Monday, June 16, 2008
composting
A reader told me that I have it wrong about the compost jar by the kitchen sink. I had written that you should keep the lid closed because compost stinks! She corrected me, saying that compost only stinks when you keep the lid closed and let the smells fester. If you leave it open, it airs itself out. I've been trying this for a week, and she's right. BUT--now we have a fruit fly problem. Any suggestions?
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7 comments:
I keep our compost covered, due to the fly/ant thing and our dogs that tend to snitch "snacks" when no one is looking. I just empty it daily (washing it out thoroughly with each emptying) and it never seems to get overwhelming in the smell department. I find that when I first open the compost pot for meal-making it might let out a stinky burst, but then it gets better and I can keep it open until the meal is all set.
I have not tried this, but maybe covering the jar with cheesecloth and securing it with a rubber band might work. Cheesecloth should be "breathable" enough to permit airflow, but substantial enough to prevent the insects from feasting.
Great ideas! Thanks! And someone else told me that the way to catch fruit flies is this: take a piece of paper and fold into a cone. Tape securely and insert into a mason jar, small side down. At the bottom of the mason jar, put some apple cider vinegar and some dish detergent. Of course, if you are a practicing Buddhist or animal lover, this is not a good solution...
There are some countertop compost bins with a charcoal insert in the lid. I think that greatly reduces the odor problem. You can order one model @wholesale from Frontier Co-op if you know anyone who is a member.
some people say that if you wash off the rinds you take off the fruit fly eggs. Once you have fruit flies it is hard to get rid of them.
i'm an urbanite with space issues (250 sf!) but i like to compost. in order to do so i must take my compost to the nearest green market or community garden. luckily we have those. i trumpet this advice to anyone in the city who thinks they can't compost here:
freeze it. keeps it from stinkin'. i have a plastic shoe box (i know i know... plastic. bah.) from the dollar store with a lid on it that i keep in the freezer. in go the coffee grounds, egg shells, expired floral bouquets, etc. and when full, out to the heap!
another super easy (though not fly-friendly) way to deal with fruit flies:
take a glass, pour a little balsamic vinegar into it, cover the glass with a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap a rubberband around the rim of the glass so it's nice and tight...then, poke a small hole (a little bigger than fly-sized) in the middle of the plastic wrap. Flies will sniff the vinegar and creep in, then not be able to find their way out.
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