Do you have something moving around in your carpet? Maggots are like little worms that can make themselves known anywhere in your home, but they are particularly difficult to deal with in the carpet. Maggots in carpet is a terrible combination that many homeowners dread.
It is often associated with keeping a dirty house, though this is not always the case. The real question is, how can you get rid of maggots that have taken up residence in your carpet?
If you are struggling with the repulsive thought of dealing with these pests, you need to know some effective ways to eliminate them. Here are a few key solutions that you might want to try first.
Can Maggots Live in Carpet?
Maggots are a wriggly pest that no one wants to encounter in their home. These disgusting little creatures are nothing more than fly larvae, so there is no need to be fearful of them. However, they are a signal that something less than savory is going on in your home. Flies are attracted to food and other sorts of trash.
While they feast upon these things, they often lay their eggs in the same place. This leads to an infestation of maggots once those eggs hatch. Eventually, the maggots will turn into flies, and the whole cycle starts over again.
If you encounter maggots living in your carpet, there are a few things that might have happened. First, you might have spilled some food on your carpet that you did not notice. It is possible that you tried to clean it up but missed some food that sank deep into the carpet fibers. Alternatively, there may have been a pet accident that you did not notice. Flies are naturally drawn to this sort of thing as well.
Maggots can hatch relatively quickly, so you might not even have time to clean up the mess before you start to see them. Once flies lay their eggs, they frequently hatch within the first 24 hours. You have to move quickly if you do not want a spill to attract flies.
No matter what the reason for the maggots in the carpet, the truth is that they can live and even thrive in these types of situations.
How to Prevent a Fly Infestation?
The best way to deal with a maggot infestation in your carpet is to stop it in its tracks before it begins. Limit the amount of rubbish that flies have access to in your home. Wheelie bins that hold garbage outside are typically more effective at keeping these pests away than simple black garbage bags. Inside the home, make sure that your trash cans are covered with lids so that flies cannot find anything appealing to munch on in your home.
Keep doors and windows closed so that flies cannot enter in the first place. If you do open the windows, make sure that your screens are in good shape so that flies can’t slip through the mesh.
You can get rid of a fly infestation in your home using just a simple concoction of ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
In a shallow dish, mix together one inch of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and a healthy squeeze of fruit-scented dish detergent. The sweet smell will attract flies, but the dish soap and vinegar will stop them in their tracks.
Another neat trick to keep flies away from doors and windows is to plant certain herbs and flowers around the home. Basil, bay leaf, nasturtiums, and lavender are all highly effective at turning away a growing fly population. Not to mention, they are useful and beautiful additions to any home garden.
How to Get Rid of Maggots in Carpet?
You can’t help it if you already have a fly infestation and a subsequent problem with maggots. Now, you simply need to know how to kill maggots in the carpet. It does take a little bit of elbow grease and a few special tools, but it is possible to get rid of maggots on your own without calling in the professionals. In fact, you might even find that you can curb your maggot infestation in the carpet more effectively without professional help.
The first thing you will need to do is narrow down the area where your maggots are located. Try to contain the mess as much as possible. As soon as you see a handful of maggots, head straight to the store to purchase boric acid powder. Sprinkle it liberally over the affected area and a little farther out than where you see the issue. This ensures that you are covering every maggot with the powder, even if you cannot see them just yet.
The reason this works is that the boric acid powder is extremely rough. It cuts into the maggots when they are exposed to it, eventually killing them.
Of course, sprinkling it on top of them isn’t enough to actually kill the maggots. You need to use a stiff-bristled broom or a brush to work the powder deep into the carpet fibers. This is the time to put a little elbow grease into things. Scrub as hard as you can without damaging the carpet fibers. You want to really work the powder into the infestation, so take several minutes to do this as much as possible.
Once you are finished, vacuum the area thoroughly. If you still see maggots once you are finished vacuuming, repeat the process all over again.
Continue doing this until all of the maggots are gone from view. When you are finished, immediately remove the bag from your vacuum cleaner or bag up the contents of its container. Tie it tightly, pressing as much of the air of the bag as possible. Take it directly outside and throw it away so that you do not transfer the maggots to another section of the house.
Eliminate the Source
Once you do this, you need to make sure that you eliminate the source of your maggot problem. Whether it was an old food spill or a pet accident, make sure that you treat it appropriately and lift it out of the carpet fibers. Otherwise, you might just attract an entirely new set of flies that will lay new eggs.
The best thing you can do is to rent a steam cleaner. Many of the big box home improvement stores will rent out professional-grade steam cleaners that you can borrow for a few hours. Thoroughly go over the entire room so that you can make sure there are no spots that you missed.
When finished, do not simply pour the water down the sink. Take it outside and discard it or pour it down the toilet. In case it sucked up any remaining maggots, this should ensure that they do not hatch in your house and turn into flies, repeating the cycle.
In case you aren’t sure whether you have taken care of the maggot issue, you might want to purchase an insecticide that is specifically formulated for use with a steam cleaner. This can prove to be invaluable as you cope with a major infestation of maggots that might be living deep in the fibers of your carpet. A steam cleaner might pull out more than a traditional vacuum, so this is a great option.
A Harsher Method
If the above methods do not work for you, then you might need to take a more aggressive stand against your maggot infestation. Head out to your local garden supply store and purchase an insecticide and an empty spray bottle.
This will be quick and easy, but it does require that you use these harsh chemicals inside of your home. They may not be safe for children or pets, so proceed with caution. If you cannot find an insecticide, purchase a pet shampoo that has insecticide in it.
- Boil some water and mix it in the spray bottle with two parts water and one part insecticide.
- Spray it in an inconspicuous location on your carpet to make sure that it will not cause discoloration or otherwise damage the fibers. Allow it to soak for several minutes and really permeate the area.
- Once this is done, you can sweep up as many of the maggots as possible.
Alternatively, you could also vacuum them and then tie up the contents of the vacuum in a sealed bag. Keep in mind that this is not the most humane way to go about killing maggots. The most humane way to do so would be to collect them and place them in the freezer for an hour. However, this is an effective way to deal with the issue and get to the root problem.
If you choose to go this route, it is important that you steam clean the carpet afterward. This eliminates any leftover residue and restores your carpet’s cleanliness. You can eliminate the cause of the maggot infestation and get your carpets cleaned all in one fell swoop.
Getting Rid of Maggots in Carpet
You may not relish the idea of having to get rid of pests in your carpet, but sometimes things happen. Even if you do your very best to keep your home spic and span, there is a possibility that you might one day encounter maggots in the carpet. It is just a sign that a few flies slipped past your radar and feasted upon some open garbage in your home. With a few of these simple and effective tricks, you can get rid of the problem as quickly as possible.
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