I have lots of flies and ants in my compost bin. What can I do to stop these insects breeding in my compost bin (that's if they are harming the actual production of my compost, which I think they are doing).
I am looking for something which will not ruin the compost? Also, how do I attract beneficial earthworms into the compost pile? I live in a subtropical zone in Australia. With thanks in anticipation.
By Bern Johnson from Caloundra, AU
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I think ant spray will do the job. Maybe the compost will have worms in it later. Do research on them, good luck.
Don't worry about the ants. They will help break down the compost. Here are some questions for you. What are you putting in your compost bin that attracts flies? No meat should go in. How close to the house is it? It shouldn't be right on your doorstep.
How often do you turn it? You should turn it once every week, especially if you have insects. This also helps break down the matter so flies have nothing to feed on.Try putting a bag of soil into it or a bag of sheep or cow manure. That will help break it down.
Remember: you should have approximately half green/wet compost and half dry compost. One half fruit and vegetable peelings, lawn clippings etc. the other half dried leaves and dried grass.
You could try a composter with a lid. That would also keep out the insects. Keep turning it and the flies should go away.
Could you cover it temporarily?
Don't put anything harmful like poison sprays or dusts, etc. Then it will be in your soil for whatever use you use the compost. Like the previous poster says, be sure you have no meat products, dairy products or oily things. Just vegetable, fruits and yard clippings. Shredded Newspaper is great too, not the funnies or extra "colored" papers.
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