Let me tell you a real story. It's about this doofus who leaves home for 3 weeks, just after accidentally flipping the switch that shuts off the refrigerator and freezer, with piles of meat and other spoilable items inside. He only realizes that he might have turned off the fridge when he is already at the airport. But at that point, turning back would mean missing the flight; and then again, he isn't sure that he actually turned off the fridge, there's a chance that it could be still running.
So the guy proceeds with the trip and comes back home as scheduled in three weeks. He finds that the fridge is off. What's inside?
A crime scene from CSI, that's what. Piles of rotten meat, a stench that stinks to high heaven, maggots crawling, hundreds of larvae, larvae and maggots everywhere - on the door, in the cracks, in the ice dispenser; the freezer light doesn't turn on because there are larvae on the switch.
It looks like most people who have to go through this kind of thing, do so after having had to evacuate their homes for a few weeks during a hurricane. Me, I need no hurricane. Just a misfortunate flip of a switch in a hurry before leaving... :-)
We're yet to see if the fridge can be salvaged. For now, it's off to the store to buy bleach, baking soda - then possibly charcoal...
Showing 5 out of 5 comments, oldest first:
Comment on Jun 12, 2008 at 15:35 by Anonymous
P.S. Did you also leave the fridge door open? Or does that mean that the ancestor of the now multiplied bugs has been in the meat even before? Like, also in the times when that meat was supposed to be eaten?
Comment on Jun 13, 2008 at 01:02 by denisbider
It would appear that the maggots come from microscopic eggs most likely laid by flies before the meat is packed and sent to stores. We had some local chicken meat, which is fairly lightly processed and lightly packed. I doubt that they have top-notch sanitation in their facilities.
On the other hand, we also had imported chicken from the States, and I can't say with any degree of certainty that the maggots were in some package and not another.
I spent most of today disassembling the refrigerator/freezer and removing the maggot cocoons, or whatever they are called, from all the little nooks and crannies. They got everywhere. They got even into lightbulb sockets, with the bulb screwed in.
I'm still not sure how to remove them from some places - in particular, they colonized the plastic water pipe that delivers water for the icemaker. They're too far in for me to get to them, and I can't remove the plastic pipe.
If I don't figure something out, it looks like we won't be able to use the icemaker. :-/
Comment on Jun 16, 2008 at 02:03 by verbatim
Or does that mean that the ancestor of the now multiplied bugs has been in the meat even before?
I know what you had in mind but that's why we have an immune system :P.
It would appear that the maggots come from microscopic eggs most likely laid by flies before the meat is packed and sent to stores.
This eggs can also be easily transmitted by other ways. Anytime you leave your fridge open for some short time or if you don't eat full package of meat at once and you return the rest of it to refrigerator insects have time to lay eggs. Real source of them is hard to find.
I'm still not sure how to remove them from some places - in particular, they colonized the plastic water pipe that delivers water for the icemaker. They're too far in for me to get to them, and I can't remove the plastic pipe.
If there are cocoons I think that you should wait that this little creatures are born. They will find their way out. If not, they will die and you can then wash them with water.
So the guy proceeds with the trip
If you visited interesting destination I vote for some photos or post about it. :))
Comment on Jun 17, 2008 at 17:07 by denisbider
The cocoons that went into the water pipe for the icemaker, the ones we couldn't get to, we just left there, turned on the icemaker. They've been washing up in the ice cubes the fridge makes, and we just empty those into the toilet, until no more wash up.
The exotic location we visited, alas, was Slovenia again. I guess you have plenty pictures of that. :-)
Comment on Jun 25, 2008 at 02:59 by verbatim
The exotic location we visited, alas, was Slovenia again.
Well, president Bush said Slovenia is a big slice of heaven. :P