compost mites | Crazy About Compost

Funky Compost Toter

I was out for a stroll recently and I scoped out this roughed up compost toter. Looks like it gets a lot of use. Of course, I had to open it up and take a look inside. Yum! It looks like they don't use any sort of liner... I don't blame them, they're expensive! However, having a raw container like this gets pretty nasty. I could smell it pretty well before I opened the lid, that's for sure. The wonderful aromas of an unlined compost toter can't do anything but hurt the "movement". Then again, I guess it's not so much different than a can full of garbage (garbage being defined as "wet" waste, which includes food). On the underside of the lid, there were plenty of friends hanging out:…

What Are These Bugs in My Kitchen Compost Bin? (video)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnh-O2euWQU Kitchen compost crocks aren't my favorite tool when it comes to composting, but they are fun to ignore. For the last several months, I decided to fill it up and not empty it since it's colder out (less bugs) and it won't smell as bad. I opened it up today, and it was nothing but sludge in the bottom and gobs of compost mites around the lid. These are a common inhabitant of worm bins, but they don't really pose a threat to your system. In fact, they're a bit of a help since they indicate that your compost is unbalanced. Most likely your compost is too moist, and that's what these critters like being around. The solution? Add a bunch of dry browns to balance it out. The…