They are found in soils and decaying plant and animal materials. The most common species found in our homes is the housefly, which can lay up to 500 eggs simultaneously. Maggots are often found in rotten meats and fish; however, they can also be found in boxes of rotting fruit or vegetables if left out for a long time. They are highly specialized feeders found in habitats where food sources become scarce, including human environments. We are here to find out Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags or not and all the possibilities to eliminate them.

Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags

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Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags? | Let’s Find Out!

No, maggots can’t eat through plastic bags. Maggots are unable to digest the polyethylene plastic used in most bags. But because maggots can’t eat through the kind of plastic used in most garbage bags, the bags remain intact after the maggots are done with them.

How do Maggots get into my home?

A maggot infestation is often caused by uncooked meat or vegetables that are left out for days. Maggots are attracted to the odor of decaying food and usually infest that is closest to them. They can easily squeeze through cracks in walls to reach areas where food is available and then reproduce inside the home. This can cause an infestation that quickly spreads throughout the home.

Maggots

Tips to keep Maggots away

No one wants their living place infested with maggots, and chances are that you want to know what you can do to prevent maggots from staying in your house and eating your food. Perhaps you’ve seen maggots in your kitchen and you want to know what you can do to prevent it from happening again. Here are some excellent tips tol help you get rid of maggots in your house.

  • Keep countertops clean; remove clutter, obstructions, and food scraps
  • Locate a bin close by and regularly dispose of trash that may attract maggots
  • Replace your garbage disposal if clogged

If you are still seeing maggots in your kitchen sink, try these tips: 

  • Leave soap or cleaning solution in the drain overnight
  • Use vinegar as an alternative to soapy water. Vinegar kills or deters maggots in your pipes
  • Flush hot water down the drain, especially after cooking greasy food or when cleaning the kitchen, to keep maggots out of pipes
  • Exclude pests by sealing off any openings leading into the house

FAQs | Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags?

Will Maggots die in a plastic bag?

If they are getting fresh air, they can survive in garbage bags. If you tie up the bag they can die in a week. Maggots suffocate and die in airtight bags.

How to Kill Maggots?

Drop some insecticide into the jar where dead flies are or you can also add hot boiling water, it will immediately kill maggots.

Do Maggots eat through plastic bags?

Maggots definitely do not eat through plastic bags. If you see so, there might be holes in the bags. 

Conclusion | Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags?

In conclusion, the answer to the question, “Can Maggots Eat Through Plastic Garbage Bags?”, the answer is a simple no. The best way to stop maggot infestation from happening is to get rid of all food sources of the waste and to seal up your ceiling or wall cavities. This will keep them from getting in and also stop them from spreading outside the house. 

Lastly, you must clean your house thoroughly to eliminate maggots from maggots. You can do this yourself or hire a pest control company to clear the problem for you. Maggots don’t really eat through plastic garbage bags. Tie your garbage bag, and there is no way maggots will come out. We hope our article has helped you in keeping your house from being infested by maggots.

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