maggots in compost?

11 years ago

have noticed what i estimate a few hundred squirming 1/4" - 1/2" long little worm like things in my compost bin

(bin is small ~27SqFt in size)

been cooking tomatoes for the past few weeks, and the little guys will go through a pound or two of tomato scraps, 70% gone in like a day, this is probably a good thing.

not knowing what these little guys are, I'm concerned about using the compost in the gardens. I don't want to introduce something that may kill my plants. thanks

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Comments (2)

Belgianpup
11 years ago
I doubt that they're anything to worry about. They're most likely a larvae of a regular type of fly, or the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly.

Both of these lay eggs on or near decomposing garbage, they eat their way through their larval period, and then they hatch out into whatever fly they are.

This link shows the lifecycle of the common housefly: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/insects-arachnids/housefly4.htm This is the nuisance fly that makes a nuisance of itself in your home, patio and around your picnics.

This link shows the larval and adult stages of the black soldier fly (BSF): http://www.esrint.com/pages/bioconversion.html You will notice that as the larvae of the BSF get larger, they get flatter and turn brown. If you have chickens, ducks, the larger pet birds, fish or some reptiles, they find these larvae delicious and nutritious at all stages, as they are high in protein, calcium and other nutrients. These flies hate being indoors, so you aren't likely to find them much in your house or around your food, as they prefer decomposing organic materials.

By the time the compost has finished, it's safe for either veggies or ornamentals, no matter which fly it is.

Sue
Kimmsr
11 years ago
It is amazing to me how many people today accept the presence of flies, even though they are known to be carriers of many disease pathogens. For many years the presence of flies meant that conditions bordered on unsanitary. Even if the maggots in your compost pile are those of the Black Soldier Fly their [resence indicates that some material in that compost is too wet because of the environment maggots need to hatch and live. Some dessicant will help get rid of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flies and diseases
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Maggots can be the larva of various flies, the common house fly, stable flies, and others as well as the Black Solder Fly. The larva of the Black Solder Fly is used to help reduce the volume of manure piles but since they need a fairly moist environment, as well as a good source of protein to live and grow the presence of maggots in a compost pile can mean the mix is too wet. Many people at one time thought they were the larva of the Black Solder Beetle, a predator of other insects, but since they are not and since the only thing the adult BSF do is mate and then die there is no useful purpose in having them. Covering your compsot with a dry high carbon material can help eliminate them.
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I can't believe I'm thinking this, far less posting it, but... Not all flies spread disease, and there's at least one sort of non-pestiferous fly some folks do want in their compost, under certain conditions. (Not relevant to the OP, which referenced _tiny_ flies, but still.) Despite my personal squeamishness about the things, BSFL are welcome in any batch of new compost I've set aside for feeding to my composting worm colony; their leavings make the worms happy. And that is mixed hot compost, though I clock average temperatures more in the warm zone, 100+ but rarely as high as 140. I assume the BSFL would leave a pile that hot, but if it sustained those temperatures, I'd likely opt not to feed that batch to the worms anyway. Stirring doesn't bother BSFL all that much once they're larger than hatchlings, and I'm told their presence helps deter pest flies, though I can't say I've done any testing to verify that! DSF http://bokashislope.blogspot.com making compost one bucket at a time
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Yeah my compost bin can be BONE DRY and when I add leftovers and table scraps and pieces of veggies and fruit I get BSFL on the items. NOT in all areas of my bin but in the EXACT items. An example would be melon rinds or avocados. The BSFL live only in certain foods and NOT in the rest of the bin as my bin is never over wet. They eat and poop and fly away. So for a person to say that they are a result of an over wet or over damp bin is only HALF correct. BSFL are a result of what is IN your bin also. Like I said, your bin can be bone dry but as soon as you add some veggies or fruits with a bit of moisture your bound to get some kind of bugs. As long as your bin is not over ridden and FULL of bugs or soaking wet it is OK and Its all part of the process. Just keep your bin semi dry and a little moist and you should have no problems cutting down on the "bug" population. If its too wet you can open it up and air it out for a day or two. Personally I find a small population of BSFL are beneficial to the bin.
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There are those the think it is okay to have maggots in compost and there are those of us that know maggots in compost is not a good thing. Since the maggots need a warm and moist environment to hatch from eggs and to grow in their presence is an indication your compost pile may be too wet. Some people thought that the Black Solder Fly was the same as the Black Solder Beetle (a beneficial predator of other insects) but the adult BSF does nothing for its roughly 30 day life except search out another BSF to mate with to produce the eggs that become those maggots. Usually the presence of maggots in a compost pile is an indication that there is a problem. Here is a link that might be useful: Maggots in compost
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maggots in compost?

Comments (2)

Belgianpup

Kimmsr

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