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Old 11-20-2020, 01:48 PM   #1
Roidgy
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Exclamation Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

(skip to last paragraph for my question)

I want to preface this by saying that in my decade of keeping rodents, never once have I had a fly/maggot problem before this. My roommates are absolutely filthy and keep rotting, moldy food out in their room for weeks and, as you can expect, this attracts a lot of flies.

My robo hamster is a year old, healthy as can be, and I clean his cage regularly. I spot clean every few days and deep clean every 2-3 weeks. This has been sufficient before, but in the past few weeks there has been a massive infestation of flies in my roommates room. About a week ago I saw a fly in my room. I got rid of it but I guess it had already laid eggs in my hamster's cage, as ever since there has been about a fly a day coming out of there. I washed all his toys and replaced all his bedding, but today I saw a maggot crawling through his bedding.

No matter how often or thoroughly I clean his cage, more flies will come from my roommate's room.

Is there any way I can completely stop flies from laying eggs in his cage, or at least some way to ensure they don't harm him? Is there anything I should be on the look out for regarding his health signs?
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Old 11-21-2020, 06:14 AM   #2
Amethyst_ice
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

Hello and welcome,

How frustrating a situation to be in. I lived with a very dirty housemate in my uni days and no matter how much we nagged him hhe didn't clean up.

Have you had a word with your housemate, do you live with anyone else? Failing any progress there perhaps ask your landlord or letting agency to perform a spot check and ask then to raise it, that way your housemate wouldnt "blame" you for raising it.

The maggots shouldn't harm your hamster, they should be a tasty treat! But they aren't nice. All you can do is keep the door shut as best you can, you could perhaps get a mosquito net to hang around the cage but fixing the source of the issue would be a better alternative

Good luck
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Old 11-21-2020, 10:35 AM   #3
Ria P
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roidgy View Post
(skip to last paragraph for my question

Is there any way I can completely stop flies from laying eggs in his cage, or at least some way to ensure they don't harm him? Is there anything I should be on the look out for regarding his health signs?
Eeek!!! not to the flies or maggots but to the roommates.
I guess there's no chance of you moving or you would have done so.

I had fruit flies in a hamster cage once caused by a piece of cucumber he had buried and which had gone mouldy.

Make sure that you cut any fresh food into tiny pieces, so tiny that they dry up rather than rot should your hamster bury it.

I think (but i'm not sure) that flies are usually attracted to food in a warm and moist environment so what do they feed on in your hamster's cage?
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Old 11-21-2020, 11:04 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

I can recommend flypapers! I have them at the moment as we also have an outbreak of flies and I am not sure why (I suspect some rotting piece veg). Not from the hamster's cage but similar thing.

It was getting unpleasant. The flypapers got most of them in a couple of days. Some people may think it's a cruel way to kill flies but heck they're unhygienic and you need something the works quick. You can get a pack of 5 rolls on amazon. I put up 2 or 3 in different locations and they're virtually all gone now - the odd one still kicking about so I'm leaving them up in case any more hatch out!

For your hammy - I would do a full cage clean - they don't like it but hide some treats for him afterwards. If you can keep his nest and hoard in tact (check them carefully) it will help. And then don't put any fresh veg out for him until you're on top of the problem - I'm sure he'll be quite happy with something like half a walnut or a dried hamster treat etc instead of veg for a week or so. So there shouldn't be anything to attract flies to lay eggs in his cage. They will go for the fly papers instead (sticky honey things).

Get the rentokill ones - they work best. I am not like your housemates but we do get a box of fresh veg delivered fortnightly which I keep in the house as nowhere else to put it so suspect it was a rotting piece of veg that started it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Decco-Rento...981785&sr=8-12
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Old 11-23-2020, 01:50 AM   #5
Ithuviel
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

OMG....how can people live like this (the roomates not you) so you live in the same room with them? not in the same flat?

on top of everything else you could just clean up after them....i'm sorry you will be doing all the work...but i just see no other alternative.
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Old 11-23-2020, 11:00 PM   #6
Roidgy
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

coulda sworn i replied already but i guess i didnt Whoops.
Thanks for the help everyone! I tried the above suggestions, right now i have a bucket of vinegar outside my room and it seems to keep all the flies away. I havent seen anymore flies or maggots in our room (or his cage) so i think its all good for now!

Also my roommates have their own room but also leave garbage in the living room. Ive tried many times to get them to clean up but they wont. Unfortunately if i asked the landlord to intervene it would likely mean i end up paying more in rent for a number of complicated reasons.
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Old 11-29-2020, 04:22 PM   #7
brieshamsters
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Default Re: Help! Roommate's flies getting maggots into cage

i honestly relate to this situation a lot. recently, my dad has been leaving food and drinks open in his room and leaving old food in bowls which i think is absolutely disgusting but he’s my dad so i can’t do anything about it. of course this has led to an increase in cockroaches and he doesn’t even care so now i’m moving out in a few months because i’m so terrified and paranoid they’re going to get in my enclosures. i saw one in one of my bin cages once and deep cleaned the whole thing, made sure i got good lids for all the cages, and had a huge argument with my dad about the whole situation. i’m sorry you have to deal with your roommates being like that
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