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Troubleshooting tips

Why are there so many vinegar flies in my compost/worm farm? How can I manage them?

Vinegar flies are attracted to the ethylene gas produced by fruit and vegetables as they ripen before decomposing. They will stick around and breed to plague proportions if the system is:
a) too wet or
b) too acidic (or both) 
This is becuase fruit and veg is mostly water, and usually on the acidic side. 
To manage, do the following:
1) add something alkaline (egg shells, garden lime, fire ash or similar)
2) add some "browns" or dry ingredients (ripped up corrugated cardboard is my preferred
3) aerate it. You can use a small hand spade and 'fluff' up the contents, or use a tool such as a compost aerator (https://www.compostcommunity.com.au/store/p16/Compost_aerator_-_compost_turner.html)

Remember too there are lots of handy resources on the website including troubleshooting under "Learn" and "Toolbox" which we are adding to as questions arise. https://www.compostcommunity.com.au/guide-to-worm-farming.html

It will take a little while to get the population back to normal, but the above steps will make a big dint in the population and interrupt their breeding.

Member Councils

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Hume Compost Community
Knox Compost Community
Manningham Compost Community
Maribyrnong Compost Community
City of Monash
Moreland City Council
Mornington Peninsula Shire

Chooktopia logo - Sustainability starts with soil


(c) Chooktopia 2021
​
​Compost Community is a program by Chooktopia in partnership with local councils.
Phone 03 97766559 or 0418 879 667 10am-5pm Mon-Fri; SMS other times 
​
1195 Westernport Hwy Langwarrin 3910 by appointment. 

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  • Home
    • Join
  • Order
    • East Gippsland
    • Glen Eira
    • Greater Dandenong
    • Hume
    • Knox
    • Manningham
    • Maribyrnong
    • Monash
    • Moreland
    • Mornington Peninsula
    • Everywhere else >
      • Rest of Victoria
      • 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
  • Toolbox
    • FAQs
    • 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