The Unexpected Spice That Keeps Maggots Out Of Your Trash Cans

During the warm months, you might notice maggots infesting your garbage. Even when it's not warm out, your garbage is still prone to egg-laying flies that leave countless maggots in your trash can. Unfortunately, maggots can carry a host of diseases, including Salmonella and E. coli, according to Medical News Today. If consumed, they can also leave you vulnerable to myiasis, a disease in your intestines that can affect both humans and pets. This is why you need to get rid of maggots and keep them away before a small issue turns into a larger one. One excellent way of doing so is with cinnamon and water, a simple trick you have to use to believe. 

That's right — a spice you probably keep in your pantry may be the one thing you need to stop maggots in their tracks. Even better, you might be able to prevent future maggots with this helpful hack.

To rid your trash can of maggots, you'll need to mix cinnamon with water. Maggots (as well as flies and other insects) detest the smell of cinnamon. The chemical components of cinnamon can also prevent flies from laying eggs in the first place. There are two ways you can go about applying this hack: you can mix cinnamon with water from the tap or you can mix it with boiling water as you would with tea. 

The advantage of using cinnamon and boiling water is that the scalding water itself can kill any maggots. Cinnamon alone can take upwards of six hours to work on your bug infestation. This means that if you have an outdoor trash can with a maggot issue, you might use cinnamon and room-temperature water. However, an indoor maggot situation is a more pressing issue and should be treated as quickly as possible for the health of you, your family, and your pets. In this instance, you may want to take your trash can outside and use cinnamon and boiling water to kill any maggots. Remember to use oven mitts to protect your hands when pouring boiling water and cinnamon into your trash can. You can use a pot or a kettle — both will work. 

For maximum effectiveness, you should thoroughly disinfect your trash can after carrying out this helpful hack. Since flies and maggots can carry harmful bacteria, it's best to remove any leftover food from your trash can. Keep in mind that food rots faster in the summer or whenever temperatures are high. Keeping in line with non-toxic, eco-friendly methods of cleaning your home, you can use undiluted white vinegar to clean your garbage can inside and out. Next, add cinnamon and water to your trash can once more. The scent will work to deter future flies from laying eggs, keeping maggots away. 

Maggots in the house and in your trash can be incredibly offputting, but thanks to this helpful hack, you can be rid of them using nothing more than a common household staple. Even better, you may find that food rots slower in your garbage can thanks to the antimicrobial properties of cinnamon. This means that the scent works to repel pests and the essential oils in cinnamon work to preserve food in your trash, offering double the protection against maggots.