How To Get Rid Of Maggots In Your Carpet

Dealing with a maggot (fly larvae) infestation is certainly no fun! this is especially true when they have found a way to your carpet.

There aren’t many reasons why a fly will lay their eggs on your carpet. It is most likely to be because your carpet is near your trash cans or another food supply. Remove that, and they are unlikely to come back.

In this post, we are going to look at 9 things you can do to get rid of maggots from your carpet.

Contents show

How To Get Rid Of Maggots In Your Carpet

9 Ways To Get Maggots Out Of Your Carpet

1. Boric acid

Boric acid is a natural insecticide that you may use to get rid of maggots in your carpet. This remedy will kill maggots immediately.

Follow these steps to get rid of any maggots in your carpet:

Sprinkle a generous amount of boric acid onto the maggot covered part of your carpet
Sweep the boric acid into the carpet
Let the boric acid sit for at least one minute
Vacuum your carpet
Discard vacuum bag outside

It is important that you discard your vacuum bag outside and follow with an immediate steam-clean to your floor to remove leftover larvae and maggot remains.

A thorough steam clean will rinse your carpet with boric acid, killing any larvae before vacuuming it up.

Always test a small area with boric acid before using it over a bigger carpet area.

2. Vinegar

One of the most natural methods for removing maggots from your carpet is using a vinegar solution. The best vinegar solution is one part vinegar and three parts boiling water.

Pouring this on top of your maggot-covered carpet will kill maggots immediately.

Additionally, the strong vinegar smell will overpower the smell of maggots. Careful though flies are attracted to vinegar, so you will want to clean that up quickly.

3. Dishwasher soap

Dishwasher soap is a great way to kill maggots and larvae because it may contain borax, a natural insecticide similar to boric acid. All dishwasher soap contains borax which is why you can use this clean and sticky substance to kill living larvae and grubs. Drizzle dishwasher soap onto the infested area infested and the larvae will begin dying.

You will eventually steam clean the area after you are done, like many other methods. However, many people recommend using a small brush to scrub maggot-infested carpet if you choose to use dishwasher soap.

If your maggots are on a carpeted area that is difficult to reach, dishwasher soap is great for dripping into small spaces.

4. Commercial cleaners

Many commercial cleaners are great for getting rid of maggots from your carpet. These commercial cleaners include ingredients like borax and boric acid to kill maggots.

Common cleaners include:

Advantage Carpet and upholstery spot spray
PetArmor Home and Carpet Spray

Many commercial cleaners help kill and remove maggots from carpets. After using them, you should deep vacuum your carpets and get your carpet professionally steam cleaned. Or, you may rent a steam cleaner.

5. Deep vacuum

Perform a deep vacuuming over the infested area to remove all grubs and larvae from your carpet. A deep vacuuming will not sanitize the area, but it will remove the presence of maggots. After vacuuming, immediately dispose of the inner bag in an exterior dumpster.

6. Boiling water

Boiling water is a good way to kill maggots. The easiest way to boil water is by using a kettle, but generally, it is at the person’s discretion to decide what they want to use. Using boiling water to get rid of maggots in your carpet is straightforward.

The directions include:

Fill a large pot or kettle with water
Bring the water to a boil
Carefully pour the boiling water onto the maggots

After pouring boiling water onto the infested carpet, the larvae should die immediately. If you still see some remaining, repeat the process. Afterward, steam-clean your carpet.

7. Hydrogen peroxide

Adding hydrogen peroxide to boiling water can be an effective way to kill maggots and larvae in your carpet. To dilute your hydrogen peroxide solution, boil your water and then add the hydrogen peroxide to the boiling water afterward.

The ideal hydrogen peroxide solution is 1 ½ cups hydrogen peroxide to every 1 gallon of boiling water. Boiling water is an effective way to kill maggots, but the added chemicals do several things.

Hydrogen peroxide is a natural sanitizer, which increases the chances that the maggots will die, and it sanitizes the place where the larvae once were.

8. Steam-cleaning

Steam cleaning is completed using a device that uses steam to deep clean your carpet fibers.

You must always steam-clean your carpet after trying any maggot-removal method because it is the only way to guarantee that all maggot remains have been removed from your carpet. Steam-cleaning sanitizes your carpet and eliminates the residue of maggots, which can be harmful to pets and humans.

If you do not own a steam cleaner, you can rent one from your local hardware store by the day, or even by the hour. You may also employ a professional steam cleaner to steam clean your carpet.

Ultimately, steam-cleaning is a great way to get deep into the carpet and sanitize it.

9. Salt

Salt does an excellent job of killing maggots and can be used on your carpet to get rid of them.

Simply sprinkle salt (with some lime if you have it) onto your carpet wherever you see a maggot. Because salt draws moisture, it will dehydrate the maggots and will kill them.

Don’t forget to vacuum the area afterward!

Do not use bleach

Finally, do not use bleach on your carpet, as it will leave a stain.

Conclusion

Dealing with a maggot infestation is certainly no fun! When they get into your carpet, it’s even more of a challenge to get rid of maggots.

Flies will lay eggs where there is a ready food source for the maggots to feast on when they are born. Check around your carpet area for the source of the infestation before you remove them. Check for the following: