Flies and maggots can be kept out of outdoor bins using just two natural household ingredients, according to cleaning enthusiast Lily, known as Clean with Lily on TikTok. The method requires no harsh chemicals and relies on peppermint essential oil and baking soda.
Two-ingredient solution to banish bin pests
In a clip posted in September, Lily said: "I'm sure I'm not the only one which doesn't appreciate maggots in my bins? So after finding them in mine the other day, this is what I'm gonna do to keep them away."
Begin by applying a generous quantity of peppermint oil onto some kitchen roll or cotton wool balls, then place the kitchen roll inside the bin. Next, scatter a liberal amount of baking soda over the kitchen roll, ensuring the base of the bin is thoroughly covered. Lily said: "This will also get rid of any smells as well."
Why peppermint oil repels flies and maggots
Maggots and flies are highly sensitive to the scent and chemical composition of essential oils, which also encompass the likes of lavender and bay leaf. Peppermint oil contains particularly high concentrations of menthol and menthone, and this powerful aroma overwhelms the delicate olfactory receptors found on a fly's body.
According to essential oil and candle brand Wizard & Grace, peppermint essential oil ranks amongst the most potent fly and maggot repellents available. The brand described the oil's menthol content as being "deeply unpleasant" to flies, adding that research has shown it can provide significant protection against flies and mosquitoes for up to several hours.
Wizard & Grace wrote: "The scent is strong enough to overpower the odours that attract flies to a space in the first place. It's particularly effective indoors near windows, bins, and food preparation areas, and outdoors when diffused or applied to a candle."
Baking soda neutralises odours that attract flies
Peppermint oil can equally be used to ward off ants, moths, mosquitoes, spiders, cockroaches, aphids, and wasps. To keep the pests at bay, kitchen roll or cotton wool balls should be replaced at least once a week. Not only will peppermint oil repel unwanted visitors, but it can also help disguise the odour of rotting food and rubbish in bins, which would ordinarily draw flies in. Deprived of these food sources, flies will be unable to feed or deposit their eggs.
Sprinkling baking soda into your bin will help neutralise unpleasant smells and alter the conditions that attract flies and maggots. Flies are powerfully drawn to the organic compounds and acidic odours produced by rotting food, bin residue, and organic waste. As baking soda is alkaline in nature, it counteracts the foul-smelling odours at their source, eliminating the sensory signals that lure flies in to lay their eggs.
