Can Maggots Get in a Coffin?

Can Maggots Get into a Coffin?

• Maggots are fly larvae.
• Coffins get buried in moist soil which creates an ideal habitat for maggots.
• The coffin may not be completely sealed, allowing maggots to enter.
• The most common way maggots enter a coffin is when a female fly lays eggs on the body or in the coffin.
• Maggots can also enter through cracks or holes in the coffin.

Prevention Methods to Avoid Maggots in Coffins

• Seal cracks in the coffin.
• Use preservatives on the body before placing it in the coffin.
• Flies lay eggs which become maggots.

Decomposition and Prevention

• If the coffin is sealed well and the body embalmed, decomposition slows down.
• Most bodies decompose within 10-15 years.
• Burying bodies 6 feet down slows decomposition and prevents scavengers from easily getting to them.
• Soil creatures like worms and bacteria still reach buried bodies.
• Maggots only come from fly eggs, not spontaneously at death.