Hi all,
I just started composting this summer, and I'm super excited about it. But I think the balance in my bin is off because I have tons of fruit flies, and it doesn't seem to be heating up. The bin isn't in the sun--is that a problem?
Help!
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The Helpful Gardener
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rainbowgardener
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You are correct that something is wrong, a well working pile will not attract lots of flies of any variety. Mine is very shaded, so I don't think that is the issue. What are you putting in it and are you careful to cover any kitchen scraps thoroughly with weeds, leaves etc, so you don't have garbage on top of the pile? Do you water the pile when the weather is hot/ dry enough to need to water your garden (or more often if your pile is not situated so that it gets rained on)? My pile gets warm, but never hot, but it still doesn't attract flies. I expect your issue is with what you are putting in and the balance between greens and browns... Fruit flies aren't attracted to the browns and this time of year we tend to have mostly greens to put in compost...
To get rid of the flies, I'd try adding in some more browns (see sticky for discussion of greens and browns), mixing the pile thoroughly, then cover it with another layer of brown. Let us know if that takes care of it.
To get rid of the flies, I'd try adding in some more browns (see sticky for discussion of greens and browns), mixing the pile thoroughly, then cover it with another layer of brown. Let us know if that takes care of it.
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vintagejuls
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) that the browns ratio was too low. After I added more brown, the fruit flies flew away (well they probably died... Thanks for the tips everybody. Luckily, a windstorm blew down a big branch off one of my trees and I was able to use the dried leaves to supplement my browns. I just added those, turned it, watered, and covered the whole thing with more leaves--we'll see what happens. Lot's of flies and some big crawly things in there, too. Looked like centipedes and earwigs.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Earwigs are mostly detritus feeders, but will switch to plants as any lettuce grower can tell you. Centipedes are vicious predators hunting whatever else you've attracted...
Tons of rain and a bit too much grass got my pile a bit smelly when I turned it last; I added a bunch of my more finished compost (biological innoculum) and shredded paper (carbon source; "brown") and gave it an extra turn today (already about as offensive as cow's breath, which I happen to like
)
The biggest part of the stink is dead organisms. We macrovertebrates are barely aware of the teeming universe we traverse; every leaf and root supports a tiny ecosystem, populated by millions. Every drop of water actually IS a seperate world where the circle of life is replicated by predator and prey. But the balance for that system can be easily disrupted, say it goes apoxic and
DOOMSDAY! Everything is gone. Life ceases to be, with the exceptions of some real rough trade called anaerobes, who fart methane when they eat. But everybody else croaks, death and decay, and that is rotting. Composting isn't rotting... we invite some bad characters to the party when we do that.
But then there is bokashi; that starts as anaerobic and then is made aerobic again. ANd I remember seeing a white paper (sorry, dug around but couldn't find it on line) about someone brewing an anaerobic tea back to aerobic and getting better results, and people eat saurkraut and kim chee, both anaerobic products (I maintain that kimchee is the ultimate hangover cure
), so there is even some natural value there it seems...
But more turns, more carbon and more critters and you'll be fine...
HG
Tons of rain and a bit too much grass got my pile a bit smelly when I turned it last; I added a bunch of my more finished compost (biological innoculum) and shredded paper (carbon source; "brown") and gave it an extra turn today (already about as offensive as cow's breath, which I happen to like
)The biggest part of the stink is dead organisms. We macrovertebrates are barely aware of the teeming universe we traverse; every leaf and root supports a tiny ecosystem, populated by millions. Every drop of water actually IS a seperate world where the circle of life is replicated by predator and prey. But the balance for that system can be easily disrupted, say it goes apoxic and
DOOMSDAY! Everything is gone. Life ceases to be, with the exceptions of some real rough trade called anaerobes, who fart methane when they eat. But everybody else croaks, death and decay, and that is rotting. Composting isn't rotting... we invite some bad characters to the party when we do that.But then there is bokashi; that starts as anaerobic and then is made aerobic again. ANd I remember seeing a white paper (sorry, dug around but couldn't find it on line) about someone brewing an anaerobic tea back to aerobic and getting better results, and people eat saurkraut and kim chee, both anaerobic products (I maintain that kimchee is the ultimate hangover cure
), so there is even some natural value there it seems...But more turns, more carbon and more critters and you'll be fine...
