How To Keep Your Bin Clean
Understanding the Life Cycle of the
Fly.
The life cycle of the common house fly has four
stages, egg, larva (maggot), pupa and adult fly. Adult female flies
will lay their eggs on any organic material that will provide
suitable food for the maggots when they emerge. Each female fly can
lay up to 500 eggs in batches of 75 to 150 in three to four days
and in the summer during warm weather these eggs can hatch into
maggots within eight to twenty hours. The fly can complete the
whole cycle in as little as seven days and as many as 12
generations may occur in one summer.
How to avoid attracting flies to
YOUR BIN and decrease your chances of getting maggots…..
Your bin can be an excellent food source and
breeding ground for flies, but there are many things you can
do to help prevent attracting flies.
Do not leave any food waste, including pet food,
uncovered inside the house as it will attract flies and wasps
which can lay eggs on it before it goes in the bin. Place it
immediately into your bin (we suggest that you double wrap it
before putting it in).
- Store your bins away from open windows and doors
if possible.
- If possible try to keep the bin in shady areas
out of direct sunshine as the sun will warm up the bin, increasing
the smell and attracting flies.
- Make sure you keep the bin lids closed at all
times to prevent animals and flies getting in.
- When putting disposable nappies in your wheeled
bin make sure they are double wrapped firmly in bags.
- If you dispose of pet faeces in your wheeled
bin, clear up regularly after your pet and place in the bin in a
securely tied plastic bag;
- Some essential oils, such as citronella and tea
tree oil are natural insect repellents. Try smearing your bin lid
with one of these oils if flies are a problem.
- Place newspaper in the bottom of your bin after
it has been emptied to soak up any residue from your waste.
- Rinse out plastic bottles and tins before
putting them in the recycling banks.
- Rinse out tins before putting them in the
recycling box.
- If you do get maggots in your wheeled bin, most
of them will be removed when your bin is emptied. However, maggots
and fly eggs can be killed using boiling water, so it does help to
wash your bin out after it has been emptied. Using a mild detergent
with a fragrance will help to keep flies away from your bin. Please
make sure that you are careful when using hot water and make sure
that any water is emptied out of the bin before you put your
rubbish in.
- It is up to you to manage your bin and ensure it
remains user friendly. Look in the Yellow Pages under Cleaning and
Maintenance or check the Internet under Wheelie Bin Cleaning if you
would like details of local bin cleaning companies.
Contact: recycle@purbeck-dc.gov.uk
Recycling Helpline 01929 557 279