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Wed, May 11, 11 at 17:08
| Hi, all. I have a pail by the sink (chrome w/lid and filters in the lid) for scraps that gets emptied and washed about once a week. Lately, before the weekly dumping I've been getting fungus gnats in it. I know they're generally harmless, but they're annoying. I've changed the filters and scrubbed the pail well, but wondered if there's another way to keep them from showing up and growing in and around the pail.
Thanks for any help you've got! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Wed, May 11, 11 at 21:26
| More likely these are fruit flies rather than fungus gnats. They are attracted to ripe/overripe produce, especially those that have a high sugar content, and any sweet liquids. Pretty common around garbage, even enclosed compost scraps. Could be fungus gnats as well. Hard to avoid either when you are offering the conditions they prefer - a source of sugar and a damp, humid environment. I'd try hanging a sticky trap close by - won't eliminate them but should help to keep their numbers in check. Or empty the compost pail on a daily basis. |
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| Those would be fruit flies, common on overripe fruits kept in warm places. They will develop, the eggs that produce them are on the fruit you buy, and only need a nice warm environment, such as you provide, to hatch and grow. Fruit flies have a total life span of 30 days so they don't stick around long, but the solution to getting rid of them is to empty that pail more often, before the eggs have a chance to hatch and the larva grow to adults. |
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- Posted by beeman_gardener 5 (My Page) on Thu, May 12, 11 at 8:54
| Place a thin layer of newspaper over the contents. It will prevent the flies from laying eggs, at the same time adding newspaper will add volume to the overall compost produced. |
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- Posted by schreber_gaertner (My Page) on Thu, May 12, 11 at 17:39
| Thanks everybody! |
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