Reducing odour and pests
It is important to make sure you take steps to help reduce the odour caused by warmer temperatures. Odours are not only unpleasant, they may also attract pests.
Tips for reducing odour during warmer weather collection:
- store the carts in a shaded or covered area
- sprinkle a small amount of powdered lime, baking soda or powdered laundry detergent (without bleach) at the bottom of the cart
- layer wet and dry organic materials in the cart
- wrap wet or smelly organics in newspaper, paper bags or soiled boxes
- wait until right before your organics are collected to clean out the refrigerator or freezer
- place a charcoal briquette at the bottom of the cart to help absorb odour
Pest control
Taking steps to prevent pests is best. Below are some tips to help reduce and remove pests commonly found with organic waste.
Fruit flies
Fruit flies lay eggs on ripening fruit and vegetables. Making sure you cover your organic materials in the cart should help prevent fruit flies from being a problem. Layering the cart and covering materials with grass, soiled paper or newspaper will help prevent fruit flies.
Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time and their entire lifecycle is complete in about a week. They will lay eggs in and on anything they find including fruits and vegetables, sink drains, empty bottles and cans and even mops and rags.
Some easy ideas for eliminating fruit flies include:
- Clean your drains and wash cloths often as fruit flies and live and breed there. You can also put ice down the drain overnight as fruit flies live in warm moist places.
- Place a small amount of dishwashing detergent and malt, balsamic or red vinegar in a clean cup and stir. Fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar smell and the detergent traps them.
- Build a simple trap. Get a clean, odorless jar and place a chunk of banana inside the jar. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar and poke four or five holes in the plastic using a fork. Once fruit flies crawl in, they can't get out. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Empty the jar every 24 hours before any eggs have a chance to hatch.
Maggots and black flies
Maggots (fly larvae) are commonly found in household garbage. We didn't notice them before the new waste collection system because they were usually inside garbage bags.
Understanding the life cycle of a fly
The life cycle of the common house fly has four stages, egg, larva (maggot), pupa and adult fly. Adult female flies will lay their eggs on any organic material that will provide suitable food for the maggots when they emerge. Each female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in batches of 75 to 150 in three to four days and in the summer during warm weather these eggs can hatch into maggots within eight to twenty hours. The fly can complete the whole cycle in as little as seven days and as many as 12 generations may occur in one summer.
While completely eliminating flies and maggots cannot be guaranteed, there are many ways to help reduce the chances of getting maggots:
- Wrap meat including sausages, chicken, beef and fish in newspaper to ensure that it is not exposed to the air. Do not leave any food waste, including pet food, uncovered inside the house as it will attract flies and wasps which can lay eggs on it before it goes in the cart. Place it immediately into your cart (you can bag it in a compostable bag or wrap in paper or box to prevent attracting flies).
- Layer your organics cart. Put food organic waste between layers of grass clippings, soiled pizza boxes or newspaper and ensure that meat is not left on the top layer.
place newspaper or cardboard at the bottom of your cart to help absorb liquid from organic materials. - Sprinkle the rim of you cart and contents with baking soda, vinegar, salt or garden lime.
- If possible try to keep the cart in shady areas out of direct sunshine as the sun will warm up the bin, increasing the smell and attracting flies.
- Make sure you keep the cart and catcher lids closed at all times to prevent animals and flies getting in.
- When putting disposable diapers in your black waste cart make sure they are double wrapped firmly in bags.
- Set out your cart on collection day, even if it's not full. This will help prevent unwanted visitors.
- Try freezing your meat scraps and bones until your collection day.
- Some essential oils, such as citronella and tea tree oil are natural insect repellents. Try smearing your cart lid with one of these oils if flies are a problem.
- Hose out your cart after organic collection day.
If there are maggots inside your cart, most will be removed when your cart is emptied. In the meantime, try sprinkling salt, vinegar, baking soda or garden lime directly on the maggots. You can also use water with a bit of detergent with a fragrance. The fragrance will also help keep flies away from your cart. Clean your cart thoroughly after your collection day.
Further information
780-449-5514
greenroutine@strathcona.ca
Last updated: Thursday, August 25, 2011
Page ID: 2222