Nothing is worse than finding maggots in your refrigerator. Although it is unusual to find them in such a cool place, if you do, don’t worry; they can be cleaned.
How To Clean Maggots From Fridge?
Cleaning maggots out of the refrigerator takes the same amount of effort as regular refrigerator cleaning.
Simply follow the instructions below and you will be able to get rid of Maggots in your refrigerator:
- Take everything out of your fridge. Discard any food that has been infested with maggots. Check the expiry dates and condition of the products in it carefully; discard expired products.
- Then, in a spray bottle, combine equal parts bleach and water. Put on your gloves douse and thoroughly clean the inside of your refrigerator. Remove the shelves and seals and clean them separately in bleach.
- With a dishwasher and a clean moist rag, clean all removable parts of the refrigerator. Clean any containers that do not contain spoiled food and that you intend to put back in the fridge.
- Clean the drip pan and the area around the refrigerator. Make sure to clean both the inside and outside of the refrigerator. To ensure that all parts are clean, avoid spot cleaning.
- You can also use commercial refrigerator cleaning products. Keep an eye out for spills that resemble stains. You must also remove it.
- After cleaning, use vinegar to disinfect the interior. A gallon of water with one tablespoon of bleach is another vinegar disinfectant alternative. However, because vinegar is food-grade, prefer to use it in the fridge.
- To avoid contamination, dry the interior. To get rid of the odors, place an open box of baking soda inside. Flies are drawn to odors, and baking soda helps to repel them.
- Check the expiration date of the food before putting it back in the refrigerator. Throw away that past expiration date food. Look for molds, particularly on cheese and bread. Also, look for spoiled leftovers. Remove any food that should not be consumed.
Your refrigerator is now clean. However, it is critical that it remains clean; to do so, not only repeat this process frequently but also keep an eye on the food; if it spoils, throw it out.
How To Get Rid Of Maggots In The Kitchen?
Maggots prefer the kitchen because it usually provides a very suitable environment for them with plenty of food that we forget to discard as well as kitchen bins.
Some helpful hints for getting rid of maggots are provided below.
First and foremost, dispose of all contaminated food and garbage. Remove all garbage from the garbage can by hand.
Place your garbage can outside and rinse each side with a vinegar-and-boiling-water solution. Using rag towels, thoroughly dry your garbage can. You have cleaned approximately 75% of your kitchen by cleaning your bin.
Purchase an insecticide containing permethrin or carbamate and dilute it with water. The solution should be sprayed on the infested flour or corner. Allow it to rest for a few minutes. Wipe away the dead Maggots with paper towels before disposing of them.
Spray any antibacterial product on the area, then thoroughly dry it.
Avoid storing meat, fruit, and vegetable waste for an extended period of time. Avoid moist climates as well and try to keep your trash cans and household surfaces thoroughly dry.
Are Maggots Harmful?
Maggots aren’t dangerous in and of themselves unless you eat them. And you should never eat food that has been infested by them.
Eating maggots or the food they’re on can cause bacterial poisoning because maggots carry a lot of bacteria, especially if they’ve been in contact with feces, which is common because many house fly species use feces as breeding grounds.
Common house fly maggots are harmless; however, other species can bite you and some are attracted to wounds.
How To Keep Maggots Away From Your House?
It is critical to keep flies away from your home or yard in order to avoid a maggot infestation. Cleaning up any food immediately and storing it in sealed containers will prevent odors from attracting flies into your home.
If you have pet food out, keep the dish covered to keep flies out and to quickly remove old food. If you keep compost in your yard, keep it covered or sealed to keep flies away. Finally, keep any animal feces in the yard to a minimum.
Can Maggots Survive In The Fridge?
When the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, maggots begin to die and usually die within a few hours. Maggots rarely survive more than 12 hours in a refrigerator because the temperature is typically kept at 40 or 30 degrees or less.
Maggots enter a closed refrigerator because it contains rotten food. Another possibility is that a fly laid an egg on the food inside your refrigerator and you were unaware of it. It’s also possible that your refrigerator stinks, attracting flies because they love it as a breeding ground.
Related Questions
Do maggots perish in cold temperatures?
A dormant maggot can survive in surprisingly cool temperatures. They have survived temperatures as low as -60 °C in laboratory experiments with no ill effects. Many cold-tolerant animals avoid solid freezing by stockpiling molecules with low freezing points.
What disinfectant is effective against maggots?
You’ll be relieved to know that bleach kills maggots. In a plastic or metal bowl, combine equal parts bleach and water. Pour the mixture over the maggot-infested area, making sure that every maggot is covered. Close the lid and let the fumes suffocate the maggot if the area is an outdoor bin.
Conclusion
Overall, controlling and eliminating maggots is simple. You want to get rid of them as soon as you notice them so they don’t turn into flies and continue the maggot life cycle, which will result in even more bugs in the future.
