composter full of whitish flies

[pembrokestephen]

It's a proper one. If you phone Hounslow council and tell them you want one they have one dumped in your front garden for free.

I don't mind so much however there is smell of rat pee around certain areas, but not my heap. Mrs Vipper doesn't like it, though.

Rat pee is as good as hyoomin pee. It's all pee, and the compost heap won't mind. Hell, it's as good as full of dead bodies anyway, a bit of pee won't hurt.

But I know what you mean about the Mrs <insert-urbanite-username-here> problem - non-compost people tend not to Understand the whole compost ethic. I have that problem with Ms Pembrokestephen, who still can't quite believe that you can shove potato peelings and rabbitshit in the top and get lovely moist crumbly humussy compost out of the bottom...

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I have rats under my compost bin, but not in it (due to it sitting on chicken wire). I guess they like the warmth.

Other than poison, which they seem to enjoy, any bright ideas for getting rid of them?

I use a 2x4 piece of lumber.

 

[vipper]

I am collecting a bucket of piss to poor on the compost heap. I will let you know how the flies like it.

 

[pembrokestephen]

I just noticed that one of my heaps has a huge burrow down from the top. Dunno what it could be - didn't see any signs of life, but bashed the heap down with a spade and put ONE TON of grass clippings on top, so any occupant has a) got a big headache, and b) is going to have a spot of bother getting out to go to the chemists for paracetamol

 

[gentlegreen]

Rat pee is as good as hyoomin pee. It's all pee, and the compost heap won't mind. Hell, it's as good as full of dead bodies anyway, a bit of pee won't hurt...

I chucked the rat I killed in my kitchen in my compost bin -it was whole - except for its head being a bit mashed - no sign of it 12 months later
I may put a codicil in my will that I be chucked in there when I pop my clogs

.

 

[Badger Kitten]

questions

I have collected half a bucket of wee for my compost heap. I wee in a bucket, then put it straight into the bin and mix it up with a stick.


It is a chest-high compost barrel that is currently 1/3 full, there's only shredded newspaper and dead mulched plants and veg peelings and teabags and coffee grounds in it, nothing else.

And stupid white flies.

The flies are still there. I am going to keep weeing. How much wee is too much wee?

Is it better with the lid off when it is this warm?

Thank you for your thoughts compost fiends

 

[Leica]

I keep reading the title of this thread as "composter full of whitish lies"...

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

No one seems to compost out here in Korea, but you do have to separate all your food waste into special green bags for the rubbish men to pick up and turn into a big state-owned compost somewhere else.

'tis strange.

 

[pembrokestephen]

I have collected half a bucket of wee for my compost heap. I wee in a bucket, then put it straight into the bin and mix it up with a stick.


It is a chest-high compost barrel that is currently 1/3 full, there's only shredded newspaper and dead mulched plants and veg peelings and teabags and coffee grounds in it, nothing else.

And stupid white flies.

The flies are still there. I am going to keep weeing. How much wee is too much wee?

I suppose there is such a thing as too much wee, but I dunno how much. I guess when the compost heap starts smelling more of wee than anything else is time to stop.

Is it better with the lid off when it is this warm?

Noooooooo! Compost heaps generate phenomenal amounts of heat from the fermentation and decomposition of the material in them. Apart from stopping the heap drying out too much (or getting too wet when it rains), the lid is also helping keep that heat in. You need the heat, because it's that that kills off fungal spores and weed seeds and ensures that what you get out of the other end is good, safe, and fit to put on your garden.

Thank you for your thoughts compost fiends

You're welcome.

Don't worry too much about the flies, either. If the little eggs are hatching out in the compost, then the larvae will be doing their bit to chew up bits of goodness in the heap, and recycle it. If they weren't hatching out in the heap, they'd be doing it somewhere else, so the world won't be much of a different place for you having them there.

 

[gentlegreen]

No one seems to compost out here in Korea, but you do have to separate all your food waste into special green bags for the rubbish men to pick up and turn into a big state-owned compost somewhere else.

'tis strange.

you don't have a Bokashi bin then ?

Thanks to Mrs. Magpie for that
.