Homeowners are being urged to place bread in their wheelie bins to prevent flies and maggots, which thrive in warmer weather. A TikTok creator, @no56northamptonshire, shared the tip, recommending bread soaked in vinegar at the bottom of the bin.
Why it works
Vinegar's strong acidic odour naturally repels flies, and the chemical can dehydrate maggots and kill them on contact. The acidic nature disrupts the pH balance that maggots need to survive, making the environment uninhabitable and lethal.
House Digest reported: "Like many other organisms, maggots have a specific range of pH levels to survive. The acidic nature of vinegar disrupts this balance. When exposed to vinegar, the pH level of the maggots' surroundings drops sharply, making it uninhabitable and ultimately lethal to them."
How to do it
In the video caption, the creator wrote: "A great tip to stop flies and maggots in the bin. Pop some bread soaked in vinegar at the bottom. I always bag up all my garbage to keep the bin a lot cleaner. No more flies or maggots."
When asked how much bread to use, the creator replied: "I pop two slices and yes that's the plan." One commenter who tried it said: "I leave the bread soaked in vinegar on top and yep it works." Another suggested: "Just spray white vinegar and water, no need to use bread, then spray with jeyes fluid and water each time the bin is empty."
Other uses for bread
Bread can also be used as a gentle cleaner. Karina Toner, a cleaning expert at Spekless, told Homes & Gardens: "White bread is surprisingly effective as a gentle, non-abrasive cleaner for delicate surfaces. Its soft, porous texture is great for picking up fine particles and light moisture without causing damage."
