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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:
BewareOfDragons · 19/07/2017 15:52

Tell him he can do all the cleaning up and take out the kitchen garbage daily.

What an arse!

simon50 · 19/07/2017 15:53

Maybe you could suggest to your DH that he empties the kitchen bin into the outside bin himself every couple of days to avoid this in the future ?
(Not a stealth boast). But it never ceases to amaze me how many guys seem to consider just bringing in a wage is enough ? Ok my situation is a little different as my partner is disabled, but I work full time, walk our two dogs, do almost all of the food shopping (she gets odds and ends that she can fit on her mobility scooter) and I do most of the cooking.

DancingLedge · 19/07/2017 15:55

Doors and windows closed all summer!Shock

Each to their own way of life, but that would be a deal breaker for me.

PyongyangKipperbang · 19/07/2017 15:56

I suspect that this is less about maggots and more about the fact that he resents you daring to earn more than him and spend it on what you like instead of what he says you should. So you need to be punished and brought down a peg or two to realise your place.

Do you have kids? Are you planning them?

amusedbush · 19/07/2017 15:59

Your husband sounds delightful. Why the fuck would it bother him that you bought a BBQ??

SandyDenny · 19/07/2017 16:00

Until you said they were in the kitchen bin I was going to say he was being ridiculous and that maggots in your wheelie bin isn't an issue but I do think food waste like that should go straight into an outside bin simply to avoid getting them in the kitchen.

Freezing leftover food that you're going to put in the bin really? I'd think I had way too much time on my hands if I ever got to that point Smile

mummmy2017 · 19/07/2017 16:04

Just poor hot water into the bin over the meat, it will kill the maggots.

ThreeLeggedCat · 19/07/2017 16:18

We had maggots in our bin recently. I told my husband. He said 'Oh'. We cleaned bin out. End of story. It really shouldn't be an issue. I think your husband is over-reacting about a total non-issue. Yes there is a yuck factor, but that's life!

Hulder · 19/07/2017 16:19

OK kitchen bin- ours is tiny and we empty it outside practically every day in the heat to avoid smells maggots

But your DH is still weird. Why can't you open a window or have a barbecue? It's the summer. There will be flies. Deal with it.

horsefeathers · 19/07/2017 16:24

Maggots are an unlovely but very ordinary problem. It's pretty normal at this time of year. Is your husband phobic? Cause if so I feel for him, but that's not a reason for him to blame you or be weirdly controlling about what you can buy and whether you can open windows.

Groupie123 · 19/07/2017 16:27

I'm puzzled. How can a lined bin you rinse out weekly ever get maggots? My wheelie bin has never gotten them.

RubbishMantra · 19/07/2017 16:49

Your DH's reaction is a bit off. Why did he feel the need to apportion blame?

This reminds me, several summers ago I put a covered litter tray in our garden. I didn't think about the consequences of heavy rain, heat and compostable litter... When I went to clean it out, it was full of writhing maggot soup. An entire bottle of bleach didn't kill them! We emptied every chemical in the house on top of them, including a container of sulphur. The only thing that worked was physically squashing them with a vegetable masher.

A photograph of the maggot soup.

AIBU we ended up with maggots in our bin?
seasidesally · 19/07/2017 16:55

just empty kitchen bin daily,tie securley bin bag and keep outside bin shut,simple

im not saying you do op but can never understand people that have full to the brim bins and leave it till it will take no more,thats lazy and disgusting imo

Original poster
Kerals26 · 19/07/2017 16:57

RubbishMantra - oh my word, sounds horrendous! Bleach/mould spray was my first port of call but there were only a handful of them thankfully so it and some boiling water worked!

OP posts:
WhateverNameIsStillAvailable · 19/07/2017 16:59

Take out the bin. New bin bag. Done!
It happens. No big deal.
Let him sulk and open those windows 😁

Tazerface · 19/07/2017 17:02

I am struggling to think how in an normal relationship either of these things would be any sort of issue.

thefutureisfemale · 19/07/2017 17:03

How petty of him

thefutureisfemale · 19/07/2017 17:05

Although I think I'd drop dead with fright if I found maggots in the bin it's just something that happens sometimes in the summer- no ones fault as such. He is BU.

Notknownatthisaddress · 19/07/2017 17:05

In this insanely warm and humid weather it is common to get maggots in your wheelie bin, especially if you're not careful about bagging your food waste up tightly. (And many people don't!)

Just stick 3 or 4 kettles full of boiling water over them. 90% of them will die.

Maybe it was your 'fault' but for fuck's sake, who cares?! Your husband is a twat to 'blame' you for this.

Tell him this too. 'YES it was down to me but get over it you petty fucking twat!'

Rhubarbtart9 · 19/07/2017 17:08

It's very strange that your husband is making such a minor thing into something major. Seems disfunctional.

seasidesally · 19/07/2017 17:10

if it helps my cat left a dead mouse at the side of the house,before picking up i looked at it noticed slight movement and then aload of maggots dropped out,

thats disgusting

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 19/07/2017 17:10

I had tons of them in the wheelie bin last week,it only takes one fly and some hot weather. I double wrap all bin bags and empty the kitchen bin every day AND clean the wheelie bin and I still got them.

So bloody what? It's really not the big deal your husband is making it out to beConfused

seasidesally · 19/07/2017 17:11

and i know it was him as i had chased him out with the live mouse 36hrs before

StormFrontage · 19/07/2017 17:13

I am struggling to think how in an normal relationship either of these things would be any sort of issue

I do agree with Tazer

OH and I, and DD and her OH, we'd all be grossed-out-laughing about it, buying more compostable bin bags, flapping patio voile curtains at blue bottles and enticing down crows.

And enjoying our barbecues.

FadedRed · 19/07/2017 17:16

Your DH sound a bit odd.
Maggots in the bin happen, doesn't have to be anyone fault.
We got maggots in the bin when the bin emptying went from weekly to fortnightly. We got a waste disposal unit. No more maggotty bins.