Suppose you are one of the people who like to use compost, whether you separate cultivation or for another type of activity, it would be good for you to continue reading. Compost is one of the best things since you can build it using soil and organic waste that nourish this soil and then use it to increase the plants’ nutrients that you are growing in your garden. In this way, you not only cultivate but also recycle.
However, it would be best to consider that each time you dispose of more organic compounds, it will cause you a bit of stress. Since, as you accumulate more compost, this accumulation attracts the attention of various insects, causing you a great headache. Although many of these insects are harmless, they are still annoying. Read on to find out How to Keep Gnats Out Of Compost.
Why Do You Have Gnats In Compost?
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Because like most insects, they are attracted to waste, and the compost that nourishes our crops can also be a food center and inhabit insects. The more green material the compost has, the greater the number of flies and gnats there will be.
That is why it is important that you maintain necessary and not so excessive amounts of green material. You know how to balance it with the brown material so that there are not so many gnats.
Are Gnats Normal In Compost?
In reality, gnats arrive when there is a very large amount of green material or when they consider that there is too much humidity for them to live and reproduce. For the most part, it is normal. However, depending on what you need for your crops, it is not good that there is so much green material, but the idea is to have much more brown material.
As with green matter, having excess moisture can cause your crops to lack the necessary nutrients. Therefore, you need to improve drainage.
Other Common Bugs Found In Compost
Among other types of insects found in compost, maybe snails, since they like green matter. Also, slugs, worms, mites, among many other insects. That is why it is important to keep the compost free of any pests and choose one of these methods that we have described, and if it does not work, you can try to add some traps that can help.
You should also be careful with the drain, and even with the type of organic compound you are adding and trying not to stop accumulating too much compost that can attract gnats and flies. In this way, you will know how to Keep Gnats Out Of Compost.
How To Keep Fruit Flies Out Of Compost?
Fruit flies are also one of the insects that can also become pests when it comes to compost. Here are some options to keep them out of compost:
Beware of surfaces
As we know, what attracts the attention of fruit flies are the compounds and the leftovers that it throws into the compost. Therefore, if you are a little careful and wrap the leftovers in the newspaper or other paper, this will help prevent flies.
Buy traps
In the market, various traps can help you kill fruit flies. Either with the removal of insects. And even, they can also make different traps that help them get rid of flies.
Chop the waste
It would be best to chop up every waste that you will want to add to your compost. Since in this way it will be much easier and faster for it to decompose, therefore it will also prevent the fruit flies from arriving quickly.
Try the above
With the options we gave you for gnats, you can also use them for fruit flies. So try everything else to get rid of all these pests that may be uncomfortable for you.
Also Read: How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats Naturally
How To Eliminate Gnats In Your Compost Naturally?
In case you already have gnats in your compost, and you want to find a way to get rid of them, because, in the following options, we will show you:
Apple cider vinegar
With this, you will build a trap to kill the gnats. Gnats have been shown to like the smell of apple cider vinegar. You will need to place the apple cider vinegar in a container and add a few soap drops. So when they want to take the vinegar, they will die with the soap.
Mosquito trap
In the market, there are mosquito traps, which are a kind of hard cardboard with glue. This cardboard gives off an odor that attracts them, and once they rest, they will not be able to detach.
Boiled water
Some experts claim that adding boiled water to the compost will kill gnats since they do not survive high heat temperatures.
How To Keep Gnats Away From Your Compost?
If what you want is to know How to Keep Gnats Out Of Compost, here you will find the answer with different options that will help you keep gnats away from your compost:
Bury the fertilizer
You can try to bury your compost underground, as it is a compost that attracts gnats because of its high amount of nutrients. When laying the compost, one option could be that several mount amounts of soil on top of it so that the debris is below and the gnats cannot reach it.
Therefore, whenever you add waste, try to put enough soil on top of it to mask the smell.
The proportion of brown and green
If your compost smells fresh or intense, it is because it has a lot of vegetables and organic compounds. Therefore, this will attract much more insects to feed and inhabit there. This is why if you find your compost looking greener, you will need to add more leaves, sawdust, dry plant material such as hay, twigs, unprinted paper, fabrics, unwaxed cardboard, or even dryer lint.
Depending on how you use the compost, the amount of brown should be 50 percent or more. This is good, as insects will not be as attracted to brown material. You could also cover your compost with this.
Humidity level
Gnats like water. Since they need humidity to live and reproduce, if your compost pile has excess moisture, it could have too many gnats. Therefore, it is advisable to empty the container every so often so that oxygen arrives and there is not so much humidity. You can also try improving the drainage of your container.
Container lid
If it has a lid, it may be causing the gnats to stay inside the container, and they also have a dark place where they can breed. Removing the lid will allow the compost to breathe and will also prevent so much moisture.
Without having a lid and gnats exist, they may cease to exist with a lid, only if the flies have not laid eggs in the compost.
