The most commonly encountered rat-tailed maggot is the larva of the drone fly, Eristalis tenax. It lives in stagnant, oxygen-deprived water, with a high organic content.

Do maggots need water?

Water. Some maggots, like the rat-tailed maggot, live in still pools of water. These maggots are equipped with natural tubes that allow them to breathe under water until they are mature enough to move to dry land and hatch into flies.

What do rat-tailed maggots eat?

Large numbers can be present in most any accumulation of stagnant water, such as manure pits or lagoons, where they feed on decaying organic matter.