Once a week trash pick up and your trash cans (house, neighborhood)

[janejanejanejanejane]

Did anyone get an increase of bugs in their trash can when we changed to once a week pick up?

[majormadmax]

No, we've been on a once-a-week schedule for several years now without a problem.

We do use bags inside the cans, instead of just throwing the trash in directly; and I spray them down with Lysol every once and a while. We also store them in the garage (not outside).

By the way, you said "increase;" does that mean this was a problem before once-a-week pick-up, and just has gotten worse, or it's a new issue?

[ashbeeigh]

My sister told me that her husband (this was in Kansas) threw a bunch of trash, unbagged, in their giant once a week bins once. Within hours they had gnats galore. It may be the bags like majormadmax mentioned because we never have any issues.

[Bo]

We bag our trash with handle-tie bags and have never had a bug problem in the bin. The city recommends bagging trash, BTW. On windy days, lightweight items can blow away during the automated collection process. Since the truck operator stays in the cab of the truck, he can't retrieve things like that and they'll just litter your neighborhood.

[elnina]

It takes me a 4-6 weeks to fill my bin with a trash. In hot months I will take it out half empty every 2-3 weeks or so, in cooler months I just wait till is full. I bag the trash and tie the bags airtight. Never had any problem with smell or bugs. The trash bin is way to big for an one person household. In my neighborhood most households consist of 1-2 people.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

Oh yeah, we bag all trash. If it's going in the can, it gets bagged and tied tight. Nothing like crawly critters breeding in the ol' trash can.... especially because we keep it in the garage where it's supposed to go!

Last year my lovely neighbors just threw their hog heads in the bin, which they pleasantly keep on the side front of their house (a violation of the C&R) and certain animals with paws n' claws and/or masked face with ringed tails dug 'em out of the trash. End result was rats and roaches crawling around their house with half-eaten hog heads in the front yard until the neighborhood Un-Neutered Head Gato took 'em out.

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by HillCountryHotRodMan

Oh yeah, we bag all trash. If it's going in the can, it gets bagged and tied tight. Nothing like crawly critters breeding in the ol' trash can.... especially because we keep it in the garage where it's supposed to go!

Last year my lovely neighbors just threw their hog heads in the bin, which they pleasantly keep on the side front of their house (a violation of the C&R) and certain animals with paws n' claws and/or masked face with ringed tails dug 'em out of the trash. End result was rats and roaches crawling around their house with half-eaten hog heads in the front yard until the neighborhood Un-Neutered Head Gato took 'em out.

[Merovee]

We also use a garbage disposal so raw food does not go into our kitchen trash. Rinse out styrofoam in the sink before tossing it. Feed scraps to our cats and neighbor's dogs. Then throw the bagged kitchen trash into the city bin. All that usually leaves little to attract the critters, bugs, and strays.

[smuboy86]

Originally Posted by elnina

It takes me a 4-6 weeks to fill my bin with a trash. In hot months I will take it out half empty every 2-3 weeks or so, in cooler months I just wait till is full. I bag the trash and tie the bags airtight. Never had any problem with smell or bugs. The trash bin is way to big for an one person household. In my neighborhood most households consist of 1-2 people.

If you call 311 you can request a small trash can, we did and it solved the problem of setting out half empty cans.

[janejanejanejanejane]

we bag our trash as well. we have a kid in diapers, so i wonder if that matters...its bizarre.