compost bugs

wally mcgee · June 18, 2013

I started composting in garbage cans with holes drilled for air. Lately, after rolling them , I have been noticing what appear to be squash bugs in the compost. I do have problems with them ever year, having to play hide and seek with my zucchini, etc.
Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? It is good looking compost with a lot of coffee grounds, egg shells, etc, but I hate to spread the bugs all over my garden.

Crandrew · June 18, 2013

Before you set the compost out allow it to dry and the bugs will normally leave. I noticed that with sow bugs at least, they really wont stick around if its not shaded and moist. But perhaps not, I have little exp with squash bugs.

Redbaron · June 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by wally mcgee

I started composting in garbage cans with holes drilled for air. Lately, after rolling them , I have been noticing what appear to be squash bugs in the compost. I do have problems with them ever year, having to play hide and seek with my zucchini, etc.
Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? It is good looking compost with a lot of coffee grounds, egg shells, etc, but I hate to spread the bugs all over my garden.

You can try making the compost heat up with high nitrogen "hot" green material. Scott from Atlanta was talking about using kudzu. I have read about people using comfrey. I use grass clippings for the same purpose. If the compost gets hot enough it will kill any diseases bugs and/or weed seeds present. Not sure if the garbage cans are big enough to reach those temps though.

Salsacharley · June 18, 2013

I used a plastic garbage can for compost last year and it got plenty hot when the green content was high. I would guess it was over 120 degrees. I had some worms in there before the compost cooked, but afterward they were not present.

I made the mistake of adding come cantaloupe rinds and seeds later and the compost didn't get hot enough to kill the seeds. I ended up having cantaloupe weeds everywhere I put the compost.

wally mcgee · June 18, 2013

I will try adding some greens and see if I can cook the little buggers out :cry

Thanks for everybody's input.

I will try and remember to post the results.

wally mcgee · June 19, 2013

I shelled a couple quarts of peas that I had growing up strings on the side walls of my hoop house so I added the pods to my compost cans along with some coffee grounds and bolted lettuce. Hopefully this will be enough to heat it up and kill the little bugs.

If nothing else it will make good compost better.

June 18, 2013	#1
wally mcgee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: peru, Iowa zone 5a Posts: 167	compost bugs I started composting in garbage cans with holes drilled for air. Lately, after rolling them , I have been noticing what appear to be squash bugs in the compost. I do have problems with them ever year, having to play hide and seek with my zucchini, etc. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? It is good looking compost with a lot of coffee grounds, egg shells, etc, but I hate to spread the bugs all over my garden.

June 19, 2013	#6
wally mcgee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: peru, Iowa zone 5a Posts: 167	pea pods in the mix I shelled a couple quarts of peas that I had growing up strings on the side walls of my hoop house so I added the pods to my compost cans along with some coffee grounds and bolted lettuce. Hopefully this will be enough to heat it up and kill the little bugs. If nothing else it will make good compost better.

June 18, 2013	#2
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	Before you set the compost out allow it to dry and the bugs will normally leave. I noticed that with sow bugs at least, they really wont stick around if its not shaded and moist. But perhaps not, I have little exp with squash bugs.

June 18, 2013	#4
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I used a plastic garbage can for compost last year and it got plenty hot when the green content was high. I would guess it was over 120 degrees. I had some worms in there before the compost cooked, but afterward they were not present. I made the mistake of adding come cantaloupe rinds and seeds later and the compost didn't get hot enough to kill the seeds. I ended up having cantaloupe weeds everywhere I put the compost.