Worm Man's Worm Farm

Archive for the ‘Fly Control’ Category

It is getting warm outside and it is breeding season for flies. It is always breeding season for flies but it is super-breeding season for flies right now. Every type of nasty fly and gnat is attracted to your compost pile.

This is one of the worst parts of composting with worms. The flies lay eggs in the food you placed in the compost bin or bed and more flies are born.

A very simple remedy is to bury the food. Place the scraps a couple of inches beneath the bedding and use a new location each time you add more scraps. The flies can’t burrow and need to touch the food to lay eggs in it. This will mean more food for your worms and many fewer flies.

One question that I get all of the time from people growing red worms in compost bins, especially indoor bins, is how can they control the gnats and flies that are attracted to the food scraps in the worm bin. Is it even possible to do indoor composting without flies and gnats.

The answer is yes. There is a simple solution to this problem. The first is to bury the food scraps in the worm compost bin deep enough to keep flies away. Flies and gnats will not dig into the bedding to get to the food. They will only be attracted to and lay eggs in food scraps they can see. The fly larvae needs to feed on the food scraps from the moment they hatch.

In addition to burying the food scraps you can also get a section of landscaping fabric and cut it to the dimensions of your worm bin. Place it over the bedding of the composting bin. This will add another layer of defense to your worm bin and will also help cut down on odors. The landscaping fabric will allow the compost bin to breathe.

Do not use any sort of chemical fly spray on the bin. I’ve seen some books and sites recommenced using insect killer in small doses on the top of the bedding or around the sides. These sources state that small doses will not harm many worms and will effectively keep flies and gnats away.

Do not do this. The residue will kill worms, inhibit hatching of worm capsules and will also taint the compost. The finished worm castings will contain chemicals that will later be absorbed by the plants you feed them with. If those plants are vegetable plants then you will later ingest those chemicals when you eat the vegetables. I’m not kidding. Go green and go natural.