Compost Community
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​Troubleshooting Compost Problems

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​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

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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. ​
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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. 
Do you have a compost problem to discuss?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Member Councils

Glen Eira council logo
Knox Compost Community
Manningham Compost Community
Maribyrnong Compost Community
City of Monash
Merri-bek compost rebates
Mornington Peninsula Shire

Chooktopia logo - Sustainability starts with soil


(c) Chooktopia 2024
​
​Compost Community is a program by Chooktopia (Ninti Earth Pty Ltd) in partnership with local councils.
Phone 03 97766559 or 0418 879 667 10am-5pm Mon-Fri; SMS other times 
Bunurong Country Langwarrin 3910 by appointment only. 

Terms of use and Privacy Policy
  • Home
    • Join
  • Order
    • Glen Eira
    • Greater Dandenong
    • Knox >
      • Knox Caddy Liners
    • Manningham
    • Maribyrnong
    • Merri-bek >
      • Apartments
    • Monash >
      • Monash Apartments
    • Mornington Peninsula
    • Everywhere else >
      • Rest of Victoria >
        • City of Casey
        • Cardinia Shire
      • Rest of Australia
    • Accessories
    • Spare parts
  • Learn
    • Food Waste
    • Choosing a compost system
    • Worm farming >
      • Guide to Worm Farming
      • Fun facts
      • Surviving Heat Waves
    • Composting >
      • Introduction to Composting
      • Feeding your compost
      • Compost Maintenance
      • Harvesting and using Compost
      • Troubleshooting Compost Problems
      • Composting FAQs
    • Bokashi
    • Chooks
    • Pet poo
    • Troubleshooting
    • FAQs
  • Toolbox
    • Common questions
    • Community >
      • Compost hotspots
      • Chat
      • Sharewaste
      • Community gardens
      • Baseline data
    • Downloads >
      • Kids' activities
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Back to Earth
  • About us
    • How it works
    • Terms and Policies
    • Our Products >
      • Our Worm Farms >
        • Subpod Care
      • Our Bokashi bins
      • Our Compost bins >
        • Tumblers
        • Compost bins
      • Our Accessories
    • Councils
    • Contact us
  • Events