While abroad, washing your clothes and leaving them to dry in the open air can lead to significant problems for the international traveller. In many of the hotter regions of the world a fly can actually lay her eggs on damp clothing which has been laid out to dry.
Where the climate is hot and humid, certain insects such as putsi flies and tumbu flies are prone to laying their eggs on wet and drying clothes. These hatch on coming into contact with your skin and the larvae then bury themselves in your flesh.
Keep in mind that flies feed on and lay eggs in anything that is rotting or putrefying. The likely breeding sites for house fly larvae indoors include animal carcasses, large numbers of dead insects, rotting meat or produce.
Although some flies lay their eggs near to water, most flies lay their eggs in these few select locations. However, they have a strong preference for any kind of decaying material. Flies deliberately lay their eggs in these places so that their larvae can feed as soon as they hatch.
Most likely the tiny worms are fly larvae, commonly called maggots. The damp clothes probably attracted tiny fruit flies who laid eggs a few days ago, which hatched and produced the tiny wormlike maggots. One that is proven to work is the use of salt. Simply sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the maggots.
Maggots are commonly found in areas where there is rotting food, organic material, or decaying matter and filth. In kitchens, they can be found in pantries in spoiled food, pet food, on rotting fruit or produce that has been laid out.
Bleach to the Rescue
The fumes will kill the maggots and disinfect the surface area, hopefully keeping them away. Bleach will ensure no traces of the maggots, and they will not come back later.
The fly lays its eggs on the ground or on bedding or clothing that is laid on the ground to dry and once hatched the larva seek the warm skin of humans which they penetrate rapidly.
A foul rotting piece of organic matter (from food, to feces, and everything in between) is probably the reason why the house flies are growing at an alarming rate in your home. It is the perfect breeding ground for houseflies and they will show up near and far to take advantage of the filth that is available to them.
Intestinal myiasis occurs when fly eggs or larvae previously deposited in food are ingested and survive in the gastrointestinal tract. Some infested patients have been asymptomatic; others have had abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea (2,3). Many fly species are capable of producing intestinal myiasis.
Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.
Homeowners typically find house fly eggs in moist, decaying organic material like trash, grass clippings, or feces. Elongated and pale in color, they appear in clusters and hatch quickly after being laid by the female fly.
Flies often lay their eggs in almost any warm, moist material that will provide food for the larvae or maggots. There are also times when flies would lay eggs on other areas. They could lay eggs in areas with warmer temperatures or places that have light sources and places that have been infested by other insects.
When the weather warms up and flies breed, they will lay their eggs in any damp, warm area, including a damp towel.
If you have ever found small, white eggs on your clothing, chances are they are webbing clothes moth eggs. These pests are particularly fond of clothing made of natural fibers like wool, but can also be found on cotton, silk, and other fabrics.
Once these maggots develop hard cases, flies are about to hatch! Three common varieties of flies lay eggs indoors, each with a different preferred breeding site: House or cluster (aka blow) flies: These lay their eggs in moist garbage or pet waste.
Different flies have different breeding sites, but examining your compost, garbage cans, uncovered fruit or produce, and drains for maggots is a good place to start.
Check under sinks in the kitchen and bathroom, especially around garbage. Consider investing in dehumidifiers for particularly humid areas of your home. Clean up and prevent any other sources of excess moisture, too. No matter how small it may seem, flies can and will use it.
Flies lay their eggs near to the food sources
They will enter your house through many openings and will definitely head to the dirtiest spot inside your house in search of food and breeding ground. Some of the best spots for many flies to go is including your kitchen garbage bin and dirty drains.
Flies will also be attracted to dirty laundry, particularly for the smell and any sugary residue from your meals. This is more likely if the laundry basket is open to the elements.
Hair heavily coated with fecal matter also becomes an inviting place for flies to lay eggs. The maggots feed on the organic matter, start to abrade the skin and then start to feed on live tissue.
Flies are just like us – they spend the entire day buzzing around with their friends and get pretty tired at bedtime. Before sunset, a sleepy fly will try and find a safe place to rest. Some favourite places are on the undersides of leaves, twigs, and branches, or even in tall grass or under rocks.
Pour boiling water on the maggots Boiling water is a simple way to get rid of maggots. Just pour the hot water on the creatures and they will die instantly [source: Torfaen County Borough]. Keep in mind that there may be infestations you can't see, so pour water on any area that may be infested.
In most cases, you can usually get rid of maggots using boiling water alone. However, in a particularly bad infestation, pest control expert Nicholas Martin suggests mixing bleach 50/50 with water before pouring it onto maggots to get rid of them instantly.
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.