I want to compost, but not sure what to do about attracting ants & flies or other bugs to my backyard.?
Thanks!
Answer:
Kitchen scraps make fine compost, but they can lead to problems with animals, insects and odor. Beginning composters may want to start with leaves alone. If you add kitchen scraps to your leaf compost, add small amounts (less than a gallon) at a time and bury completely under 8 inches of leaves. Other good options to compost kitchen scraps are to use commercial compost bins or worm farming. Leaves and other garden wastes are the basic ingredients of a trouble free home compost pile.
Many other materials can be composted, but it's wise to keep some things out of your pile.
Things to keep out: dog and cat waste, meat and bones, grease (oil and dairy - dispose of in garbage), herbicide or pesticide treated plants, magnolia leaves and pine needles (very slow), weeds gone to seed, coal ash (wood ash is ok), diseased plants, invasive weeds. Reminder: if you add kitchen scraps, bury them deep and don't overload the pile.
1st no meats very bad.
Mix with leafs grass and other yard waste is the best way.
Keep in a bin that has a lid will help with bugs.
Toss in some cucumber and grits. Ants do not like cucumbers and if they eat the grits they die from dehydration.
the ants get in because it is not decomposing and you must be keeping it in the bin far too long ,
when the organis are on the compost heap ,and the compost is kept wet the ants wont get in ,they dont like wet
and the decomposing gets quite hot
empty your food scraps from your green bin at least once a day
if you want to get rid of the Ants in there ,,make a solution of water and sigarette buts and spray with the brown nicotine water .
Organic waste is responsible for 70% of contamination in Land fills if it goes out with the trash ,so please do not do this
bones,treetrunks,cardboard,egg... clothes(if they are organic),poop,leaves,kitchen waste,foodscraps,newspaper,
your mother inlaw and kitty litter
and even the dead cat
All can be put on the compost heap
as long as you seal it with a covering of leaves .or put a piece of plastic on top ,
keep it moist and in the shade ,it will then get hot enough to kill all parasites
the worms will devellop,and take care of everything ,the moisture helps decomposition
the plastic keeps in the moisture and protects the worms from predators .like chickens ,birds armadillos,and even dogs .i have seen going in to eat my worm culture
you could add a bit of lime now and again
to make the process more potent ,this will also keep ants away
Source(s):
make the compost in a shallow hole ,so that it retains more humidity,
about 2 square meters is good ,and have it under a tree or put a little roof over i t,which does not have to be water proof ,so a palm thatch is enough,
and makesure the garden sprinkler gets there or spray some water on it ,at least once a week,dont have it water logged or the worms will drown or leave
RECYCLING
Cardboard is also acceptable for recycling
so is glass if you classify it in colors,and
aluminium cans
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And dont worry operating compost heaps do not have ants ,they have worms
Check out www.yelmworms.com and go to the portion on composting. Keep it in a covered bin, and if you still have problems with bugs purchase some diatemacious earth, and pour it in a circle around the recycle bin - they can't cross it - it is like powdered glass to them. Do not apply without gloves and esp. goggles, and from the upwind area.
There are certain bins that help keep vermin and other pests out. I'm not sure I'd worry about the ants, so long as you're able to keep your bin in the back part of the yard away from the house.
I'm sure the individual who gave the long answer meant well, but never put animal or human wastes in your regular compost pile, especially if it is for a vegetable garden. In particular, feline feces are a very bad idea, especially for any woman planning on getting pregnant. This is due to a disease known as toxoplasmosis that cats carry. It can be passed to a fetus via the placenta.
You could still compost dog and cat feces, but not for putting in the garden. There are pet waste composters that just let it decompose into the surrounding lawn: Pet-D-Posit In-Ground Waste Digester
Keep it far away from your house in the back of the yard.
A covered bin will probably help keep the ants to a minimum, as other posters have said. Also make sure you're adding enough "brown" material to the compost - like dead leaves or shredded newspaper. A good compost system includes about 50/50 "brown" and "green" (veggie peelings, grass clippings) materials. All fresh, moist things should be buried under dry materials to keep bugs down and replenish the moisture in the compost.
I live in an area with lots of live oak trees that are always dropping leaves, so I rake dead oak leaves over each new "green" addition to the pile. Never had a problem with ants in the compost, though they do come into my kitchen frequently!
Good luck, and don't give up. =)
Keep the Ration of Nitrogen to Carbon at 1:30 and the smell/ bad stuff should be kept to a minimum.
Spray vinegar on the outside of your compost bin. Pests hate vinegar. Also, put baking soda on the ground around your compost bin.
see want thay eat frist and than you can compost them ok>:)
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