The exceptionally hot Summer we’ve been enjoying in the UK has spawned an abundance of flies and bluebottles. This has made feeding my fussy cats something of a challenge, with me hovering over their bowls so I can whip them away almost before my cats have finished eating, to prevent the winged creatures from being attracted into my kitchen. Our own food is kept lidded and is quickly refrigerated for the same reason. Others clearly haven’t been quite as vigilant… Apparently, there’s been a 500% increase in Internet searches, (over a period of just one month) on how to prevent maggot infestations in bins! Along with this news, commercial waste management and recycling services specialist BusinessWaste.co.uk reminded me that in March, new food waste bins were distributed for the first time to many households that would have needed to discover how to use them efficiently, long before the flies were born. I’m thinking now that this coming (or last) October might have been a better time…

I’ve seen many a bin or ruthlessly discarded takeaway food bowl crawling with maggots over the years and it’s not a pretty sight. I feel desperately sorry for those involved in waste collection, sorting and disposal, who have to deal with maggots, (probably) on a daily basis in Summer but this doesn’t have to be the case.

It’s far easier to prevent maggots from making a home in a bin than it is to evict them. BusinessWaste.co.uk suggests that waste food should be composted where possible, or at the very least placed in your food waste caddy using a liner that’s securely closed before it’s placed into the outside food waste bin. It says that for waste such as meat, fish, dairy and rotting fruit, two bags should be used, one inside the other. I’ve tried the compostable bags but find they tend to rot down too soon, so I’m hoping someone’s working on an upgrade.

The company also suggests sprinkling insect repellent powders or diatomaceous earth around the rim and base of the bin - something I’d not considered myself. Diatomaceous earth is a natural and effective way to kill maggots by dehydrating them, says the company, which suggests reapplying it after cleaning or every few days during hot periods. Another suggestion is to regularly, thoroughly clean your bins and keep them in a cool, shaded area to slow down food rotting, the flies’ lifecycles and to minimise bad smells.

If maggots do appear, it suggests pouring boiling water over them to kill them instantly, before disposing of them and resanitising the bin. Other easy solutions that could also exterminate maggots in bins are vinegar and baking soda, or essential oil sprays, it suggests. My view? Prevention is clearly better than cure…