Let's hold the pine twigs; pine is heavy in in the chemical terpene (what turpentine comes from) which arrests composts hard (I've heard it called pine poisoning). My compost from under the pines is mostly what I use for mulch around my mixed and shrub beds and it does not finish well but is more fungal; veggies and flowers get bacterial composts (more grass and kitchen leavings). Deciduous leaves or even shredded paper are definitely the things to go for now, along with some air; we'll leave fancy fungal compostin' for AFTER we get rid of maggots and nasty wet anaerobic stuff...
HG
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The Helpful Gardener
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savetheworld
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I did get some pines but I have not added them yet, I went out and collected a bag full of all sorts of leaves,bark,from the forest ground some from trees whose leaves are brown, and some hay, I did happen to get some brown pine leaves in the process though, they are everywhere kind of hard to pick them out..I won't add the pine I have collected separately I have also added holes all around and on the bottom of the bin..here are some improvement pics
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4053.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4054.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4055.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4052.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4053.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4054.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4055.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/oipunkskaboyoi/HPIM4052.jpg[/img]
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rainbowgardener
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savetheworld
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savetheworld
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Hello all..
just posting an update on my compost
I still have some maggots, I do tend to have white and brown ones so I assume I have the house fly and the black solider..if that's possible!
they kind of stay on the bottom and return there after I turn it
I do have millions of ants and now also wasp that go in and out of the holes
I have added more leaves and hay as well in layers and then mixing it up every few days or more
not sure what to do to minimize the ants and wasp,different kinds!
I had to move from concrete to grass as ants were all around the concrete
that's where its at now
I will browse the forum to see if anyone has had these issues
thank you!
just posting an update on my compost
I still have some maggots, I do tend to have white and brown ones so I assume I have the house fly and the black solider..if that's possible!
they kind of stay on the bottom and return there after I turn it
I do have millions of ants and now also wasp that go in and out of the holes
I have added more leaves and hay as well in layers and then mixing it up every few days or more
not sure what to do to minimize the ants and wasp,different kinds!
I had to move from concrete to grass as ants were all around the concrete
that's where its at now
I will browse the forum to see if anyone has had these issues
thank you!
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opabinia51
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I wouldn't get to excited about maggots. A compost should be a living breathing entity. And the more insect life you have in it, The better. What you'll get is microbes and macrobes feeding on the plant matter and then other macrobes (insects and other animals) will feed on the microbes and macrobes feeding on the plant matter.
So, this is a good thing.
So, this is a good thing.
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savetheworld
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I am not sure what kind of wasp they are..ants I can deal with
maggots I am sure are still there but I added tons of browns, the wasp might be yellow jackets, or feed on BSF's they are yellow and black
I just don't want to get stung really, every time I take the lid off they go crazy!
maggots I am sure are still there but I added tons of browns, the wasp might be yellow jackets, or feed on BSF's they are yellow and black
I just don't want to get stung really, every time I take the lid off they go crazy!
opabinia51 wrote:I wouldn't get to excited about maggots. A compost should be a living breathing entity. And the more insect life you have in it, The better. What you'll get is microbes and macrobes feeding on the plant matter and then other macrobes (insects and other animals) will feed on the microbes and macrobes feeding on the plant matter.
So, this is a good thing.
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rot
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..
The good news is that wasps, including yellow jackets, will clean up all the other insect pests you might have. No need for bug spray.
The bad news is once the yellow jackets finish cleaning up your yard, give it about two weeks I'm told, they're gonna get mean looking for food in other places. That means your soda and any other food you might have outside.
Just to be on the safe side, move your little bin away from the house. They will move on in time. The contents of the bin will compost in time if you do nothing else.
I believe you should connect locally for advice. Check with the local master gardeners and if they don't have composting expertise, they will know someone who does.
Personally I dread and hope for a nest of yellow jackets or bees. Bees for pollination and wasps for pest control. I'm not sure if it's something I can handle and I don't think it's for everyone.
For my sensibilities, I would be perfectly content to maybe move the bin from the house and wait and see. I can only expect that it might be too much for some. This composting, this bio-remediation, only works if it works for you. If it's not working for you then change is in order only I don't have the local smarts to tell you how to handle this one.
A Florida composting website: https://www.compostinfo.com/
Thanks for the update.
..
