Composting in Florida’s summer brings some unique challenges. I’m looking at you, unwelcome bugs and baby flies (aka maggots). You may have “bin” noticing that your curbside bin is extra icky this summer. Unfortunately, this can be normal! We promise it gets better after the warm, wet months. We do spray your curbside bin with bleach whenever we see signs of maggots. Liquid is the main culprit of odor issues so anything you can do to keep your bin dry will help tremendously.
Here are some tips to avoid a stinky bin and those bugs that look like walking rice....
Bag your food scraps contribution and make sure the bag is completely closed so that insects are not landing on exposed food.
You can try to refrigerate or freeze your compost contribution and then put it out the night before.
Contribute to your compost bin the evening before collection
Put your bin out for EVERY pick up (even if there is only one little bag in it)
Put loose yard material like mulch in the bottom of your bin to absorb extra liquids. Put materials like paper towels or napkins in your kitchen collection bin to absorb liquid as your food scraps sit in your kitchen.
You can line your outside bin with a landscape bag or use an internal paper liner for your kitchen collection.
Rinse out your bin when needed with water or white vinegar or dish soap and water.
Turn your bin upside down after pick up to let the liquids drain out, and dry the bin a bit.
If you are composting at home, maggots in your compost pile are a-okay. They’re just helping break down your scraps. They’re okay in your curbside bin too, but they ain’t pretty. We know it can be an unwelcome surprise, but stick with it. It gets better!
Big thanks to our friends at Compost Crusader for sharing their tips!
