Ok I started composting over about 2 months ago. Now I've noticed maggots in my compost tea and compost. Cuz earlier in the year flies were around the pile. Though it didn't smell. So I emptied the pile of it contents and I'll start again.
No how to keep flies away. I just sprayed some "off" around the pile. If it repels mosquitos it should keep flies away ehh.
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thebahamiangardener
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rainbowgardener
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Not necessarily a terrible thing. Some people have actually done maggot composting, similar to worm composting. They help break down the vegetable matter. If the maggots are 1/2 inch or so long, they are probably larvae of black soldier flies which are pretty harmless. The flies will fly away if they hatch. The maggots will go away out of your finished compost because they won't have any more food.
If you really don't want them in your pile: work on making sure your pile is cooking a little hotter, especially by turning/aerating and by good balance of green and brown. Add more browns and dry material. Maybe add some drying ingredients, like bone meal, dirt, sometimes the maggots might be a sign that the pile is wet. (You want it to be damp like a wrung out sponge, not wet.)
I see a number of posts from people saying oh help, there's _________ in my compost pile, where ___________ might be pill bugs, ear wigs, cockroaches, maggots, etc. The compost pile is part of nature and it will attract all those natural critters that like to break down veggies into compost... Relax! Let nature do its thing. When the compost is finished, there will be no more food for any of those critters and they go away again.
If you really don't want them in your pile: work on making sure your pile is cooking a little hotter, especially by turning/aerating and by good balance of green and brown. Add more browns and dry material. Maybe add some drying ingredients, like bone meal, dirt, sometimes the maggots might be a sign that the pile is wet. (You want it to be damp like a wrung out sponge, not wet.)
I see a number of posts from people saying oh help, there's _________ in my compost pile, where ___________ might be pill bugs, ear wigs, cockroaches, maggots, etc. The compost pile is part of nature and it will attract all those natural critters that like to break down veggies into compost... Relax! Let nature do its thing. When the compost is finished, there will be no more food for any of those critters and they go away again.
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thebahamiangardener
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applestar
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Good luck with your compost. It's all about balance -- ingredients, nature, etc. Spraying Off is not really a good solution because the effect will be temporary at best and toxic to beneficial compost denizens as well as adding toxis to the compost itself at worst.
Nearly a lifetime ago (it seems like -- I have a photo of the kids who are in college now) I loaned out a compost tumbler to the neighborhood kids for their Earth Fair project. They filled and turned it for something like 2~3 weeks then the parents loaded it up in their vehicle and took it to the Fair. When they came back, the tumbler was DUCT TAPED ALL OVER and one of the parents told me with a grimace that when the kids demonstrated turning the tumbler ANTS and EARTHWORMS fell out of the holes.
I told them -- with as straight face as I could manage 
-- that presence of ants meant the compost was too dry and too cool and needed to be heated up more with additional GREENS and a little more frequent watering.... In hindsight, I'm VERY GLAD maggots didn't fall out. 
Nearly a lifetime ago (it seems like -- I have a photo of the kids who are in college now) I loaned out a compost tumbler to the neighborhood kids for their Earth Fair project. They filled and turned it for something like 2~3 weeks then the parents loaded it up in their vehicle and took it to the Fair. When they came back, the tumbler was DUCT TAPED ALL OVER and one of the parents told me with a grimace that when the kids demonstrated turning the tumbler ANTS and EARTHWORMS fell out of the holes.
I told them -- with as straight face as I could manage -- that presence of ants meant the compost was too dry and too cool and needed to be heated up more with additional GREENS and a little more frequent watering.... In hindsight, I'm VERY GLAD maggots didn't fall out. -
rainbowgardener
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OMG can't have earthworms in your compost project! 
I guess I should have included them in the there's ________________ in my compost, but I hadn't seen people complaining about earthworms. I guess most people get it that they are (generally) good guys...
I think we've all forgotten what natural processes look like!
I guess I should have included them in the there's ________________ in my compost, but I hadn't seen people complaining about earthworms. I guess most people get it that they are (generally) good guys...I think we've all forgotten what natural processes look like!
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The Helpful Gardener
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We need to keep in mind that the reason that compost does what it does is that we are adding biologies to the mix, in a sense, creating an ecosystem. Ants and worms AND maggots are all higher level predators, nothing more or less, and NOT necessarily bad per se...
Maggots usually means you are composting meats or fats, and I don't recommend either for home composting, EVER...
HG
Maggots usually means you are composting meats or fats, and I don't recommend either for home composting, EVER...
HG
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GeorgiaGirl
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applestar wrote:I loaned out a compost tumbler to the neighborhood kids for their Earth Fair project. They filled and turned it for something like 2~3 weeks then the parents loaded it up in their vehicle and took it to the Fair. When they came back, the tumbler was DUCT TAPED ALL OVER and one of the parents told me with a grimace that when the kids demonstrated turning the tumbler ANTS and EARTHWORMS fell out of the holes.
That's hilarious... hopefully they didn't also spray Raid in the compost! 
What works for me is throwing a rotting half of a cantaloupe into the pile. Those things feast on that like it's a dead body!I welcome maggots to my compost but I don't have any this year. I wish I knew of a way to attract black solder fly maggots they can comsume a whole compost pile pretty quick.
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anothermemory
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Are you sure they were maggots? Like rainbowgardener suggested, they might be black soldier fly larvae.
A few months ago, I was turning my compost and noticed HUNDREDS of squirming "maggots" but I sat there utterly confused about what attracted them. I'm very meticulous about my compost bins, technically I have four. With a little Googling, I came upon pictures of my guests. I realized I was incredibly lucky to have them in my bin. I realized what attracted them was the cantaloupe rinds, as I removed as much flesh as possible to feed my worms (and I have cantaloupe nearly every morning) but put the rinds in my lawn compost bin. The BSF larvae was loving it!
So, I'm thinking about making a separate bin for them this weekend, maybe partner them up with some of my redworms...
If you still have them around, find out if they are indeed maggots or BSF larvae and consider having the buggers around. They are excellent critters when it comes to breaking down compost. My friends think I'm nuts because not only do I feed my pets, but I look after all my beneficial insects and critters as well. I help them, they help me. That's what it's all about.
Good luck!
A few months ago, I was turning my compost and noticed HUNDREDS of squirming "maggots" but I sat there utterly confused about what attracted them. I'm very meticulous about my compost bins, technically I have four. With a little Googling, I came upon pictures of my guests. I realized I was incredibly lucky to have them in my bin. I realized what attracted them was the cantaloupe rinds, as I removed as much flesh as possible to feed my worms (and I have cantaloupe nearly every morning) but put the rinds in my lawn compost bin. The BSF larvae was loving it!
So, I'm thinking about making a separate bin for them this weekend, maybe partner them up with some of my redworms...
If you still have them around, find out if they are indeed maggots or BSF larvae and consider having the buggers around. They are excellent critters when it comes to breaking down compost. My friends think I'm nuts because not only do I feed my pets, but I look after all my beneficial insects and critters as well. I help them, they help me. That's what it's all about.
Good luck!