Horrible Disgusting Maggots

[DonRedwood]

No, I am not talking about the Tea Party or those whacked-out Baptists. I'm talking about our new garbage program where ALL food products are composted. How is it going? It is pretty gross BUT I'm already seeing it is worth it. Incredibly worth it.

We recycle metal, plastic, glass and paper and the city recently gave every house a giant green rolling garbage can for yard debris and ALL food and compostable products. Seriously! Almost everything can go in the green can. All foods, pizza boxes, bones, meat, etc. etc. It was hard getting used to it but now we're starting to get into the habit.

What is amazing is that we now produce less than half a small can of garbage each week. Three adults, dog, two cats=half a can of garbage. Almost all of it is plastic from packaging. In Switzerland they only allow biodegradable plastic--if we had that here we would probably have almost no garbage at all.

The only drawback so far, now that it is high summer and hotter each day...stinky, hot, rotting food sitting in the can. (in the old days the same food would have been in the garbage can but tied up inside a plastic garbage bag.)

Fruit flies and maggots love the new system.

So... I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to keep the bugs down. I LOVE that we are barely contributing to the landfill but I gotta figure out the bug situation. Anyone have any ideas? We found compostable plastic bags but they were crazy expensive.

[MADem]

1. How much foodcrap do you produce, and could you find a corner of your fridge

to toss that junk in (e.g. a large plastic container lined w/plastic bag shoved in a corner) ?

That would keep the stuff cool enough so you wouldn't end up with bugs and funk. Throw the foody stuff in there until pick up day, and there ya go....

[samsingh]

2. sounded like you were talking about repugs

[calimary]

6. That's what I thought, too!

Figured it was a metaphor or something.

[samsingh]

11. maybe subconsciously it was

[JHogan]

3. These bugs

are HORRIBLE this year!!! I hate being outside now...

[DonRedwood]

4. our neighbor has plum trees...doesn't pick them--lets them rot in the yard

OMG...talk about swarms of fruitflies. It is still a few weeks off but we dread plum season every year!!!!

[enlightenment]

5. The reason it smells is the meat

You normally do not compost meat or dairy products.

You can try turning the stuff in the bin (with a pitchfork); adding 'brown' waste (dried grass, newspaper, etc); or consider using this method of breaking down the meat/dairy before adding it to the bin:

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/organicgardeningglossary/g/Bokashi.htm

Good luck. I'd love to have a compost pile, but it's actually too hot and dry where I live to really make it work.

[librechik]

7. I'm told not to put meat in my composter, mainly because of the bug (and other pest) factor

I wonder why they allow that stuff in their green cans along with the vegetables

[XemaSab]

8. I have a worm bin

that I use for fruit and vegetable scraps.

Well the soldier flies found it, and they're sorta gross, but not as gross as house fly maggots.

[FedUpWithIt All]

13. The soldier flies will also repel the house flies and can make very short work of compost.

The are actually VERY good to have in a compost pile and many people have systems set up for them.

[brewens]

9. I always save up stuff like bass carcasses in the freezer. Then

I put them out the night before the pickup. Or I take them for a little walk down the street to a condo dumpster.

[nc4bo]

14. Fish scraps make THE best fertilizer. Bury then put basil or tomato plant ontop, any veggie actually

something about fish the plants looooooove!!

Another reason why I love dressing my own fish and seafood.

[Webster Green]

10. I use a worm bin for veggie scraps.

The worms do a great job of turning it all into great fertilizer. I get soil-like worm-castings as well as liquid fertilizer tea from the worms, and it is the best fertilizer you can get (for free).

Meat and fish scraps go straight to the poodie-cats.

A well managed worm bin or compost heap will not smell or draw hordes of insects or maggots.

[FedUpWithIt All]

12. Depending on the climate you live in, you might consider Black Soldier Fly Larvae

The break down compost FAST, they are also mouthless as adults so they do seek out food during their flying stage. This prevents contamination issues like that seen with other types of flies. The larvae are self harvesting, in the later stages and make a GREAT food source for reptiles, fowl of all kinds (Chickens go NUTS for them) and are great for fishing. And the best thing about them is that they repel the nasty and disease vector insects like the house fly.



http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/

[LynneSin]

15. I'm getting one of these - very highly recommended

http://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/kitchen-harvest/composting/kitchen-compost-pail-prod001275.html

[snooper2]

16. Fill a watering can (for your garden) with gas

Just pour a little over the top each morning