Bugs & flies

[Jjonis]

I have just started a trash can compost pile last week. I live in the tropics so it's hot and humid. I use kitchen scraps and dried leaves. Don't know the exact volume, but it's a medium sized bin, not huge.

The question: when I lift the cover, there are lots of little flying bugs and ants inside. Am I doing something wrong? I thought these things weren't supposed to survive in compost piles.

Thank you for any help,
J-

[rainbowgardener]

Trash cans are a difficult way of composting, hard to get the balance right in such a small, enclosed space.

Does your trash can have lots of air holes in it? Composting is an aerobic process, needs lots of ventilation. Is it heating up at all? Is it producing an odor?

You said kitchen scraps and dried leaves. Do you have at least close to an equal volume of the leaves to the scraps?

Are you rotating/ mixing your compost pile? That should be one advantage of trash can composting, that you can treat it like a tumbler and roll it around.

[Jjonis]

Yes,my ratio is near equal. Whenever I add the scraps I cover w a layer of leaves. I have started rolling it around, too. I wonder if it's too small then. I'll b very disappointed as I don't have space for anything larger. Oh well, thanks!

[john gault]

I thought these things weren't supposed to survive in compost piles.

Thank you for any help,
J-

Actually, they don't survive -- they THRIVE in a compost pile!

The only way to keep bugs out of a compost pile is to have it completely removed from nature or to have a very hot pile, both options are not really options. And of course there's the insecticide option...just kidding that would be disastrous...

To have a hot pile you need far more material than a trash can. I remember reading one book that said there were studies on this issue (hot composting) and found that a pile must be at least 3 (or 4) cubic yards in volume. Most of us don't have that and even if you did the whole pile will not get that hot, so the bugs will just move from the hot to the more tolerable sections of the pile.

I personally like bugs (as long as they stay in the pile and out of my house) so not much of a problem for me; it's one of my joys, turning the pile to see them at work. However, I do not care so much for all the flies, so what I do is cover my pile in leaves (or you can cover it in soil) and that works for me, not 100%, but much better than having the raw food sitting out in the open.

I recommend going to the library and read all the books you can on composting.

BTW, most seem to think that hot composting is the fastest form of composting, I've heard as little as 14 days to complete the process. However, I'd argue that a healthy cold compost pile with all bugs can compost just as fast, if not faster, than a hot pile. My pile is not hot, but it takes no time for things to completely disappear in the pile. My style of composting to gather enough leaves to make about a 2ft high pile with a diameter of ~ 6ft. and I just mix it up with kitchen/yard waste.

[toxcrusadr]

Not only does it need air, but drainage, so you need some holes in the bottom. Otherwise it is going to be bad juju!

But to answer your original question, compost piles tend to be 'living' communities, and this means insects too. If you have clouds of them though, something is probably out of balance. Perhaps too much moisture (why I asked about drainage) or too much food waste in relation to dry leaves. (C:N ratio)

[Jjonis]

Thanks, everyone.
I definitely have enough drainage I think. We went nuts with the drill. I don't mind the healthy looking insects in the pile so much, I'm just concerned that it will start to attract the bigger pests, and as I'm in the tropics, I'm concerned that the bigger pests will be cobras or pythons!

The other thing about composting that always makes me wonder is how people say, It takes x amount of time... But you're always adding new stuff, so really, it's never done, right? And how do you really use it if you're always mixing it up with new stuff?

[toxcrusadr]

Ah, Grasshopper, you have discovered the age-old question: How does it ever get Done?

The answer, dear friend, is to have two piles.

[john gault]

Thanks, everyone.
I definitely have enough drainage I think. We went nuts with the drill. I don't mind the healthy looking insects in the pile so much, I'm just concerned that it will start to attract the bigger pests, and as I'm in the tropics, I'm concerned that the bigger pests will be cobras or pythons!

The other thing about composting that always makes me wonder is how people say, It takes x amount of time... But you're always adding new stuff, so really, it's never done, right? And how do you really use it if you're always mixing it up with new stuff?

Yes two or more piles can do that. But also just don't worry about it. When using compost in the garden I don't worry too much about what is "completely done" I just look for stuff that doesn't look like foodstuff and throw in my garden. The composting process happens everywhere in the soil, not just in the compost pile. The thing about the compost pile is that it's an environment (that we create) which has all the ideal conditions for decay. However, you can't stop this process by just moving it from the pile to the garden; it happens everywhere, just faster in the pile because of our efforts. When I say we "create it" I mean the specifically the adding of food and water which would otherwise not be there. The bugs and microbes do all the rest.

As far as attracting snakes, that's a real possibility; it won't be the pile that attract them, but the rodents. When you start seeing rodents than snakes aren't far behind. I don't have to worry about cobras, but I do get small snakes and lizards. You may want to consider incorporating sheet composting method so that you don't have a haven for rodents.

[Jjonis]

SSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO not what I wanted to hear. I will look into sheet composting. Thanks, John.