Maggots are unpleasant and contagious guests to any house. These are larvae of flies (such as blowflies or house flies), which are present in different habitats like forests, meadows, and urban environments. So how do they get into your house and, particularly on the carpet and “How To Get Maggots Out Of Carpets?”
Before getting into this, you really need to find their derivation point because the only way to eradicate these larvae is to find their source of origin.
Source Of Origin Of Maggots
Maggots are 1-inch pointed head white larvae, which are typically found in decaying organic matter. You can find maggots in regions with rotten food stuff, decaying matter, feces, and other filths.
So, how do these filths come on our carpet? The answer to this is our excessive use of carpets while eating or playing with pets. If your rug has some food spills or your pet’s feces, then there are high chances of maggots availability on it.
How To Eradicate Maggots From Their Origin Point?
As we already know, maggots have their origins in filths and decaying organic matter, so if we want to eliminate them from their source, then we have to keep our surroundings neat & clean.
Also, maggots have little toothless jaws to eat food, and they live for 5 to 8 days before they turn to pupa, followed by their conversion to adult flies. But if we keep our environment clean, then their life span will reduce to 2 to 3 days, and during this time, they cannot lay eggs. The only reason for this is that only mature flies lay eggs.
So, to eliminate these larvae from their origin,
- Prohibit the water enclosure near your house.
- Remove all the garbage present in your garden, dustbin, or any closed room.
- Clean your carpet and room daily and remove the filth from the bin.
- Make sure that those garbage bags are collected daily from your colony.
- If not, then contact your local authority and ask them to provide dump-collecting vehicles in your colony.
- Clean your garbage bin every 4 to 6 days with soap and warm water to remove food remains.
- Since maggots are attracted by moisture, dry the trash bin under the sun before using it.
- Cover the internal part of the bin with a plastic bag and tug it around the edges before you add any trash. This will keep your bin clean for a long time.
How To Find That Your Carpet Has Maggots?
The major problem that maggots bring with them is that they can be infectious to human tissues and can cause diseases like myiasis. These are very different from carpet beetle bites but are still contagious to human health.
So, it is very important to get rid of maggots if you find them on your carpet.
And if you are not sure if your house and carpet have maggots or not but can see a few flies all around, then check these possible signs around you.
- Large numbers of flies around your house and near the carpet.
- An unpleasant smell is coming out of the trash bin.
- Check the presence of small little worms on your carpet.
- Check if files have laid eggs underneath your carpet or not.
How To Get Maggots Out Of Carpet?
It is very difficult to remove these little maggots from the carpet, but it is essential to eradicate them to prevent diseases. So, if you find maggots on your carpet, it must be treated as soon as possible. For this, you can,
Use White Vinegar
Due to its high acidity and antibacterial nature, white vinegar acts as a death-dealing method for maggots. Still, many people are skeptical about using white vinegar on the carpet, so you must be very careful while using it.
To make it act like one, you have to create a solution by adding
- 1 part of vinegar in 2 to 3 parts of water.
- Place a damp towel over the stain to lose it from its place.
- Pour the vinegar solution into a spray to sprinkle it in an equal distributive manner.
- Let the solution stay on the carpet for a few hours.
- You can also use iron on the damp towel to pass the stain from your carpet to the towel.
- Clean the carpet by first removing dead maggots and then washing it with clean water and detergent.
- Dry it under the sun to remove moisture.
Use Insecticide
Buy an insecticide from the market or nearby store after checking its toxicity so it doesn’t harm your family or pet. You can also use household ingredients like tomato leaf, vegetable oil, neem leaf, or your pet’s shampoo for this. To make them work like an insecticide,
- Add any of the household ingredients, as listed above, in warm water and pour it into a spray bottle.
- Sprinkle the solution on the carpet and corners of your room and leave it for a few minutes.
- Collect the dead larvae from your rug and room corners and dump them in the dustbin.
- Clean the entire floor with disinfectant spray by adding it in water and wiping it in the whole room using a mob.
You can also use a steam cleaner by adding insecticide to it, and for this:
- Wipe the steam cleaner twice over the carpet and then collect the dead maggots from it.
- Clean the carpet with clean water to remove insecticide.
- Dry it under a big fan or in the sun for a few hours until the moisture is eliminated.
Pour Boiling Water On The Carpet
This single-step method can easily remove all maggots from your carpet by causing protein coagulation on it. But remember not to overheat the water as it can make your carpet fabric stiff. This method can also cause discoloration to the rug and to prevent such a situation,
- Add 50% of bleach in 50% of water.
- You can also add 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar in water for the same.
- Hydrogen peroxide will also give the same results on maggots.
- Pour the solution directly on the carpet.
- Leave it for a few minutes, then wash the rug with clean cold water.
Sprinkle Salt Over Maggots
Salt is another easy one-step solution because it sucks out water from the body of maggots. Due to this, the little white larva dies due to dehydration.
- Take rock salt or table salt and use your pinch to sprinkle it over maggots.
- Leave the salt for more than 5 minutes until the maggots stop moving.
- Collect the dead maggots and dump them in the dustbin.
- Brush away the salt remains from the carpet using a broom or simply dust it with a stick.
Sprinkle Boric Acid On Carpet
Boric acid targets the nervous system and stomach of maggots and kills them instantly after they eat it. If you want to use this method to eradicate maggots, then,
- Sprinkle a light amount of powdered boric acid directly on the carpet.
- Use a wooden or regular broom and brush it on the carpet to distribute boric acid evenly over it.
- Let the acid sit on the carpet for a few hours, then vacuum it to clean the dead maggots and powdered acid.
Use Diatomaceous Earth
This natural powder draws out water from maggots and kills them under water scarcity. You can also use this powder to get ants out of the carpet. If you want this powder to give you the best results, then,
- Sprinkle the powder all over the carpet evenly.
- You can use a broom to spread the powder.
- Leave the carpet until the maggots die, and then wipe it.
- Use a mask and gloves while sprinkling the powder because it may irritate your eyes and nose.
How To Get Maggots Out Of Carpet? | Conclusion:
Removing maggots from carpet is a challenging thing to do, so it’s better to keep your surroundings clean from unnecessary food spills and organic decay.
Every answer to your question of “How To Get Maggots Out Of Carpets?” is given in this article. Choose a way in which you want to remove maggots and follow the steps given in that method, as mentioned.
How To Get Maggots Out Of Carpet? | FAQ’S:
What smell can prevent maggots?
To prevent maggots, you can use a natural herb called thyme or cinnamon powder mixed in water. Maggots generally don’t like their fragrance and may die in a few hours if they come near.
Can maggots go away from the carpet on their own?
Maggots will only go away from a place when you treat them for their removal. And, to avoid their evolution, you can keep your area clean and remove unnecessary filled water from its place. Also, clean your garden every week for the same.
Do maggots get multiplied in number?
Even though maggots have a lifespan of 5 to 8 days, their multiplication in numbers is very fast because they lay eggs in their adult stage.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!