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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU we ended up with maggots in our bin?

52 replies

Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 15:06

I'd really appreciate some views from others on this as I feel my husband is being really unfair. In our household I do all the food shopping and cooking (and usually the clearing up to, but that's another annoying story). At the weekend when he was out I barbecued a whole salmon for us. We've had a lot of problems with flies recently so I was extra careful with it and kept a food net (rather than a tea towel) over it when it was cooling down and then cut portions to store when it was cool.

Yesterday morning my husband found maggots in the bin and blamed me. He is annoyed because I am barbecuing more recently (he dislikes the fact that I bought a bbq against his wishes) and also have sometimes had the windows and doors open for fresh air in the recent hot weather (he hates flies and thinks all doors and windows should be shut to minimise the rail of getting a fly in the house).

The only thing I can think that caused the maggots was that a fly flew into the bin and laid eggs on some of the discarded salmon skin/flesh. There was nothing else in the bin that I think could have caused it. I am very good at closing the bin so its pretty unfortunate if a fly got in when my back was turned and laid eggs. I see this as bad luck but he is blaming me for the maggots for aforementioned reasons.

Is he being unreasonable or am I being unreasonable to think this is not my fault?

OP posts:
HipsterHunter · 19/07/2017 15:07

He is being quite strange... you aren't being U.

FatBottomedGal · 19/07/2017 15:10

Why does it need to be someone's fault if there are maggots in the bin?

minionsrule · 19/07/2017 15:10

YANBU - flys get in bins, fact. In this hot weather the lavae turns to maggots very quickly.
We once went away for a week in the summer and got back to a wheelie bin full of maggots - it was not pleasant (and I frantically searched MN to find out what to do!)

Birdsgottaf1y · 19/07/2017 15:14

Why is this being made such a big deal of? Your bin will occasionally get maggots in it, throughout your time of living together.

Insects happen over summer, he needs to get over it.

Did you make him pay for the barbecue? This is all really petty.

ImSoUnoriginal · 19/07/2017 15:18

He seems a bit weird tbh. You are not unfair. Does he suffer from OCD? I can't imagine not opening windows in summer. In fact my OH is the opposite and wants to open them when I think it's too cold.

Believeitornot · 19/07/2017 15:21

he dislikes the fact that I bought a bbq against his wishes

Hmm

Yesterday morning my husband found maggots in the bin and blamed me

Hmm

Your husband sounds delightful Hmm

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 19/07/2017 15:22

Best way to avoid this is to wrap up any such fly-attracting food waste well, and then keep it in the freezer until the night before the bin men come.

LloydColeandhisCoconuts · 19/07/2017 15:22

Blimey, flies swarm around our food bins all the time - especially in this heat, and no doubt there are maggots in there. It's no one's fault. It's disgusting but it happens. He sounds a bit precious OP. I wouldn't worry. You're certainly not BU!

LloydColeandhisCoconuts · 19/07/2017 15:24

Oops! Posted to early! Hmm

That's a good idea GETTING

thatorchidmoment · 19/07/2017 15:26

Uh, this seems like a total overreaction, and I suspect he is trying to find a reason to criticise you as you dared to get a BBQ and use it against his wishes! Not even sure why this is such a problem tbh. It's a little bit ick to see a maggot in the bin, but surely it's a better place for them than the fridge or on the counter?! They will be chucked out with the next bin collection anyway.

Original poster
Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 15:28

Thanks for the replies guys. ImSoUnoriginal - he doesn't have OCD as such but with respect to flies he does seem too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 15:29

GETTING - great tip thanks - especially when it's nearly a two week wait for the bin men to come. Will have to clear some freezer space first!

OP posts:
Original poster
Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 15:32

Birdsgottaf1y - no I didn't make him pay for the BBQ. I used my own money. I earn multiples of what he does so it really grates when I get lectured about how I choose to spend my money, especially when he spends so much on his sailing hobby!).

OP posts:
rolopolovolo · 19/07/2017 15:33

buy a door shield thing for the flies.

Minkyfluffster · 19/07/2017 15:35

I diligently bag everything but we still get maggots sometimes, its horrible. We are south et and don't have a bin store or shaded area to keep bins.

I read (on here) that blasting the bin (with contents in situ) with RAID fly spray helped but MN blasted the OP for that suggestion. One MN suggestion was leaving the bin open for birds to feast on the maggots.....

seasidesally · 19/07/2017 15:37

empty your inside bin daily and tie the handles so they cant get in the wheelie bin

Aintgotnosoapbox · 19/07/2017 15:37

Is it a wheelie bin, or food box bin, or black bin?
Unless it's a special food box bin, I always put meat/ fish in a plastic bag first , tied up.

sobeyondthehills · 19/07/2017 15:38

Not sure if it would make you feel any better, but I opened my main waste bin to find it crawling with maggots.

Turned out my partner, had put a dead pigeon in the bin. I made him clear it out

luckylucky24 · 19/07/2017 15:45

We get maggots this time of year in our bins. No BBq's just some flies getting in when we open the bin.

BabsGanoush · 19/07/2017 15:45

We have our windows open all year round. Maggots and flies happen. Your DH is odd.

Hulder · 19/07/2017 15:48

Your husband sounds rather odd.

Windows get opened in summer. Flies are not the end of the world. Bins sometimes get maggots in, especially when it is 2 weeks for them to be emptied.

You chuck some bleach in the bin and wait for next time. That's all.

ImSoUnoriginal · 19/07/2017 15:49

If you spent your own money on the barbecue, why is he annoyed? Does it take up too much space? Did he want a different type? Is he just a bit controlling. I don't really understand.

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/07/2017 15:49

buy a door shield thing for the flies. and see if there's one for your husband while you're at it. He doesn't sound like a bundle of joy. Who care whose responsibility this isn't.

Original poster
Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 15:50

Aintgotnosoapbox - it's our main kitchen bin

OP posts:
mirime · 19/07/2017 15:52

We have cats which means we have cat food and sometimes we get maggots in our food recycling. It's not nice, but who cares really.

Your DH is being unreasonable.