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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Weird bugs in my compost, not larva!

14 years ago

Ok, so I just joined to ask about this. I've seen larva and maggots in my compost bin that we keep on my girlfriend's balcony in a condo. These bugs are different. They almost look like termites from they way they move. But, they are black, roughly a quarter inch in length or smaller, and almost wormy in their movements. There are also tiny white wormy looking things in the compost that may be the larval forms of these bugs, but the adult bugs are a little bigger than ants and black. I also have a big problem with fruit flies, but I'm trying to get rid of them by burying the food scraps better. We have been worm-composting in a Worm-factory for about 6 weeks now. Any ideas on what these things are?

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Comments (5)

joepyeweed
14 years ago
Are they springtails?

Here is a link that might be useful: Invertebrates of the compost pile
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
Bugs and critters are what make compost. They don't sound like springtails to me from the description. And there is no reason to panic.

I put my food scraps in a 32-gal trash can I mostly buried in the ground and drilled holes throughout - this keeps macrocritters away and the ravens-crows-flying scavengers out of the pile.

Let them do what you want them to do.

Dan
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compostingpa
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm not really worried, just would like to know what they are. Also, if they are termites, should I be letting them into my condo? I was thinking something in the weevil family, but they don't look like weevils I've seen, but maybe similar.
lisascenic Urban Gardener, Oakland CA
14 years ago
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/
jean001
14 years ago
They won't be termites. They don't eat food scraps.

Any chance of posting an image or two?

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