The Solana Composter Blog!

Experienced composters and vermiculturists answer your questions.

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I recently learned that the Solana Center has been receiving quite a few calls from frantic composters to learn the secret of how to keep rats out of their compost bins. Well first and foremost, no, it is not common to have these animals taking shelter in compost bins. So in order to help you deter these little rascals from your compost pile I’ve done some research and found a few tips to keep them away.

Ø Tip #1- Make sure that no grains, grease, other oils, meat, bones, fish, fat and dairy go into compost bins. I know that you may have heard this over and over again, but these materials are slow to compost, end up odorous and some of the rodents’ favorite treats.

Ø Tip #3- Another food that they enjoy are fruits and vegetables, however instead of dumping half a melon in there, take a few minutes to dice it up into smaller cubes, allowing it to decompose faster. You can then spread out the cubes so it isn’t easy for rodents to get to.

Ø Tip #3- Make sure to add brown materials such as leaves, twigs, wood shavings or other dry carbon source next to the bin to keep the compost heap healthy and constantly cycling.

Ø Tip #4- Get some ¼ inch wire mesh and put it around the bottom and side of your compost bin. The bottom is quite important as the rats have been known to dig up from the ground and get into the compost from the bottom.

Ø Tip #5- Remember to aerate the compost regularly to also help breakdown the materials faster. When the materials compress the bin becomes more attractive to pests.

Ø Tip #6- Remember to keep the compost moist, if not, the rats will make sure to enjoy the warm, dry home that was just made for them.

Ø Tip #7- Find a brick, or something of similar weight to keep the rats from lifting the lid.

Ø Tip #8- Bury the new green waste a few inches from the top of the compost pile, as this helps hide the scent.

Ø Tip #9- Bokashi. This is Japanese for “fermented organic matter.” Mix this with your food scraps and let it ferment for up to 10 days and then add it to the compost pile. This will help make the food scraps smell much less appealing to the little fury visitors.

Ø Tip #10- Rats are reported to dislike mint so if you plant a few mint plants around the compost bin, it may keep them away.

Ø Tip #11 – If they are a serious problem fabric softener sheets keep Rats away from an area very effectively. Granted, this is not the most environmentally friendly approach but it is extremely effective.

Hopefully a few of these help you to prevent or treat diagnose your rodent problems! Best of luck and keep up the good work composting!

The worms one finds on the sidewalk and in the gutters are earthworms. Earthworms are deep burrowers, leading a solitary life and surface only to look for a mate or when the ground is too wet. They feed as the move through the soil and will not thrive in the confines of a worm bin. In contrast, worm bin worms, Red Wigglers, are surface feeders and do well contained in bins and they thrive in crowded conditions. The best thing to do with "lost" earthworms is to place them back on the soil so they can burrow back under the surface.

Yes, it is a great solution when a compost pile is just not feasible because of small yards or sensitive neighbors. Here's a cheap and easy way to convert one of your garbage cans into a compost bin.

Materials:

- 30+ gallon plastic garbage can, with locking lid (optional: bungee cords to hold the lid on)

- Drill with 1/2" to 1" drill bits for drilling holes

- Bricks or something to rest the bin on top of

Begin by drilling holes into the body of the trash can, about 4-6 inches apart, around the circumference and vertically. Drill a few holes in the lid and the bottom of the bin to allow for air circulation and fluid drainage.

If the bin is going to be placed on soil, use the shovel to dig a hole the same diameter of the bin. Dig the hole about 6 inches deep, or deeper if you like. Place the bin in the hole and back-fill any remaining space to secure the bin in place. To encourage earthworms, you can experiment by drilling more holes in the bottom and sides of your bin that are below ground.

Begin filling your bin. Some suggest filling the bottom couple of inches with loose carbon materials such as wood chips or dry straw to help with air circulation and moisture retention.

Finally, affix and secure the lid and leave in place.

If you selected a circular bin, and it's freestanding, you have the option of rolling the bin (with the lid on!) to turn and aerate the contents. If you can't roll your bin, that's not a worry. You can turn the contents using a compost turner or aerator, or just leave the contents alone.

Many people are alarmed to find grubs taking up residence in their compost heaps, and the large population can worry some. Don’t worry, these guys are probably nothing to fret about. Most likely, they’re doing exactly what you want them do, which is EAT! They consume your organic matter and in turn leave you an abundance of nutrients. The grubs are beetle larvae and there are several types that can inhabit your compost heap.

Other common white grubs found in garden soil and compost heaps are the larvae of the June beetle. Both the larvae and adults can be damaging to your garden, so you should be careful to screen them from your compost. You can also pick them out and feed to the birds (chickens love them!).The larvae of the green fruit beetle (aka the figeater) are large C-shaped white larvae about 2 inches long with gray rear ends. The larvae are nicknamed “crawly backs” because they wiggle on their backs with their legs in the air. The adult green fruit beetle only eats rotting fruit, so you don’t usually have to worry about them being pests in your garden.

If you still prefer to limit the larvae population in your compost, try burying your “Nitrogens” under a few inches of “Carbons” so the adult beetles and flies won’t be attracted to your heap. This will also help manage house flies and fruit flies.Another common grub in a compost heap is the larvae of the black soldier fly, and it is also beneficial in consuming nitrogen-rich organic material such as your food scraps. You will find the larvae inhabiting the top couple inches in your compost. Young soldier fly larvae are a gray-white color, segmented, about an inch in length and very active. As they mature they turn a dark brown color. They are torpedo-shaped and flattened, with tough-looking skin covered in hairs and spines. The larval body bears no legs. The adults are also harmless. They live only a couple days, feed on your food scraps and lay their eggs in the compost.

Foliar application, spraying worm tea, is one more way of applying worm tea to your garden. Make sure it is well strained so the nozzle doesn't plug up, a nylon works well.

Dilute the strained tea to the color of a dark cup of tea.

Spray in the morning, particularly on the underside of the leaves. This is the time the "stomata", pores of the plant, are open. Spraying helps strengthen the cell walls and reduces aphids and white fly. Your plants will love it!

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