compost flies!

[kittyk]

I am quite new on here and I expect this has been covered a million times before but how do I minimise the flies in my compost bin?

I started my first bin a few weeks ago and all is going well-I keep turning it with a fork etc and adding to it each day. All of a sudden, when I took the lid off today a load of flies were flying up in my face which was most unpleasant and i've been itching ever since!

What causes the flies and what prevents them?

[Alison]

They are most likely to be fruit flies which lay their eggs on rotting fruit. If you make sure that any that you collect in your kitchen is covered and you cover it in your bin (a lidded caddy in the kitchen and soil or whatever in the heap) and the flies can't lay their eggs therefore no new ones hatch. You're bound to get a few in summer but it's a bit early to be getting a lot now.

[kittyk]

Thanks-I didn't get them indoors as I take out at least once a day. the compost has a tight fitting lid but the stupid little door thing at the bottom has gaps-I guess that is what happened. they seem a bit whiter than fruit flies but I wasn't really looking!

I can't put a layer of soil over each day really as it will get very time consuming and awkward...well I will if I have to but it will be tedious!

Any other ideas?

[ClayGarden]

Since you should balance greens with browns, you could have a pile of shredded paper on standby, and always cover your kitchen scraps with shredded paper. It helps a bit. Here (compost information sheet) they say

I have lots of tiny flies in my worm bin - is this a health risk?
No. These are probably fruit flies, which commonly occur on rotting fruit and vegetables. A tight fitting lid will help to exclude them. Also, if you bury the vegetable waste as you add it, or keep it covered with damp newspaper, they are less likely to be a problem. Flies do not harm the compost, although they can be irritating and offensive to some people.

[kittyk]

Thanks-yes I put some shredded paper over it and will keep a supply to keep covering the veg and hope the flies fly away!

[jackie j]

I also have trouble with flies in my compost bin I have lots of paper waiting to be shreded but will have to buy a new shredder as mine seems to be broken. Thanks for the tip.

[kittyk]

Any other tips please-they are getting worse and I've been so careful to do things right. there are hundreds of flies swooping out each time I take the lid off-horrible!

Is it too late now the flies are in there? I wish I'd never started the thing now-i had reservations and wished I had stuck by them!

Seriously, I want to solve this rather than give up but can't cope with it the way it is.

[Effigy]

You could try tipping a bucket of boiling water on.

[Alison]

Maybe you could give the heap a good mix then cover the surface with a good layer of paper and leave it for a few weeks to settle down. Don't open the lid for a bit and maybe the flies will die off without getting any new food or access to the existing (as it's covered). Don't give up, when you get it going it's dead easy so you're on the harder bit.

[kittyk]

I'm still having a nightmare with fruit flies even though i thought i had done everything right. I've tried to seal the little door at the front of the bin as it is loose and lets flies in and keep trying shredded paper and soil but there are still loads and loads of flies which fly up in your face.

I don't really want to just stop for a few weeks...there must be some other solutions?
Please help!

[jackie j]

I have the same problem I only open the bin if I really have to.

[terrier]

Try wrapping the kitchen waste in paper 'parcels' so the flies cant get at it. Lift the lid on the bin and leave it off for a minute or so before putting anything in, the flies should settle. Leave the lid off at night for a while to keep the surface of the waste colder, that might deter the flies from breeding there.