[Susan in Italy]

I wonder if any of you good cooks out there are also gardeners with compost bins and some advice to give me. I have a small compost bin on my balcony that is experiencing a fruit fly infestation right now. Does anyone have any chemical-free ideas for getting rid of them?

[Erin]

I don't know a lot about fly control around compost but on plant I have an idea or two. A spray made of the capsicum of habaneros or some super spicy pepper can be very effective. You can find it in stores or online. I have actually made my own concotion of capsicum infused water that has worked very well. One note of caution, use gloves and beware of steam that carries capsicum. One word; ventaliate!

I hope this helps out your problem.
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"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[Donna]

I think you need to aerate your compost pile. Give it a healthy stir every day or so. Also, if you are only using kitchen waste, you may need to add some brown matter - dried leaves or grass. That keeps it from getting too wet.

My husband is the compost king at our house and is a wizard with a pitchfork! He just keeps turning it so that it gets lots of oxygen and I think that that really helps with fruit flies.
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L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais

[gisele]

We were told to throw a couple of handfuls of blood and bone over the top of our compost every couple of weeks, and a couple of handufls of soil as well. Apparently it helps to break down the food matter. other than that, the only other thing I can recommend is what everyone else said, turn it over and aerate it a bit.

[happenstance]

you could also add a layer of diatomaceuos earth on top. it won't kill the good bugs down below, but will take care of the flies on top.
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Maureen in Oakland

Sharing her home with Rimsky the cat, Cody the partner, and 9 happy hens.

:>

[Susan in Italy]

Thanks, everybody for your kind advice. This has been a problem for the past 2 summers so, I'm very motivated to get it to stop. I've started turning the pile every day, am drying plant cuttings to create more brown material and am brewing some chili pepper/garlic tea to spray on the pile. If those things fail, I'll try to find the Italian translation for diatomaceous

[Susan in Italy]

Oh, Gisele, When you say, "blood and bone" are you referring to blood meal and bone meal?

[Donna]

I sure hope that's what she's referring to!!!!!!!!!
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L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais

[gisele]

lol - yes blood meal and bone meal...It's just known as "blood and bone" here...and comes all pre-packaged in plastic bags...ugh but I cannot abide the smell, so that's my boyfriends job

[Susan in Italy]

Thanks a million everybody! I went for the easiest solution first (not knowing how to say "blood and bone meal" or "diatomaceous earth" in Italian ), and have been turning the compost once a day. There are a few fruit flies hanging around but nothing like before! Thank you thank you!