In the past I’ve talked about compost. Specifically, I’ve talked about the benefits of compost and what good insects you can find in there. This may surprise you, but there’s plenty of bugs that are worth keeping around, even if you find them a little gross. But, on the flip side, when you compost- things can go wrong. That’s why today we’ll talk about the bad compost bugs you can find.
Now, if you’re doing everything right with your compost you shouldn’t attract these pests. But even the most watchful gardener can become lax, so we’ll talk about the worst case scenarios here today, and what threat these pests may pose.
What are the Bad Compost Bugs?
As I mentioned above, we’re not talking about little red wigglers or soldier fly larvae today. We’re going to be talking about the baddies that either damage your compost, strip the nutrients from it, or have the chance to move from the pile into your house. And of course, it’s going to have more of a leaning towards Florida pests more than anything.
FIRE ANTS
This first round of bad compost bugs may be the worst right off the bat, depending on how you look at things. Fire ants are an invasive species from South American that have become so successful at what they do that they may just be the most popular ant in the South. And when you’re composting, if you plan to throw fruits and vegetables in there, you have to make sure the temperature of the pile is hot. Otherwise, that material won’t break down quickly enough and you risk swarming your pile with ants.
These ants can survive almost any challenge, as researchers even found that they can survive temperatures as low as ten degrees F to kill an entire colony. While fire ants kill and eat other insects like regular ants, they have also been known to live on crops and animals. Fire ants can even form nests on water and float them to dry locations.
And if your compost pile is within shooting distance of your home, the ants can spread from the warm, cozy pile to your warm, cozy walls. But if you’ve had to contend with these pests before, you’ll probably know just how damage one of their stings is. Their bites still hurt, mind you, but their biting is more to hold on to than anything. This ant prefers to use its stinger after racing up your leg and grabbing hold. And then you’ll really know it was them when those bumps start to blister and raise, with the itching lasting up to a full week.
Houseflies
Well, this one may confuse some people. Soldier flies are great for your compost! What about the others? Well…no. Even when it comes to behavior these guys are bad. They’ll fly right into your face to try to intimidate you away.
It’s a given that flies are going to be attracted to the waste in the compost. They help the composting process, but these flies can be very annoying and even carry diseases.
There are two bugs that can help your compost pile but can be bothersome in the rest of your garden. Beetles and slugs are great if you can contain them, however, that can be hard to do once the grubs start multiplying in the pile. Keep an eye out for these guys and consider plucking them from your compost.
Centipedes
The next member of the bad compost bugs group is maybe the single scariest pest out there. We have the centipede. These creepy-crawlies are ones you’d not even like to have on your property at all, nonetheless in your compost and threatening to come into your home. These guys have a painful bite and a toxic one at that. You won’t get sick from this bite, and it’s not fatal, but it will HURT. Maybe more than any other single pest in Florida.
Centipedes are situated right in the middle of the insect and pest food chain. Centipedes eat insects, including other centipedes, small spiders, and worms. Spiders, beetles, and other larger pests will prey on young centipedes. Most likely, you don’t want any of these pests making their home in your living spaces, kitchen, or bathroom.
And when they get into your compost pile, they eat the beneficial bugs inside. They’re bad for you, your pile, and your home. Really just not beneficial to have around.
Bad Compost Bugs: Conclusion
When it comes to good insects, I hesitate to call an abundance of them an infestation. For example, go outside. If you see a bunch of butterflies, you wouldn’t exactly say that your property was infested with them. But when it comes to one of these guys on the list, you can certainly say that it’s an infestation.
And as I mentioned in the other article, I believe composting is an overall heavy positive thing. You reduce the waste that you throw into a landfill, you become a little more self reliant, you’re gardening and planting and just beautifying your home. But when you set yourself down the composting path, you have to make sure that you’re doing the right thing with the pile itself. Checking the temperature, not throwing away uncompostable materials, making it easy for bugs to move in.
Because you have to keep in mind as well, there’s more than just what I’ve covered here. You can even attract things bigger than bugs. Animals such as rats, raccoons, and possums can loiter around these. So if you do compost, try to put some distance between your pile and your house, while also making sure to follow the golden rules that will make your compost pile more successful. Keep the moisture at the right levels, keep the temperatures high (but not so high that you’ll spontaneously combust the pile). And if you do have an infestation that spreads from a poorly managed pile to your home, consider contacting an expert.
