- Fight flies in compost
- Compost is too moist or incorrectly stocked
- How to prevent flies in the compost
Flies in the compost are not dangerous, but they are annoying, especially if the compost is close to the house. The problem mainly occurs with thermal composters and compost in a bucket. How do you fight flies in compost and how do you prevent infestation?
Flies on the compost are annoying
Fight flies in compost
If you spot a lot of flies in your composter, you have little choice but to start over with the compost again.
To do this, pull off the hood of the composter and place it next to the previous place. Then re-layer the compost material by alternately filling in moist and dry materials.
If you don't have any dry materials, you can add single-color printed newspaper, cardboard, torn egg cartons, or some bentonite between each layer.
Compost is too moist or incorrectly stocked
A few flies can be found on any compost, whether in the compost heap outdoors or in the composter by the patio. If the infestation is very severe, this is a sign that the compost is too wet and/or things that do not belong in the compost have been disposed of.
The compost must always be a little moist in order to provide the beneficial insects with a good location. Too much moisture, however, leads to the formation of rot and thus attracts flies.
Disposing of cooked food leftovers and especially meat products is also a cause of a heavy infestation with flies and their maggots.
How to prevent flies in the compost
When filling the composter, make sure that you mix as many different compost materials as possible. Dry and wet materials should be filled in alternately. You can put the following materials between the usually very damp kitchen waste or lawn clippings:
- newsprint
- egg cartons
- bark mulch
- leaves
- wood chip
A damp compost not only attracts flies, but also starts to smell. To prevent unpleasant odors from forming, there are ecological pesticides on the market that break down odors and prevent flies from laying eggs.
tips
In contrast to flies, woodlice are quite desirable in the compost. They decompose coarse compost components and thus make a decisive contribution to the formation of good humus.