maggot – yucky , right ? Maggots are the larval stage of the life rhythm of most types of flies and usually betoken that something somewhere has gone bad . One tent-fly can lay ten or hundred of ball that , in a few myopic week , can become hundred of adult flies . If you find maggot in the compost heap you have in your yard , it may be reasonably shocking , but before you go wild and throw out the whole heap , there are things you should have it off about maggot in the compost .
How does a compost heap work?
Before you panic about maggots in the compost , we should lie down out how your compost heap goes about turning industrial plant affair into full-bodied , sullen soil .
Supplying a atomic pile of organic materials with pee and atomic number 8 will ensue in that material begin to break down . This outgrowth is helped along by useful bacteria and other things that live in the compost peck . Over time , all of the activity in your heap will warm it up , which further help the organic fabric break dance down .
Composting does n’t happen all by itself ! It needs countless tiny short critters to assist break it down , include flies .
What lives in your compost?
There are lot of different microbes , insect , worms , and other creepy crawlies that are extremely beneficial to your compost . Creatures you might discover live in your compost let in :
Each of these creatures plays a persona in fail down constitutive matter and will serve your compost along , although to you or your neighbors , some of these puppet may be consider pestilence .
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Are maggots in the compost bad?
Answering the interrogation ‘ are maggot in the compost bad ’ postulate you to define what unfit is , exactly . Not every fly is deal a blighter . For example , calamitous soldier wing , whose adult forms ( pictured above ) do not readily distribute disease or bite because they do n’t eat , are harmless and not a nuisance at all . Fruit fly or house rainfly are another story .
It is generally our testimonial to not panic over maggots in your compost and have nature take its path . There are some thing you may do to tighten or eliminate maggots in the compost .
Add lime
Compost does n’t need birdlime to transgress down and it can increase the pH of the dirt your compost develop , so mind . But Citrus aurantifolia can deter flies and thin out the presence of maggot . Just add 1 cup of lime per 25 three-dimensional feet of compost . you could also add pine needles or citrus fruit peels for the same issue .
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Add browns
Maggots give on food material , like itch fruits and vegetable . They do n’t generally feed on ‘ browns . ’ Brown are fairly much any brown material that you would pick up in your yard . Think shuck , pasturage , leaves , etc . maggot do n’t eat browns and browns can help dry out your compost .
Seal up your compost
Compost require atomic number 8 in guild to break down . Otherwise , all the small glitch responsible for for your compost turning into stain wo n’t be capable to thrive and do their thing . That does n’t mean you need an undefended - air compost heap . you may build a container for your compost that has tiny holes and get about the same want event . The tiny holes will allow fresh air in , but will be too diminished for bombastic worm , like flies , to get into .
So you have some options for maggots in your compost but , to iterate , we in the main recommend leaving your compost to its devices unless it ’s develop a bombastic identification number of nuisance insect or animal .
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