Topic: Flies in compost bin.

[Crash]

This year I've got 100's of tiny flies in my compost bin. When I take the lid off we get a cloud of them coming out. My wife and step kids won't go anywhere near it... What can I do apart from hope for cold weather to kill them off?

[Borlotti]

I too have fruit flies in my compost bin.  Keep the lid on and hope they do their work.  Do not put meat, or cat food in compost bin, flies love cat food.  I have boiled up the kettle and poured boiling water in and also sprayed with fly killer which I am sure is not a very good idea.  Compost bin has now gone to the allotment and not in the back garden as our garden is very small and too near the house and I agree it is horrible.

[Si D]

Do you know what I like about this place?  You come along, ready to ask a question, and find that someonehas jut asked it for you!

I've got loadsa fruit flies in my home composter- we eat a lot of fruit.  Don't think that they are hurting the compost but as OP says,my wie won't use the composter anymore because of the clouds of flies.

Any ideas (pref humane) for keeping them away appriciated!

[Georgie]

Swarms of fruit flies can be an indication that the heap is too wet.  Add more brown matter such as woody cuttings, shredded cardboard or paper.  And if possible make sure that new additions to the heap are mixed in or covered with a layer of soil/compost. 

G x

[Rosyred]

No suggestions but I thought i'd had mine is the same too.

[caroline7758]

Maybe it's the time of year- mine's been particularly bad this week. Thanks for the tip, Georgie.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I get little white flies in mine a lot.

[Mr Smith]

Same here trouble is when I swallowed a mouth of them when I took the top of the compo bin off ;D

[Crash]

I'm off to put shredded paper in the compost bin...
Many thanks.

[Si D]

I'm off to put shredded paper in the compost bin...
Many thanks.

Me too, just shredded all my pension statements as they are probably worth more as compost!

[Georgie]

Me too, just shredded all my pension statements as they are probably worth more as compost!

LOL!   ;D

G x

[KathrynH]

I have the same problem with my wormery which I put only waste vegetabe matter in (ie no meat or dairy) along with a bit of shredded paper or cardboard. I'm just hoping that the winter will kill them off although I need to keep it warm enough for the worms to survive. Any tips?

[Georgie]

I don't have a wormery but I have found this fact sheet on Garden Organic for you.  I hope it helps.   :)

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg51.php

G x

[Bubbly Berry]

A good way to absorb excess moisture in wormerys, is to add coffeegrounds, starbucks give used grounds away, they smell gorgeous, worms love em, and i dont get the fly problem. some starbucks are friendly than others, i use one in lincoln and theyll happily bag up as much as i can carry, its good on the compost heap too, and a mulch.  :)