I remember when I initially began composting, I open my composter and got a horrible surprise, magots! My first thoughts, disgusting! gross! Have you faced a similar sort of situation? Have you had similar thoughts? But the question remains are they nasty? Is it bad for the compost? So, if this is your first time composing and you are seeing plenty of maggots in your compost. Maybe you’re doing everything right, you have not added meats or fats to the pile however; you still have them in the pile. Is it bad? Read on as we answer the question for you giving you more clarity.
The main culprit
You might see other kind of maggots in the pile however, the common one is from the black soldier fly. The larvae from this fly are identified, as they appear in colors like brownish, grayish, or even whitish. They change their color depending on the food they are consuming.
I find these flies extremely annoying especially, if they are continuously buzzing near the face however, they are extremely useful. A couple of years ago, I had read an article that stated, there are special farms that focus on cultivating and selling the larvae to stores, that in turn are utilized as pet food for fish, lizards, and birds.
But how would it affect your compost?
The reasons for the maggots in compost
We all know what attracts flies, yes, you’re right it is the food. This is the reason why the maggots have shown up in the compost, because of the food materials. Black soldier flies lay their larvae that begin to consume all the food waste. Larvae remain in that pile as long as the environment is moist and warm.
It is a possibility that your compost pile has excessive greens and fewer browns, hence the maggots. It can also be, that the compost pile is not being mixed regularly leaving more moist pockets that have attracted these maggots.
Solution for maggots in compost
Suppose these maggots are from the black soldier fly, then you don’t have to do much. Many composers do not like having them on the compost for the following reasons;
- The pile is hit by the maggots that affecting the process
- Many composers simply find them nasty and don’t like having them in the pile
There are a couple of things that you could do that include;
Add Browns
Maggots thrive when there is plenty of food waste, that they can eat and the environment is moist. Now you would have to change that completely, when you add browns, it would dry up the excess moisture and also reduce the level of food for them to feed on.
Add lime
In an irregular situation, we do not add a lime because, the compost materials will break down on their own. When we add a lime there is always a danger of increasing the pH. levels of the compost once it is complete. However, to deal with maggots follow these steps;
- Add one cup lime to 20 cubic feet compost, or
- You may add some pine needles, or
- You can also add citrus fruits
These steps will help you to deal with the maggots effectively.
As I mentioned earlier you don’t have to stress about these methods, happy composting!