composting and pest

[xuans]

where do you keep your compost pile?

i'm just starting out a new compost, bugs everywhere. I don't want them to affect my crops.

[bario1]

Not all bugs are pests, and no compost heap will be healthy without bugs... there shouldn't be any issue with compost heaps near crops.

Welcome to the forum!

[Mark_Riga]

depends what you are composting. As long as all garden plant material, bugs are good for compost. Don't put any cooked food on of any sort on as it will attract rats and mice. Rats will go after potato peelings as well if they find them. I threw some mouldy sweet potatoes (raw) on a compost heap once and saw they had been gnawed the next morning but I live next to fields where farmers grow cereals and maize which attracts rats and squirrels so there are always some knocking about here, they will be most places unless you have a good dog or cat.

[annie8]

Lifted the carpet from the top of my compost heap yesterday and it was full of wood lice, composting worms and a few slugs. If the slugs are there they are not eating my plants.