Flies in my compost bin. White jumping ones!

Help. Every time I lift the lid on my compost bin loads of silvery white flies come out. I notice they not only fly but jump too. What are they please and how do I get rid of them. Thank you

 

I had this problem with my dalek compost bin, I finally gave in and ripped the contents out at the weekend. I believe it's because the compost is too wet, you need to include more paper and cardboard to dry it out, and eventually the flies will go. Or you will get fed up like me and put the entire contents in the green bin and disinfect the compost bin !!!!

 

The trouble is I no longer have the green bin, they started to charge for it! I put a fair amount of paper in already...........maybe I should pee on it more hehehe

 

Is it not just a sign of a good healthy heap? I always thought that if nothing is living in there, then you know you've got it wrong.

 

thats my thoughts ... my dalek bin is 1/4 full .... loads of critters in there ...

so at least it's 'living' and things are happening .... a few fruit flies aswell, but my wife eats loads of fruit and all the leftovers and peels are put in there aswell

 

We get lots of fruit flies from time to time but I just leave the lid off for a day or two and it seems to thin down the swarm. A good layer of grass cuttings also seems to reduce the swarm.

 

That is the problem You have left your flies open

Nah just fruit flies, no harm , good for the birdies, and means the bin is alive

Jack McH

 

See you learn something new every day. I didn't know they were fruit flies.

Seeing as we mentioned it, consider this deeply philosophical statement: Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.

 

The ones in my bin were definitely not fruit flies, looked like large whitefly

 

Same here, they almost seem to have square wings.......very strange!

 

Same here too. I didn't realised they were not fruit flies, but previously I didn't realise they were, so for me, back to original stance of not being bothered, as long as things are living in there and munching on all the material and pooing it out the other end to make compost

If it was skitos or bluebottles I'd be a bit bothered though.

 

I Very much hope i am wrong but I think they are the white fly that will decend on our brassicas in the summer, my bin is full of them too, the white fly must overwinter somewhere.

 

my bin is now in full sun all day with the lid on ....

when I open the lid, lots of steam comes out ... so, I think that may be the trick to compost making ... flies won't survive that heat, and the materials decompose faster