Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

Preventing insects in wheelie bins

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Calendar of rubbish and recycling collections Frequently asked questions and factsheets (rubbish and recycling) Preventing insects in wheelie bins

• double bagging food waste such as meat and bones
• rinsing out food containers like cans, polystyrene trays and yogurt pots
• rinsing your bin regularly and using fly spray, insecticidal strips and disinfectant or bleach
• storing the bin away from direct sunlight
• keeping the lid shut
• buying a food digester which can deal with meat and bones as well as vegetables
• putting solids from disposable nappies down the lavatory and then double bag. Consider using real nappies – go to http://www.surreyrnn.info (external website) for information
• avoiding leaving cat or dog food out for long periods of time or in places where it can attract flies
• squeezing air out of bags before placing them in your bin as lack of air slows down the decomposing process and reduces smells
• trying not to prepare too much food
• keeping all materials in the recycle bin clean and dry so as not to attract flies

• once the bin has been emptied, pour boiling water over flies and maggots to kill them and leave water in the bin to cool before tipping it out.  Clean the bin out with disinfectant or bleach as this will help to deter flies in the future.