How to Keep Fruit Flies Out of Your Compost Bin
The best way to keep flies away from your kitchen compost pile is to make sure that the compost is level. By leveling your compost pile, you can prevent the center from being cooler than the edges. By maintaining a constant temperature in the middle, the flies won’t be able to breed, and your compost pile will compost more quickly. You can also add cardboard to your bin to regulate the humidity and add carbon to the mix.
Diatomaceous earth
Aside from preventing the growth of pests, diatomaceous earth is also a great deodorant, and works by mixing with the soil and sprinkled liberally. It can also be used to deodorize compost piles. Too much wet compost ingredients tend to produce a foul odor. So, if you have a kitchen compost bin that you want to deodorize, diatomaceous earth may be just the solution.
Another way to keep fruit flies at bay is to add some diatomaceous earth to your bin. This non-toxic, natural substance works on most insects, including fruit flies. It is safe to use on plants and organic products, but you must ensure constant dry conditions. Make sure to apply the material after it has rained, as diatomaceous earth is absorbed by rainwater. Otherwise, it will cause harm to beneficial insects.
Fly swatter
If you’ve noticed a fly problem in your kitchen compost bin, you may want to consider a fruit fly trap. These devices are made for use indoors or outdoors and are available at grocery stores. But if you’d like to save money, you can make your own at home using apple cider vinegar and dish washing soap. You can also add a small piece of fruit to the mixture to increase its fragrance.
Another solution is to use a boiling pot of water. This method kills both live fruit flies and their eggs. Once you’ve poured the water into the bin, close it and spray the outside. Another effective weapon is diatomaceous earth, which won’t harm your compost. After pouring hot water into your compost bin, it’s a good idea to replace the contents with a fresh batch.
Fruit fly trap
To keep fruit flies from getting into your compost bin, you can wrap your food scraps in newspaper. It will also help trap insects because it will break down in the compost pile. And as the paper breaks down, it will also contain the food. It will also help the compost pile break down more slowly because it is a brown material. Using a fruit fly trap in your kitchen compost bin will help you prevent flies from accessing your food waste.
The fruit flies will fall into the liquid because they cannot fly back up. Alternatively, you can put a sheet of plastic wrap over the bin and poke holes into it. Fruit flies will crawl inside the plastic wrap. Replace it after four or five days. Set it close to the compost bin, but away from rain, and repeat every four to five days. If you notice fruit flies in your bin, check the traps often for bugs.
Vinegar fly
If you’ve noticed a fly in your kitchen compost bin, you may want to use a natural method to get rid of it. Instead of using chemical pesticides, try a homemade fruit fly trap made from a combination of apple cider vinegar and dish soap. This method traps the flies by releasing the smell and killing them with the soap. If you can’t make a fruit fly trap, try keeping a piece of plastic wrap around your bin to catch them.
A vinegar fly is a tiny insect with bright brick-red eyes and a yellow-brown body with black rings around the abdominal segments. They are very similar to bees, but are much smaller. These flies can breed very quickly and cause problems with your kitchen compost. Once you notice a large population of these flies, you should immediately remove the flies’ potential breeding sites and find the source of the insects.
Soldier fly
A soldier fly in your kitchen compost bin can cause your compost to be soggy and slightly acidic. Worms don’t like soggy compost, so if you find one, make sure to remove it as soon as possible. To get rid of the insect, you can suspend cardboard scraps with paper clips, or cut open vegetable scraps. Once the larvae hatch, remove them from the compost pot. However, if you don’t see them, you should check your compost bin regularly.
A soldier fly larva is a large insect about 3/4 of an inch long. It is legless, brown, and flattened with a leathery texture. The larvae are harmless to humans, and the adults are about one-quarter inch long. Soldier flies tend to stay in the compost bin for two weeks or more, and they are very unlikely to bite people. A soldier fly larva is a sign of an unhealthy environment.