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| I am enjoying using 2 side by side 'residential' composters (each 14 cu ft in capacity) that are positioned about 25 feet out the back of my home in the garden. However I can easily foresee the time when both will be filled with material but not fully composted. I would like to set up another one but the only placement for it would be right out the side door (convenient for the winter) but right up against one of the the outside brick walls of the house (and on top of brick interlock).
As far as I can see right now my only concern is the attraction of ants too close to our home. I so do dislike seeing such creatures inside our house. Is this a realistic concern? Are there other issues with such a close proximity? So is it not a good idea overall? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Fri, Apr 20, 12 at 10:49
| Not only ants but depending on your climate there can be a whole host of insects that help turn stuff into compost. They are fine in the compost but not necessarily in the house. That said, you can try it and move it if you have troubles with bugs. It should not touch the house but a couple feet away should be OK. I don't know how you're using your existing bins, but a multi bin system is best if you can turn each batch into the next bin, always put new stuff in the same bin, and get finished compost out of the last one in the row. If you do that turning it will also get done faster. If there is any way to shoehorn the 3d one next to the others you could use them together that way and maybe increase your throughput. |
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| Any leachate may stain the interlocking bricks. Lloyd |
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| Staining of the interlock on the footprint of the composter is not an issue. |
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| During the digestion phase a properly made compost pile will not be attractive to ants or other, similar, critters. A properly made compost pile will not have any leachate, something that indicates there is too much water in the mix and the material will then anaerobically be digested and smell terrible. In my expereince the presence of ants in compost indicates the material is too dry and the presence of the larva of many other insects, or pill bugs, millipedes, etc. indicates the material is too wet. |
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