Menu
Between the months of April/May and Oct/Nov each year, most, if not all household bins become infested with flies and invariably maggots. The increase in temperature during this time of year creates a perfect environment for the flies to breed. The average fly will lay up to 700 eggs in a few days, which means that with only a handful of flies you can have literally 1000’s of eggs laid inside a bin. This creates maggots (fly larvae) and a strong a distinctive smell of ammonia which is very unpleasant and attracts more flies. The maggots, whilst in search of food will scour the inside of the hard surface of the bin and leave a greasy residue on the inside of the bin, that over time builds in layers and creates a vicious circle of fly and maggot infestation. The only way to stop this from happening is to scrub the inside of the bin with a degreasing agent and then disinfect the inside surface. This works only for as long as new flies are attracted back to the waste inside the bin and then the whole cycle starts over. Many people wash the bin out and wonder why within days it’s crawling with maggots again – in reality who actually scrubs the bin? Not many, so the smell remains and the flies return.
Now the best way would be to stop the flies from entering the bins? Yes, but this is almost an impossible task. Bins are opened throughout the day, leaving opportunity for flies to enter. Also most bins are not designed with this problem in mind and don’t create a tight seal between the top of the bin and the lid. The flies literally have to walk into their favourite place and start laying eggs. We can reduce the temptation by bagging waste food, nappies, dog poo bags etc. However, it only takes a small gap in the wrapper for flies to enter and start the process.
Having realised that it’s almost impossible to stop flies getting into the bin, the next best solution would be to stop them from physically getting to the hard surfaces of the bin. To start with they lay eggs around the rim and let the maggots do the rest in search of food. The flies will also venture into the bin to feed and lay eggs. So the easy answer would be to use a wheelie bin liner inside the bin? Yes, this stops the food and waste from reaching the sides of the bin, however, if you have ever used a bin liner they only work until the first bag enters the bin and they collapse into the bin. The bag, once collapsed, then allows the flies and maggots access to the hard surface again, so we are back to square one.
So the challenge would be to develop a system that holds the liner securely in the bin, without letting it collapse inside. A system that creates a tight seal around the rim of the bin so that nothing can pass that point.
Our bin sealing system is fitted in about a minute and creates an airtight barrier between the hard surface of the bin and the bag. Whilst the flies may still enter the bags, they cannot get to the hard surface to lay eggs, meaning that everything including smelly solids and liquids is contained inside the bag and therefore disposed of when the bin is collected. Our system will greatly reduce the smells that build up over time due to layers of residue left behind by the maggots. If the seal and the bag is used in conjunction with our concentrated fly repellent oil, then the flys generally stay away and it even works on wasps too!
On the bin collection day simply remove your sealing strip from the rim of the bin, bunch the bag together and zip tie it to seal everything into the bag. This will fall out in its entirety into the collection truck. Once your bin is empty, coat the lid and the rim with our fly deterrent oil, pop your bag inside and re fit the sealing strip. You are now protected until the next collection.
Ensure that your bin has been thoroughly cleaned (see instructions). Pop 4 to 5 drops of fly deterrent oil onto your sponge and rub around the rim and the inside of the bin lid. Use the sticky pad to store the sponge on the bottom section of the lid
Unwrap your NO FLY ZONE bin seal and prepare your Bin Skinz bag for the bin by shaking it out and then create a long tube like shape. Insert the bag into the bin, overlapping the rim of the bin evenly spacing the bag out.
Push the NO FLY ZONE bin seal firmly onto the raised part of the rim, starting at the right hand hinge of the lid. Taking care to follow the contours of the bin rim, continue until fully fitted as far as the second hinge. (This process will get easier once the seal has been fitted for the first time.)
Take a sharp pair of scissors or a pair of pliers and cut the seal at the second hinge once you have pushed the seal firmly in place and checked it. This gap at the back will allow your bag to expel the excess air trapped between the bin and bag.
On your bin collection day, simply take one end of the bin seal and pull it off the rim. It will remove very easily. Place the seal to one side and gather and twist the bag into the centre. Take your cable tie and seal the bag ready for collection. Everything in the bag will now drop into the truck.
Give your bin a quick spray with disinfectant, wipe around the rim with your oil and then follow steps 1 to 4 and you’re all ready to go for another week or two of fresh clean bins.
You can avoid a whole host of issues in your bin by using decent a liner. The use of a liner will stop any food waste drying onto the inside surface of your bin and make it less desirable to flies. The main issue has always been the liner falling into the bin when the first bag goes in. We stop this by sealing the bag onto the rim of the bin.
The No Fly Zone bin seal system will fit most bins in the UK and Europe. It requires an up-stand on the rim of the bin to fit to. This up-stand is normally between 5mm and 7mm high and needs 5mm to grip to (don’t worry if it doesn’t have an up-stand, we can still help). The up-stands are a variety of shapes, but the seal will follow and due to the flexible metal frame it will remember the shape for the next fitting.
You are free to use whatever bin liner you choose. Bin Skinz liners are 100% recycled and degradable (12 months in landfill to break down) and are designed with plenty of room to overlap the rim of the bin. Please ensure that the liners you choose wrap comfortably over the rim without stretching.
© 2024 All Right & Reserved
