And they can invade your bowl of fresh fruit, spoiling expensive produce. If the flies are consistently hovering around the HOTBIN and they bother you, you may wish to look at using a fly/insect spray which can be sprayed around the HOTBIN to repel them. I’ve also had success with banana peels and wine as an attractant. Wipe up any spills on surfaces to remove any easy sources of food. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If, despite following the check list recommendations you are struggling to get your HOTBIN to reach 40°C, please, Minimise the entry points to the HOTBIN by ensuring that the hatch and lid on the HOTBIN remain tightly closed and that the straps are in position (except when removing compost and adding new waste!). Whether you keep a compost pail on your countertop or use worms to break down scraps in an indoor compost bin (vermicomposting), you need to give fruit flies … I also get annoyed with the fruit flies in summer and worry that I’m just breeding them so they can fly around and ruin all the fruit and veges in my garden. Once I started composting outside, I guess the mice figured out the roaches were all around the bin, so they went to the bin too. Whenever I dump my kitchen scrap bucket into my compost bin, I add a layer of shredded junk mail. Add dry leaves, straw, or shredded newspaper to create a higher ratio of carbon to nitrogen. Anyway my system appears to have balanced itself out, with no roach poison or rat poison used. The soap breaks the tension on the surface so the flies will sink. ], I find that the best way to prevent an overabundance of fruit flies is to make it harder for them to get to the material they like. I am in exactly the same situation. The holes let the flies in but they can’t get out. But be careful around cats ! Please share! Fruit fly traps hung above or near the compost pile will attract the flies and prevent them from reproducing. Aloha! I enjoyed the process of tossing in my fruit and vegetable scraps and yard clippings, watching as, over time, it turned into a nutrient-rich, dense soil that I could use for gardening and growing more produce. When I add food scraps to the compost, I lift this layer and tuck the kitchen waste below it. I have to admit, when I first started composting, I was horrified to find bugs in my pile. Much as I understand now that bugs are just part of the process, I really don’t like the fruit flies that populate my compost pile. ), Related: Natural Aphid Control in a Pesticide Free Garden. I didn’t see it mentioned above, so I’ll just add that when I start seeing fruit flies in the house, I pour a small bowl of apple cider vinegar. House flies and fruit flies are the two main species of flies found in and around compost bins. We’ll convert you, little by little! Since I started doing this added step, I’ve noticed LOTS of worms in my compost and very few flies. Whether you keep your compost pile indoors or out, fruit flies are an unsightly and annoying addition. When their population is out of control, they fly up in a cloud of wings every time I toss something new on the pile, seemingly intent on making their way into my nose. Back then we just threw everything in the trash, like most people. Fruit flies can wreak havoc in the garden. Spring is coming and its starting to warm up, so far I’ve only spotted a few roaches outside near the bin. The best thing to do if the pile is too wet (often the case with mold) is to add lots more carbon materials. I really want to continue composting more for the sake of the environment since I don’t actually have a garden. Anything with food residue not compostible, like butter wrappers, bones or pizza boxes, was taken to the big dumpster and not kept in the house. Or, considering how fast they multiply, am I best to start again with the composting? I do get a swarm of them when I open the compost bin, and we have a full cherry tree near it, so I may begin to add more shredded paper, thanks for that tip. The bigger bugs in the pile – centipedes and beetles, say – are secondary or tertiary consumers, meaning that while they’re not technically helping break down the compost, by eating those primary consumers they are part of the life cycle there. I read somewhere that owls eat 6-10 mice a night. [Read about getting read of fruit flies in the kitchen here. You could try burying excess food waste to prevent it from going in the trash, if you have a spot to do that. They especially love kitchen food caddies or waste jugs when the lid is partially or fully open. Mold and fungus is normal in a compost pile, at some level. [More about the basics of composting here.]. First of all, you should know that these fruit flies are harmless visitors. Wipe the outside of your HOTBIN – a quick wipe over the area around the valve and the hatch can remove any residual odours or material and will further reduce the risk of attracting flies to the HOTBIN. I’m Kris Bordessa, author and hobby farmer, gardener and canner, chicken wrangler and eternal experimenter. Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks, learn how to make your own worm bins here. Yes, the boiling water will kill all the little buggies. We’ll see how it goes with summer rolling in, but so far I’m liking what is happening. Originally published June 2011; this post has been updated. We have an orange tree and have been putting them into the compost with not enough browns :/ . (Magazine subscription cards are great for this). That is why it is important not to use rat poison – if an owl dies from eating a poisioned mouse, that leaves behind hundreds of mice to keep breeding.
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