eww, maggots...

[hfchristy]

How should I be cleaning the brooders? I was using an assortment of totes as brooders before the ducks outgrew those and into a big dog crate yesterday, and still use the totes to contain them while cleaning the dog crate.
I've been emptying the totes completely and hosing them down daily. The dog crate had all the pine shavings removed and was wiped down this morning.
Tonight... we've got maggots crawling across our kitchen floor.
Do I need to scrub instead of just trying to power wash? Do fly eggs survive a normal wash cycle and trip through the dryer? The short-term use boxes sometimes get towels on the bottom instead of proper bedding.
Will the ducklings eat the ones that *aren't* in the middle of the kitchen floor? Or are the maggots a health risk? I feel permanently scarred by memories of an old family dog that got infested with them. *shudder*

Christy

 

[Kevin565]

I personally would scrub with something that would kill them vs power washing. I doubt they would survive a washer and dryer but insects can be very hardy. I personally would not let the ducklings eat the maggots because you don't know if they are carrying any viruses.