Kitchen Garden Forum

We have two plastic compost bins with lids from the local council. Yesterday when we took off the lid to add some more kitchen waste there were hundreds of little white flies flying out of the compost. My husband says they are midges I think they look like white fly. Is this normal? Cant remember it happening last year but the weather was different. This is only the second year we have made compost. Do we need to spray the bin? There are only peelings and veg going in there, no cooked food.

Hi Catherine

I have the same problem with my wormery at the moment, it's usually 'cos everythings' a bit wet. Try adding some shredded cardboard to dry things out a bit, it may help.

Thanks Chantel I will do it tomorrow. It has been very wet again today we have been transplanting seedlings in the shed all afternoon, had hoped to put my broad beans in but just too wet.

Hello

You are providing the perfect breeding conditions for all sorts of flying insects, including in my case mozzies.

As your compost is most likely wet to very wet, cover the surface completely with soil, this should put paid to them, until you build it up again with more compostable material, then add another fine layer of soil.

Cheers

Thankyou Lurganspade. For some unknown reason I did not get an email to say I had a reply to this post and I have only just found it here now. Sorry for the delay in replying. I will try that also as I still have the problem along with a few others.

Hello Catherine
If they are a real problem for you you could try a short blast with one of those kitchen fly/wasp aerosol cans and put the lid straight back on. That will probably finish most of them.
I get them in my bins but I think they're all part of the breaking-down cycle so I leave them alone.

John

Thanks John. We have been up to the plot tonight and my OH said that he had done that a week ago and we dont seem to be too bothered with them now. But I agree that it is probably necessary for the whole process to work. We are going to put soil on top when we take our recycling tomorrow. Iwas just bothered that it might be a breeding ground for white fly, not knowing any better.

Hello again Catherine
I don't think these are white flies but similar looking insects known as moth, drain or sewer flies. I don't suppose they are a health hazard but like all flies they do live in unsanitary conditions but they seem to be such poor fliers I doubt whether they do us any harm!

John

Thanks John They dont seem to be a problem at the moment. Or if they are I havent time to notice it because I have got other things to worry about i.e. cabbage root fly and blackfly on the broadbeans. I have seen just seen someone else has the black fly probelom so I am going to get some soapy water and deal with it this morning but I dont think there is anything I can do about the CRF