The good news is that wasps, including yellow jackets, will clean up all the other insect pests you might have. No need for bug spray.
The bad news is once the yellow jackets finish cleaning up your yard, give it about two weeks I'm told, they're gonna get mean looking for food in other places. That means your soda and any other food you might have outside.
Just to be on the safe side, move your little bin away from the house. They will move on in time. The contents of the bin will compost in time if you do nothing else.
I believe you should connect locally for advice. Check with the local master gardeners and if they don't have composting expertise, they will know someone who does.
Personally I dread and hope for a nest of yellow jackets or bees. Bees for pollination and wasps for pest control. I'm not sure if it's something I can handle and I don't think it's for everyone.
For my sensibilities, I would be perfectly content to maybe move the bin from the house and wait and see. I can only expect that it might be too much for some. This composting, this bio-remediation, only works if it works for you. If it's not working for you then change is in order only I don't have the local smarts to tell you how to handle this one.
A Florida composting website: https://www.compostinfo.com/
Thanks for the update.
..
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savetheworld
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- Location: Florida
we do have a master gardener and gardeners extensions with the university of Florida which has a plethora of information I will ask them as well.
I think I am going to try to get a picture just to show, there are a bunch now, the bin is out side,we don't eat out there.
hopefully they will move on, there seems to be at least 20
are they eating insects in the bin or the scraps as well?
or mating?
do you know?
this is all an experiment for me..so I am definitely learning as I go
thanks!
I think I am going to try to get a picture just to show, there are a bunch now, the bin is out side,we don't eat out there.
hopefully they will move on, there seems to be at least 20
are they eating insects in the bin or the scraps as well?
or mating?
do you know?
this is all an experiment for me..so I am definitely learning as I go
thanks!
rot wrote:..
The good news is that wasps, including yellow jackets, will clean up all the other insect pests you might have. No need for bug spray.
The bad news is once the yellow jackets finish cleaning up your yard, give it about two weeks I'm told, they're gonna get mean looking for food in other places. That means your soda and any other food you might have outside.
Just to be on the safe side, move your little bin away from the house. They will move on in time. The contents of the bin will compost in time if you do nothing else.
I believe you should connect locally for advice. Check with the local master gardeners and if they don't have composting expertise, they will know someone who does.
Personally I dread and hope for a nest of yellow jackets or bees. Bees for pollination and wasps for pest control. I'm not sure if it's something I can handle and I don't think it's for everyone.
For my sensibilities, I would be perfectly content to maybe move the bin from the house and wait and see. I can only expect that it might be too much for some. This composting, this bio-remediation, only works if it works for you. If it's not working for you then change is in order only I don't have the local smarts to tell you how to handle this one.
A Florida composting website: https://www.compostinfo.com/
Thanks for the update.
..
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rot
- Greener Thumb
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- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:15 am
- Location: Ventura County, CA, Sunset 23
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I don't know that much about wasps and such to really expound. I believe the big sting comes from the larval form. If I understand things right, some will sting their pray and leave eggs. The eggs will hatch and devour the host. Others will leave their eggs on or in plants. The larvae hatch and come out hungry. I believe certain figs rely on certain wasps to reproduce.
Pure Speculation: Yellow Jackets are getting sugars out of the moist bin. Maybe yellow jacket like wasp things that don't nest are leaving eggs behind. Eggs hatch and larvae feed on the critters dining there. Larvae grow up to be wasps. Wasps leave eggs and so on.
I betcha the master gardener types will know all about it. Apparently about the only thing that doesn't thrive somewhere in Florida are the polar bears.
Less than two cents I'm afraid.
..
I don't know that much about wasps and such to really expound. I believe the big sting comes from the larval form. If I understand things right, some will sting their pray and leave eggs. The eggs will hatch and devour the host. Others will leave their eggs on or in plants. The larvae hatch and come out hungry. I believe certain figs rely on certain wasps to reproduce.
Pure Speculation: Yellow Jackets are getting sugars out of the moist bin. Maybe yellow jacket like wasp things that don't nest are leaving eggs behind. Eggs hatch and larvae feed on the critters dining there. Larvae grow up to be wasps. Wasps leave eggs and so on.
I betcha the master gardener types will know all about it. Apparently about the only thing that doesn't thrive somewhere in Florida are the polar bears.
Less than two cents I'm afraid.
..