Compost question

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Ladybeetle zone 7, TX Jun 23, 2008

I'm building a pile that wont be turned over till Fall. What can I sprinkle or add to it to rid it of the snails and pill bugs that are feasting on everything? Oh, I am an organic gardener.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 24, 2008

I'm definitely not a compost expert so ignore me if someone who actually knows what they're talking about comes along, but I don't know that you really need to get rid of them. The pill bugs I definitely think are OK, they feed off decaying stuff so it would be normal for them to like compost and I don't think they'll hurt anything. The snails I think will go away on their own as things start to decompose, they're probably munching newer green leaves. But you'd have to have an awful lot of snails to put a dent in the amount of stuff you've got in there, and it's better if they're there rather than on your flowers. So again I'm not sure you need to do anything.

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CharityS Snohomish, WA Jun 24, 2008

That is my understanding as well. You want a lot of bug life in your compost so that they do their job to break down the material. I listened to a lecture from the guy who wrote "Teaming With Microbes" and he said insects that are bad for the garden are good for the compost pile. That book is an excellent source of info for new composters like us. =)

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Ladybeetle zone 7, TX Jun 25, 2008

You guys are right....better there than my flowers!

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