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Preventing insects in wheelie bins
Published 03.07.2008 16:02
Now that the warmer weather finally seems to have arrived, the following are some reminders about how to reduce the risk of infestation in wheelie bins.

When the weather gets hot, the amount of food thrown away is an important factor. As much as possible should be composted or put in a food digester which can rot everything down. If this can’t be done, then thorough wrapping is essential, preferably double wrapping and then putting in the rubbish bin making sure the lid is closed. Leaving food waste exposed to air means that flies can easily be attracted to it, so avoid this.

Good practices to reduce smells include:

  • double bagging food waste such as meat and bones
  • rinse out food containers like cans, polystyrene trays and yogurt pots
  • rinse your bin regularly and use fly spray, insecticidal strips and disinfectant or bleach
  • store the bin away from direct sunlight
  • keep the lid shut
  • consider buying a food digester which can deal with meat and bones as well as vegetables
  • if you use disposable nappies, put solids down the lavatory and then double bag. Consider using real nappies – go to http://www.surreyrnn.info for information
  • avoid leaving cat or dog food out for long periods of time or in places where it can attract flies
  • squeeze air out of bags before placing them in your bin as lack of air slows down the decomposing process and reduces smells
  • try not to prepare too much food
  • all materials in the recycle bin should be clean and dry so as not to attract flies
If, after all the above, you still get maggots:

After the bin has been emptied pour boiling water over flies and maggots to kill them and leave the water in the bin to cool before tipping it out. Clean the bin out with disinfectant or bleach and plenty of water.  Try using a cleaning product with a fragrance as this will help to deter flies in future.

Cllr Gerry Forsbrey, Portfolio Holder for the Environment said: “With the hotter weather, extra care is needed to make sure bins are kept as clean and hygienic as possible. With a little extra care, it should be possible to reduce the problem. Keep waste to a bare minimum and recycle and compost as much as you can”.

Keeping your bin clean (Pdf 1mb)