[garddwr]

We have had a compost bin for a few weeks now and flies are everywhere when I open the lid and they are also in the kitchen everywhere ! If this can't be solved we'll have to get rid I think.
Anyone have any suggestions ?

[FRUITFULL]

We have 2 compost bins and at 1st had problems,everything that could go wrong did,but we have it right now.
Never put cooked food in there,put lots of layers of dried stuff like newspaper and egg cartons etc.
Once it gets going it seems to sort out.We have had lovely compost and it seems to break down fast now.

[compostqueen]

you only get flies in it I expect, not round the outside.  There might be too much fruit at the top, if so either turn it in or put some more stuff on top. When you approach the bin, just take the lid off and go and do something else for 10 minutes. They'll have gone by the time you get back

[Johndeb]

We put all our (uncooked) kitchen fruit and veg waste into a bucket with a lid.  We only put it on the compost heap when we cut the grass, and then we put a layer of kitchen waste on the heap and cover it with the grass clippings. Voila! No flies.

[cleverkitty]

thats all terrific advice, i've only had my compost bin for a week and i've done the brown/green layering thing, i expected the flies... but what i didn't expect was WASPS!!!!  :shock:  am i supposed to have wasps in my compost bin or have i put something in there that i shouldn't have....
cos frankly at this time of year wasps and people don't mix well and i'm now keeping well clear

there is no cooked food in there at all.... the only thing i was unsure about putting in was orange peel and pips, so i put it in anyway!!!  

advice or hand slapping will do nicely??? !!!

oh i just wanted to add a short reply to the person who started this topic... if you're getting flies in your kitchen maybe you should move the bin further away from the window/door to kitchen, i've put mine as far away as i could physically get it

[Aunt Sally]

If you have wasps in your new compost bin they are not there to build a nest but to find a warm place for next year's queen to hibernate over winter.

Up to you what you do about it but wasp powder at dusk would be my choice   :!:

[compostqueen]

I have wasps in mine but they're after the windfall pears I put in there.  I have got quite blase about them now and just pick them up, complete with buzzing wasps, and bung them in.  Then cover them up with windfall courgettes  

[Bombers]

 Then cover them up with windfall courgettes  

       

[jack russell]

As already stated i would suggest something sweet is attracting them, get the fork in if so and cover it   x should do the trick.

[cleverkitty]

thank you so much for the wasp advice.......... i think i'm gonna go down the powder route and kill the lot of them...

i will not be putting anything sweet in there from now on

[jack russell]

Hey cleverkitty you can still put fruit peelings in the heap just wait untill you have other stuff to cover it with or just bury it straight away. as mention by   a n other.

[Aunt Sally]

i think i'm gonna go down the powder route and kill the lot of them...

No need if they are just visiting for a snack  

[cleverkitty]

i don't know if they're just visiting for a snack aunt sally, unfortunately its difficult to communicate directly with them i don't speak buzz and they don't understand english.... have bought the powder anyway, so if they are just snacking i hope they're full cos its gonna be asta la vista buzzies at sundown :twisted:  Compost Bin the Revenge!!! This time its personal......

he he he

[compostqueen]

your bin should be natural and insects are just part of that. If you add chemicals to the bin in the form of fly or wasp killer it could kill the good guys which help turn the waste into compost

[cleverkitty]

its too late now compost queen, i followed aunt sallys advice and powdered them, i got the proper nest killer from the garden centre... so hopefully it won't have too harmful an effect on the rest of the lovely insects in there............
i just really hate wasps and from now on will be making sure i cover my sweet stuff as soon as i put it in the bin