​Troubleshooting Compost Problems

​Ants in compost

​Ants will make your compost bin home for one of two reasons.

1. Because it is too dry, or
2. To obtain moisture when their regular environment is too dry.

There is no need to do anything about the ants, unless they are an 'ant of concern' such as a fire ant, in which case, contact your local authority. 

However, they are annoying if they have set up a nest in your compost. Try saturating your compost with water and turning the material over every day for a week. That should be enough to make the ants move elsewhere. 

Rodents in compost

Rodents may visit your compost bin for an easy feed. Prevention is better than cure - start your compost bin off on top of some aviary wire so they can't tunnel in from underneath, and ensure your lid is on. With square or flatpack compost bins, you may need to weigh the lid down with a brick. 

​If rodents have already moved in, wet your compost and turn it over with a compost aerator daily for a week or two and the rodents will move on. ​

Smells like rotten eggs

​Your compost is rotting anaerobically rather than naturally being processed aerobically. Firstly, aerate your worm farm with a garden fork, strong stick or compost turner. Next check the moisture level. Is it soggy? If so, add some 'dry' or 'brown' ingredients such as soil, shredded paper or cardboard. It is a good idea to add something alkaline such as garden lime, dolomite or even ash from the fire place, as this will also help to neutralise any odours. 

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