HG
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The Helpful Gardener
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The Helpful Gardener
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alistevenson
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I have double-trouble: fruit flies thronging from my compster and, worse, infesting the house. We've moved the composter much further from the house, and are adding brown materials to control that problem, but the house is a disaster. We've eliminated access to sponges, drains, etc. but they are happy to infest anything. Bread bags are teeming, bathroom fixtures are coated...it is disgusting!! Any great ideas?
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The Helpful Gardener
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applestar
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Oh Puh-leeze! HG, how could you? Tsk, tsk.
OK, for in-house fruit fly explosion, take a relatively narrow necked bottle or a jar -- I like juice bottles like Nantucket brand, but anything similar will do. Make a paper cone out of magazine subscription cards or index cards with a tiny opening in the tip -- about 3/16" -- and tape the edges closed.
Put some kind of a fruit scrap or tomato scrap in the bottom of the bottle. Add up to 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar, then insert the cone and tape it onto the bottle. The flies will crawl in but won't be able to get back out.
Voilà! A home made fruit fly trap. Make several and place where you see them the most -- definitely near the kitchen sink, fruit basket, etc. Don't keep for longer than a few days or you'll be revisiting your student biology experiment on genetics -- I.e. raising 2nd generation fruit flies in your trap. I usually squirt a few drops of dish soap into the opening and add some water, then shake well until all flies are covered in bubbles and dead. Remove the taped cone and pour the lot down the garbage disposal or toilet or whatever. Don't forget to recycle the bottle
For the ones that are flying around bothering you, lather your hands with some soap bubbles and clap them dead. The bubbles insure that you get them, otherwise, 1/2 the time, they fly away when you open your hands to peek.
Oh, one other trick -- use your vacuum cleaner hose or handheld vac to suck them up.
OK, for in-house fruit fly explosion, take a relatively narrow necked bottle or a jar -- I like juice bottles like Nantucket brand, but anything similar will do. Make a paper cone out of magazine subscription cards or index cards with a tiny opening in the tip -- about 3/16" -- and tape the edges closed.
Put some kind of a fruit scrap or tomato scrap in the bottom of the bottle. Add up to 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar, then insert the cone and tape it onto the bottle. The flies will crawl in but won't be able to get back out.
Voilà! A home made fruit fly trap. Make several and place where you see them the most -- definitely near the kitchen sink, fruit basket, etc. Don't keep for longer than a few days or you'll be revisiting your student biology experiment on genetics -- I.e. raising 2nd generation fruit flies in your trap. I usually squirt a few drops of dish soap into the opening and add some water, then shake well until all flies are covered in bubbles and dead. Remove the taped cone and pour the lot down the garbage disposal or toilet or whatever. Don't forget to recycle the bottle
For the ones that are flying around bothering you, lather your hands with some soap bubbles and clap them dead. The bubbles insure that you get them, otherwise, 1/2 the time, they fly away when you open your hands to peek.
Oh, one other trick -- use your vacuum cleaner hose or handheld vac to suck them up.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Oh AS, you know me. I tend to buy answers rather than build them. But your plans look easy and I have everything I need to make one. Just no fruit flies...
Have had a few in the compost when DW dumps the bin but doesn't turn or tell me to turn; cinnamon helped along with a turn...
The vacuum works for fruitflies AND ladybug infestations...
HG
Have had a few in the compost when DW dumps the bin but doesn't turn or tell me to turn; cinnamon helped along with a turn...
The vacuum works for fruitflies AND ladybug infestations...
HG
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applestar
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Another easy fruitfly trap:
I put a bit of bread and butter pickle juice in the bottom of clear mccafe drink cup. Added a drop or two of dish washing detergent, swirled to mix. Adjusted the straw hole so the flaps are back to almost completely closed and snapped it back on. Left on the kitchen counter, I count two dozen dead fruitflies floating in the cup and no more flying around.
I put a bit of bread and butter pickle juice in the bottom of clear mccafe drink cup. Added a drop or two of dish washing detergent, swirled to mix. Adjusted the straw hole so the flaps are back to almost completely closed and snapped it back on. Left on the kitchen counter, I count two dozen dead fruitflies floating in the cup and no more flying around.