Help there are maggots in my worm bin!
It depends on the maggot. Small, soft, white housefly maggots are usually not a problem for your worms. Bigger, tougher, grey-brown black soldier fly larvae should be removed as soon as possible, because worms move away from them and can starve.
A whole bin taken over by soldier fly larvae? See also: Maggot infestation in my worm farm! How can I get rid of them? →
What to do, step by step
- 1. Identify the type of maggot.
Black soldier fly larvae
Bigger, flattened and segmented with a tough, leathery skin. Beige to grey-brown, darker when older. They often feed together in a wriggling mass on the surface. The adult is a slim black fly that looks a bit like a wasp.
Housefly maggots
Smaller, soft and creamy white, pointed at the head end and blunt at the back. Usually found on smelly, exposed food such as meat, dairy or pet waste.
Fruit-fly larvae
Tiny, thin and white, in very wet, fermenting fruit. You usually notice the small flies hovering over the bin first.
Not sure? Take a clear close-up photo and send it to Stephan.
- 2. Remove or reduce them.
Wear gloves. Lift the maggots off the surface, where they gather, into a small container, taking care not to scoop up worms. Then either pour boiling water over them and, once cooled, return them to the bin as worm food, or add them to a compost heap or feed them to chickens or fish. Take out any rotting, slimy food and mix in dry shredded paper or cardboard to soak up excess wetness.
- 3. Prevent them coming back.
- Bury the food a few centimetres / about an inch under the bedding. Never leave it on top.
- Cover the whole surface with bedding: at least 5 cm / 2 inches of dry shredded paper (or a full sheet of wet newspaper) with no gaps where flies can slip in.
- Avoid meat, fish and dairy, and go easy on very ripe fruit.
- Balance the moisture: bedding should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If it is soggy, add dry bedding and feed less.
- Keep flies out: close the lid, cover air holes with fine mesh, and keep your kitchen scrap container closed.
Hi Stephan,
I need help.
My worm farm has been going fine I am using the dogs poop.
Somehow I think from flies sitting on the poop I have maggots in the bucket. There is still no smell in the bucket but I cannot see the worms? The bucket is half full and the maggots feeding on the top. I could always hear the slight sound the worms make. I sill hear that but that could be the maggots at work? I much prefer the idea of having a worm far to a maggot farm.
Do you think the worms can survive with the maggots. Must I get rid of the maggots? Should I start over?
Thanks
Hello,
it depends what kind of maggots you found in your worm farm? If they are normal house fly maggots which I suspect they should not be a problem for your worms.
However if these maggots are bigger than housefly maggots it could be black soldier fly maggots that you are dealing with.
Those need to be removed asap otherwise there might be a good chance that your worms will flee to the lower parts of the worm farm and die there of starvation.
Soldier fly maggots don’t attack the worms but compete with them for food. They are actually as well recycling organic waste but compost worms dislike those maggots and will usually move as far away from them as they can.
To be certain what kind of maggots you have in your dog poop worm farm it would be a good idea if you could send me a picture of them or find some images of soldier fly maggots on the internet.
If you want to get rid of the maggots the best way I know is to remove as many of them as you possibly can, making sure you don’t remove worms with them.
Place the maggots in a small bucket and pour boiling water over them. Once they are dead you can recycle them in your worm bin and the worms will gladly dispose of them.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.
Kind regards
Stephan Kloppert
Author of
“How to start a profitable worm business on a shoestring budget”
Editor:
www.worm-composting-help.com
