Are Flies Good For Compost?
Flies aren’t necessarily bad for your compost. In fact, many composters welcome them as a natural pest control. Flies are drawn to green waste, such as kitchen scraps and fresh yard trimmings. However, you can discourage them by adding more brown waste to your compost pile. Brown waste is not as high in nutrients as green waste and doesn’t attract flies.
Soldier flies are beneficial to your compost because their larvae feed on nitrogen-rich materials. To reduce the number of these insects, make sure your compost pile is well-buried. For added protection, place a screen over the pile. You can also use waterproof caulking to adhere window screen to your compost pile.
Flies can be difficult to deal with. However, these pests can help speed up the composting process. Fly larvae feed on decaying food and are excellent decomposers. As long as you don’t place meat or fish scraps in your compost pile, flies should be kept to a minimum.
If you’re not sure if flies are good for compost, keep an eye out for fruit flies. These pests usually breed in compost piles and feed on fruit rotting tissue. However, they can easily multiply in your compost bucket to the point that they cause a nuisance. You can use a fly trap to catch them and remove them.