Problem with my compost!

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Problem with my compost!
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karl

Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Nottingham UK

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 05 6:35 am Post subject: flies
I have been using a plastic compost bin for several years and it always seems to be full of small flies, hundreds of the little gits, which then seem to find their way into the house all the time. Is it normal to have hundreds of flies or is there a problem with my compost?

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 05 8:01 am Post subject: Re: flies

karl wrote:

I have been using a plastic compost bin for several years and it always seems to be full of small flies, hundreds of the little gits, which then seem to find their way into the house all the time.

Is it normal to have hundreds of flies or is there a problem with my compost?

If you mean the little teensy fruit flies (or vinegar flies) then that's not a bad thing as they're hatching from things like fruit skin and feeding on the mould and helping the composting along.

I've never had problems of them getting in the house*, I'd suggest you either site your bin away from the house (assuming it's really close) and make sure the lid is on properly or always make sure the surface layer isn't kitchen waste but something like grass clippings / shredded paper as the flies don't like this and they can't dig, so it means you won't get a swarm hit you in the face when you take the lid off.

*If you have any over ripe fruit or anything mouldy sitting about in the house you'll get them anyway compost bin or not, we once had a colony in a mop which needed cleaning!

culpepper

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 05 8:35 am Post subject:
We noticed that they seem to go for yellow things.When my son had a yellow Tee shirt,they were all over him! We also had a yellow garden parasole which attracted them.

karl

Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Nottingham UK

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 05 8:09 am Post subject:
thanks for the reply's, they might be fruit flies as the ones in the house seem to like hanging round the fuit bowl or my daughters juice drinks.

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