Compost bin question?
Question:My friend set up a compost bin, the plastic kind. When she took off the lid to add waste to it there were hundreds and hundreds of little flies inside. Is this normal?
Answers:
Yes, they are usually fruit flies and they do no harm. What you can do is leave the lid half off for a while, this allows access to larger predatory beetle, which will set up home in your bin and will soon be feasting on fruit fly larvae.
They're not fleas, just little flies that congregate near rotting food stuff - I've got them in my compost bin too...
Yes. Perfectly normal. The flies are harmless and live off the rotting waste.
i have that problem as well
does anybody else have millions of anys in their bin? how can i get rid of them?
perfectly normal, they will bugger off once the food starts to degrade properly. She could throw in some compost on top to lessen them if they are bothering her. or grass cuttings.
No probs, just ignore them, they are helping the process of decomposing.
Yes when your compost is a little on the wet side. It is better to add browns and green in equal quantities this keeps the process going without too much smell or flies
Yep.. Don't be surprised if you find slugs, centipedes and other cooties too. They belong there.
The tiny flies that are attracted to compost bins are called "vinegar flies"; or they may also be fruit flies. If they are a nuisance they can be controlled by covering the compost with a light layer of soil, then 2-4 inches of newspaper.
If these are houseflies, this can mean your compost is too moist. Houseflies are should not be encouraged around compost bins, as they carry disease pathogens. This can also mean meat, dairy, and other items which should not be composted have been added to the bin.
You do not mention what your friend is putting into the compost bin. A healthy compost bin consists of 50/50 "green" and "brown" contents. The following source is an excellent one for "what can I put in my compost bin?". http://www.lime.com/glossary/compost... Page about halfway down for a paragraph describing greens and browns.
Leave the lid off until the cold weather comes, the flies are normal but cannot escape.
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