Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I do not like fungus gnats. Actually, I wish there were a market for them because they seem to be so easy to breed! Unfortunately, all I can find online is info related to getting rid of fungus gnats, not propagating them. Ah, well...
So, as you may have guessed, my worm compost bin has been once again attacked by the mighty gnat. And once again, just when I think they're under control, back they come. So it is both my personal and professional mission to find a solution to fungus gnats in my worm bins and unwanted winged creatures in general. My worm compost bin, if you remember correctly, is situated in my pantry, and such visitors are most unwelcome. Additionally, many of you will be facing winter months soon enough, which means indoor worm compost bins for y'all. I need to solve these problems for you as well so that your winter composting projects are pleasurable.
Here is what I've come up with over the weekend as my new approach to keeping pests out of my worm compost bin:
The Vacuum
My old standby, the vacuum, is irreplaceable during any fruit fly or fungus gnat invasion.
Fly Traps
Of the sticky tape variety are also quite useful, especially when laid directly on top of the bedding in your worm compost bin.
Cinnamon
Yes, cinnamon! I have read that cinnamon is a natural insecticide, and I must say that my initial findings are definitely encouraging. To combat my current problem, I have left the lid off of my bin and generously sprinkled cinnamon all over the top layer. The result? A mass migration of the young flies out of the bin and straight into my vacuum cleaner hose. However, use caution: cinnamon has been used to fight against parasitic worms, like tapeworms, and so the jury is still out about its effect on red worms. I think, however, that sprinkling a bit on the top is unlikely to cause much carnage, and if it does it will only affect the worms in the top layer. Then I can scrape out this layer and also hopefully be free of flies at that point.
Coffee Grounds
Word on the street is that coffee grounds on the top layer of my worm compost may have a similar effect as cinnamon to keep flies at bay. I am going to start keeping my used grounds in a separate container so that I can sprinkle them on top after each feeding.
Beer Traps
I have laid several little cups of beer around the house and directly into the worm compost with at least a little success. Don't get too excited about this one, but every dead fly is a victory in my world.
Freezing
I have recently started to freeze all of my kitchen compost scraps before feeding. This process allows the food to be broken down more easily by microorganisms and thus eaten more easily by the worms. It also kills any eggs from fruit flies or fungus gnats that may be on the surface. I keep a kitchen compost container right next to the sink, and then each day transfer the kitchen compost to a larger receptacle in the freezer. It's actually quite easy and helps immensely with fruit flies in particular near the sink.
Blending
I have heard that blending up the kitchen compost before feeding worms will result in far fewer flies in general in the bin. I think this is because they don't have much to anchor on to to lay their eggs, as most of it is mush. Below are my adventure pics from this morning. I pulled the kitchen compost out of the freezer, let it thaw while I worked, and then spent 5 minutes with my trusty cuisinart. It was surprisingly not gross, given most of what was in there was straight fruits and veggies, and none of it "rotten".
That's all for now. I will keep you posted about my progress ridding myself of these buggers.
Good worming!
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