November 19, 2016
Agriculture
Offensive Stench And Maggot Infestation Are Indicative Of Cardial Issue With Your Composting Process
Compost is nature’s own way of recycling organic waste materials into rich soil containing humus that benefits nature by enhancing soil quality.
Though the process of composting may naturally take place in the environment, it may depend on numerous factors, such as the quality of waste, the climate, the abundance of biodegraders, and most importantly, the type of microbial population that dominates the entire process of composting.
By proper segregation of waste and building compost piles, backyard composting can be easily set up, however the microbes that proliferate in the pile determine the fate of the composting process.
If you have tried backyard composting earlier you may be familiar with the unbearable stench emitting from the pile.
It is extremely unpleasant to tolerate this smelly, slow process of composting on your property.
The foul odour is most often an indication of the dominance of anaerobic bacteria in the pile.
Adding the right blend of aerobic microbes to the pile will definitely help facilitate efficient breakdown of organic waste in the presence of oxygen without generation of anaerobic gases.
These microbes survive through the dynamic phases of the composting process and the right harmony established between these diverse microbes ensures that there is a smooth transition between the three major phases of composting.
The microbes also ensure proper curing of the compost in order to generate a high-quality end product.
Maggots, rodents and flies are commonly seen around ill maintained compost piles.
These are just indicators that there is an imbalance of some of the most crucial factors within the pile.
Most often the smells generated are attractants towards the pile.
Maggots in a compost pile may seem good at first as they can speed up the process of biodegradation, however these maggots grown into black soldier flies and are unsanitary.
The maggots usually indicate that the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is off balance in the compost pile or there is excess moisture.
Decaying matter in such conditions gives off a rotten odour that attracts maggots or flies to the pile.
Controlling the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, the oxygen and moisture content, and promoting an aerobic composting process can ensure that there is no putrefaction of the waste and that the waste is degraded completely in an accelerated manner.
It thus holds true that the perfect compost can be generated by ensuring that all these parameters stay in check and, most importantly, the right microbes are present in the pile for the process of composting.
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