In my experience, hydrogen peroxide works very well to remove the maggots. They do not particularly like the peroxide so those that are not washed away leave the area as fast as they can squirm. A good set of forceps can be helpful for stragglers or runaways.
Application of chloroform, chloroform in light vegetable oil, or ether, with removal of the larvae under local anesthesia, has been advocated for wound myiasis.
Maggot infestations are typically caused by rotting food and filth, so you must locate the source of the filth and dispose of it, followed by a thorough sanitation. The kitchen is usually the primary focus, as this is where food is most likely to spoil and garbage can accumulate, attracting flies and maggots.
Ultimately, the physicians in this case found that pouring dilute hydrogen peroxide over the maggots and then gently wiping the the area with gauze was the best solution.
Vinegar. If you want to try a more natural method, try a solution of one part vinegar with three parts boiling water. This solution will kill the live maggots and will also remove the fly-attracting odors from your trash can, temporarily preventing them from laying eggs.
Homeowners can follow up by sprinkling a good amount of baking soda over the bin to eliminate any unsavoury scents. Not only does this solution effectively kill maggots but is also natural and free so there's no need to waste money on insecticides.
Boiling water is a natural method to kill maggots instantly. Pour the water carefully to avoid burns or spilling in other areas by mistake.
Pour boiling water or a vinegar solution on maggots for natural ways to kill them instantly. Sprinkle rock salt or diatomaceous earth over the maggots to dehydrate their bodies and kill them instantly. Apply a bleach solution or chemical insecticide to the maggots for quick chemical control.
Maggots are applied to the wound at a dose of 5–10 larvae per square centimeter of wound surface area and are left within their dressing for 48–72 h. At that point they are satiated, finished working, and can be removed.
Turpentine oil was applied topically over the intraoral wound and maggots that had infested the wound were removed.
Maggots abhor salt and will be killed through exposure to it, similar to slugs. You can either pour granulated salt directly onto maggots, or you can create a table salt solution that can be poured or sprayed across food waste or a garbage bin.
Bleach to the Rescue
The most popular and possibly most effective chemical cleaner would be bleach and hot water. Combine equal parts bleach and hot water in your garbage cans and close the lid. The fumes will kill the maggots and disinfect the surface area, hopefully keeping them away.
Mix some lime and salt together in equal parts and sprinkle the mix over affected areas. This trick is best used after getting rid of maggots, to prevent them from breeding there again. Sprinkle the mix in your bin or anywhere prone to maggot infestations to keep them away.
Myiasis is infection with a fly larva, usually occurring in tropical and subtropical areas. There are several ways for flies to transmit their larvae to people. Some flies deposit their eggs on or near a wound or sore, the larvae that hatch burrow into the skin.
There is even literature out there about maggot therapy for diabetic foot wounds. However, regardless of the generally harmless consequences, maggots are still not something you care to find on your patient. In my experience, hydrogen peroxide works very well to remove the maggots.
In wounds other than those on the head, pour about 10 – 15 drops of chloroform directly into the hole. Leave it for a while. This will kill the maggots. If you like, plug the wound with cotton wool so the maggots suffocate.
It turns out they really thrive in chronic, poorly healing wounds — they're perfect places for maggots to grow. And all it takes is for one fly to land on a wound for a few seconds. It can lay hundreds of eggs.
In warm weather, conducive to fly growth, maggots can consume 60 per cent of a human body in less than a week.
You should not be able to feel the maggots on your wound as they are only there to remove dead tissue but occasionally some patients with ischaemia (reduced blood supply) to the wound may experience increased pain. If this happens you can be given painkillers or the treatment can be stopped.
Maggots can't live in the acidity of vinegar. Mix 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar and pour the solution directly over the maggots. Let the mixture sit for about an hour before you discard the maggots and clean the area.
Health Risks of Maggots
In general, maggots are not dangerous to healthy individuals. However, maggots can infect human tissue and cause a disease called myiasis. Symptoms of myiasis vary depending on the location and severity of the infestation, and it can affect both humans and animals.
Maggots emerge from fly eggs that are laid wherever there is a safe place and a fresh source of food for the new brood of maggots to feed on. Mature flies will lay between 75 -150 eggs at a time in places like trash, carrion, feces, or rotting food. These eggs hatch into maggots between 7 - 24 hours.
The short answer is no, maggots cannot eat through plastic garbage bags. Plastic garbage bags are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is a very strong and durable material. Maggots do not have the ability to chew through plastic, and they will not be able to penetrate the bag to reach the garbage inside.
Maggots are a sign of dirty, polluted environment or unattended, spoiled food and exposed garbage bins. This means, even if your place is well maintained and clean, if there are garbage bins or food sources that flies can access, maggots can appear. Find out about what causes maggots to know what they are a sign of.
According to research, maggots don't really drown but spilling boiling water on them can hurt them. So, if you want to get rid of them immediately without having to go to the store to buy repellents, you can try to use boiling water first.