Subject: Re: Flies around compost problem.
From: R.Zwaagstra@ppsw.rug.nl (Ronald Zwaagstra)
Organization: University of Groningen
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 1997 11:36:27 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$971019.4187@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971017.7485@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


9rokky@worldnet.att.net (Remove the '9' to send me email.) wrote:

>Hi!

>I have *swarms* of fruit flies around my compost! How can I get rid of them
>without contaminating the compost?

>TIA
Getting rid of these fruit flies does not seem like a good idea to me.
They are providing valuable services to your pile. They chew up large
chunks of material, thereby increasing the surface area of the stuff
in the pile. While digesting your compost ingredients, they produce
nutrients that are readily available for plants once you use the
compost. Simultaneously, many pathogens are killed within their
digestive tract.

I know that fruit flies may seem like a pest at first, but you might
notice that they have a strong preference for your compost over
anything else.

Ronald