Spring Is Here: How to Keep Flies and Maggots Out of Your Wheelie Bin This Summer
The warmer weather is back — and unfortunately, so are the flies.
Across Australia, spring and summer bring longer days, higher temperatures, outdoor entertaining and everything we love about the warmer months. But the heat also creates perfect conditions for one of the most unpleasant household problems of summer: smelly wheelie bins, flies and maggots.
A wheelie bin containing food scraps can quickly become an attractive breeding environment for flies, particularly when it sits outside in the Australian heat for several days between collections.
The good news is that a few simple changes can make a big difference.
WHY ARE FLIES ATTRACTED TO WHEELIE BINS?
Flies are constantly searching for suitable places to feed and lay their eggs.
Household rubbish can provide exactly what they're looking for.
Food scraps, meat packaging, pet waste and other organic material can produce strong odours as they begin to break down. As temperatures rise, decomposition can happen more quickly and odours can become stronger.
If a fly can reach the waste inside your wheelie bin, it may lay eggs on or near the organic material.
Those eggs can then develop into larvae — the maggots nobody wants to discover when they open the bin lid.
WHY A CLOSED WHEELIE BIN LID MAY NOT BE ENOUGH
Most of us close the wheelie bin lid and assume the rubbish underneath is protected.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
Wheelie bin lids can become warped or distorted over time through heat, heavy use and general wear and tear. Even a relatively small gap around the lid can potentially provide flies with access to the waste inside.
That's particularly relevant during an Australian summer when wheelie bins can spend hours sitting in direct sunlight.
Rather than relying entirely on the hard plastic lid, another approach is to create a barrier directly over the opening of the wheelie bin.
HOW TO HELP PREVENT FLIES AND MAGGOTS IN YOUR WHEELIE BIN
There isn't one magic trick that replaces good bin hygiene. The best results come from making your wheelie bin as unattractive and difficult for flies to access as possible.
Here are some simple things you can do.
1. KEEP FOOD WASTE CONTAINED
Where practical, make sure food waste is securely bagged before placing it into your general waste bin.
Meat scraps, seafood waste and food packaging can be particularly attractive to flies during warm weather.
Reducing exposed organic material inside the bin helps reduce the opportunity for flies to reach it.
2. CLEAN YOUR WHEELIE BIN REGULARLY
Residue and liquid can accumulate at the bottom and around the sides of a wheelie bin.
Even after the rubbish has been collected, that residue can continue producing unpleasant odours.
An occasional wash can help keep the bin cleaner and reduce lingering smells.
Always allow the bin to dry properly before adding new rubbish where possible.
3. KEEP YOUR BIN OUT OF DIRECT SUN
If you have the option, storing your wheelie bin in a shaded area can help.
Direct Australian summer sun can dramatically increase the temperature inside a dark plastic wheelie bin, accelerating the breakdown of organic waste and increasing unpleasant odours.
Shade won't solve the problem by itself, but every little bit helps.
4. DON'T OVERFILL YOUR BIN
An overflowing wheelie bin makes it difficult for the lid to close properly.
If rubbish is pushing against the lid or protruding from the bin, flies have a much easier opportunity to reach the waste.
Keeping rubbish below the top edge also makes it easier to use an additional protective barrier over the bin opening.
5. CREATE A PHYSICAL BARRIER BETWEEN FLIES AND YOUR RUBBISH
This is where Enviro Bin Cap comes in.
Enviro Bin Cap is a reusable stretch-fit wheelie bin cover designed to fit directly over the opening of standard 120L and 240L wheelie bins.
The normal wheelie bin lid then closes over the top.
Instead of relying entirely on the plastic lid to prevent flies from reaching the rubbish, the Enviro Bin Cap creates an additional physical barrier over the bin opening.
That can be particularly useful when your wheelie bin lid is warped or doesn't seal properly.
The lid can still close normally, while the stretch-fit Bin Cap remains underneath protecting the opening.
NO CHEMICALS OR INSECTICIDES REQUIRED
There are plenty of sprays, powders and insecticides marketed for controlling flies around household rubbish.
Enviro Bin Cap takes a different approach.
It doesn't rely on chemicals or insecticides.
It's simply a physical barrier designed to help prevent flies from reaching the rubbish inside your wheelie bin in the first place.
That makes it quick and simple to incorporate into your normal weekly bin routine.
FITS STANDARD 120L AND 240L WHEELIE BINS
Australian households don't all use exactly the same size wheelie bin.
Enviro Bin Cap's flexible stretch-fit design is suitable for standard 120L and 240L wheelie bins.
Simply stretch the Bin Cap over the opening of the wheelie bin, make sure it is securely positioned around the rim, and close the normal bin lid.
When collection day arrives, remove the Bin Cap before your wheelie bin is emptied.
Simple.
WHAT ABOUT BIN ODOURS?
There's an important distinction here.
Enviro Bin Cap isn't a perfume and it doesn't magically stop organic waste from producing odours.
Instead, it helps create a physical barrier between the rubbish inside your wheelie bin and the outside environment.
Good bin hygiene, securely bagging food waste, keeping the bin shaded where possible and regularly cleaning the bin remain important parts of controlling unpleasant rubbish bin odours.
Combine those habits with restricting fly access and you've got a much better strategy for managing your wheelie bin during the warmer months.
GET READY BEFORE THE SUMMER FLIES ARRIVE
The best time to deal with flies and maggots isn't after you've opened your wheelie bin and discovered them.
It's before they get access.
As Australian temperatures begin climbing through spring and into summer, now is the time to check your wheelie bin.
Is the lid warped?
Does it actually seal properly?
Is food waste exposed?
Does the bin smell particularly strong after sitting outside for several days?
A couple of small changes now can make wheelie-bin day considerably less unpleasant when the real summer heat arrives.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Enviro Bin Cap fit a 120L wheelie bin?
Yes. The flexible stretch-fit design fits standard 120L wheelie bins as well as standard 240L wheelie bins.
Does the normal wheelie bin lid still close?
Yes. Enviro Bin Cap fits over the opening of the wheelie bin underneath the existing lid, allowing the normal lid to close.
Can Enviro Bin Cap help if my wheelie bin lid is warped?
Yes. Because the Bin Cap creates a separate barrier over the wheelie bin opening, it can continue helping restrict fly access even when the hard plastic lid is slightly warped or doesn't seal properly.
Does Enviro Bin Cap kill flies or maggots?
No. Enviro Bin Cap is not an insecticide. It is a physical barrier designed to help prevent flies from accessing the rubbish inside the wheelie bin.
Does Enviro Bin Cap contain chemicals?
No chemicals or insecticides are required for Enviro Bin Cap to perform its function.
How often do I use a new Bin Cap?
A typical household can use one Bin Cap for approximately one weekly bin collection cycle, depending on use and conditions.
A SIMPLE IDEA FOR AN AGE-OLD SUMMER PROBLEM
Australian summers aren't going to stop being hot, and flies aren't going anywhere either.
But giving them unrestricted access to the rubbish inside your wheelie bin doesn't have to be part of summer.
Keep your rubbish contained. Keep your bin clean. Keep it shaded where possible. Avoid overfilling it.
And put a barrier between the flies and the rubbish they're trying to reach.
Sometimes the simplest ideas make the most sense.
Enviro Bin Cap
Protect Your Bin. Reduce the Flies. Enjoy Summer.