h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello all,
I'm very new to all this composting lark. So far all seems to be going well but my compost bin is full of ants and some sort of white fly. What am I doing wrong and what's the best way to get rid of these pests?

Any help will be received with thanks.

Your compost is too dry if you've got ants in it. Give it a good watering - that will chase the ants off as they look out for somewhere they won't get wet feet to live.

Thanks for that.

Off to get the watering can as I type.

Did it help?

Sorry EW I meant to reply a day or two ago...

Sadly it didn't. The last time I looked the little buggers were there wearing trunks and goggles and racing each other for the best lap time.

Any more ideas?

It might be that the water dried up and as it wasn't replaced they came back out of shelter.

What sort of set up have you got?

Hiya,

It still seems quite damp but they're still in there. It's a 400lt plastic compost bin. Mainly kitchen scraps, grass cutting and odds and ends from the garden. It's about half full at the moment.

GD

I should add that the kitchen scraps are never cooked scraps.

I have to admit I hate those plastic ones, sorry. Try leaving the lid off for a while, to see if that helps. Or ideally, pick the bin up and move it, then fork all the compost back into it. If you're a really dedicated composter, that should be done regularly to speed things up. Mind you, I haven't moved mine since last summer, and I think that was the first time for a couple of years.

Mind you, I tend to think of my compost heap as a habitat for wildlife, rather than a source of compost!

When I was only working part time I turned it at least once a month.

The plastic one was only a tenner and seemed a good idea at the time. I'll try leaving the lid off and see what happens. I don't really want to move it if I can help it, as garden space is limited.

Thanks.