Most Revolting Household Task Ever
Friday, July 13th, 2007 12:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranthNo, really. If you don't like Squirmy Nature do not read on.
Upstairs neighbours moved out a few weeks ago, and have finally removed various oddments from the shed / garden / environs. Until Sunday, the paved space for the wheelie-bins was occupied by some of their stuff, and the wheelie-bins have lived at the front of the house.
Upstairs have not been using their wheelie-bin.
But at some point someone dumped something edible in it, possibly the remains of a takeaway. I didn't see this, but was increasingly aware of a Bad Smell.
Having the day off werk, I decided to return the wheelie-bins to their proper place. As soon as I moved the one that's not in use, I was aware of a VERY bad smell. I opened the lid and nearly threw up.
Maggots. Lots. Squirming and writhing and crawling and being. There was a mass as big as a football, and plenty of 'em trying to escape. Plus, of course, swarming insects.
I am proud to say that I dealt with them without actually being sick (which they might have appreciated) or screaming. (Hot water, garden spade, four layers of black bag,bleach ecologically sound toilet cleaner [it had better work or I'm getting a litre of Tesco Basic].) The maggots (along with miscellaneous bits of rubbish) are wrapped and ready to go to the Household Waste site. I will be driving there just as soon as I have scrubbed a couple of layers of skin away, and doused myself in something that doesn't smell of corpses.
EWWWWW.
Should this ever happen again, what's the best way of dealing with maggots?
oddly enough, I don't have a userpic that suits this
Upstairs neighbours moved out a few weeks ago, and have finally removed various oddments from the shed / garden / environs. Until Sunday, the paved space for the wheelie-bins was occupied by some of their stuff, and the wheelie-bins have lived at the front of the house.
Upstairs have not been using their wheelie-bin.
But at some point someone dumped something edible in it, possibly the remains of a takeaway. I didn't see this, but was increasingly aware of a Bad Smell.
Having the day off werk, I decided to return the wheelie-bins to their proper place. As soon as I moved the one that's not in use, I was aware of a VERY bad smell. I opened the lid and nearly threw up.
Maggots. Lots. Squirming and writhing and crawling and being. There was a mass as big as a football, and plenty of 'em trying to escape. Plus, of course, swarming insects.
I am proud to say that I dealt with them without actually being sick (which they might have appreciated) or screaming. (Hot water, garden spade, four layers of black bag,
EWWWWW.
Should this ever happen again, what's the best way of dealing with maggots?
oddly enough, I don't have a userpic that suits this
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 12:14 pm (UTC)My worst maggot experience was when someone I was doing work for had left their non-pet-owning secretary in charge of feeding the cats whilst he was on hols. She was just topping off the bowls with more (wet) cat food each day and not emptying out the old stuff. And it was a hot summer. I can't believe she didn't notice the smell.
no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 12:20 pm (UTC)a) been sick
b) called for the Boyf
c) been sick again
d) watched the Boyf been sick
e) sighed and sorted it, whilst Boyf is still loudly being sick!!!
And I would have been very bad and used bleach - and lots of it (especially if I couldn't get my hands on a thermonuclear warhead (they are great for those stubbon stains!!!))
no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 02:38 pm (UTC)Perhaps adding to the *abilities of the proposed Boyfriend* list should be 'able to deal with maggots and spiders' - well I HATE spiders.....
no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 01:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 02:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 07:24 pm (UTC)On one hand I have my live and let live attitude; they are just going on their maggoty way, cleaning up our rubbish, on the other hand, ick.
FF
no subject
Date: Friday, July 13th, 2007 03:42 pm (UTC)I'm inclined to suggest one of those flamethrowers from Aliens, but that would probably not be very good for the bin.
My worst experience on these lines involved a hedgehog that I found hibernating in a pile of leaves near our front door a few years ago. I replaced the leaves and let it be, but unfortunately neither the hedgehog nor I had reckoned with an extremely cold snap a couple of weeks later. The poor thing evidently froze, and then when the weather improved it thawed.
A little while after that, I noticed the smell, and with a sense of foreboding removed the leaf pile.
We never did get the stain off the concrete.