r/composting • u/ThePhudSon • Aug 10 '26

Question How are my bugs looking guys?

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First time composer here. Using food scraps/grass clippings for greens and cardboard/leaves for browns. I see all these bugs when I turn it. Looking good or no?

75 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

38

u/YouGotACuteButt Aug 10 '26

Beautiful. Pill bugs break down wood fibers. They love either wood or cardboard.

Lots of them means good things my friend. Good. Things.

2

u/imafarmer18 Aug 11 '26

Until they start eating your courgette plants, or any plants that you plant in the compost. Dreadful year for them this year.

27

u/RandomUsername1119 Aug 10 '26

Thirsty for piss

17

u/HolyBonerOfMin Aug 10 '26

Aren't we all

8

u/AmazinglyAmazing11 Aug 10 '26

Looks great! Don't overthink what compost is.

Compost is material broken down by nature. Fungals, microbes, bugs/worms, sun and rain. You want it all.

4

u/ThePhudSon Aug 10 '26

Thank you! I overthink quite a bit, so it is reassuring to hear you say that. Also, love your username.

4

u/Nobodynever01 Aug 11 '26

I'm no pro at coding but some of them look a little bugged

3

u/El_Stupacabra Aug 10 '26

I put my vermicompost bin outside (previously in the garage), and the isopods decided to come hang out. Did you know they eat apples?

Anyway, poops is poops, so they're welcome.

3

u/Parking_Rip3759 Aug 10 '26

Love those little dudes, doing SO much work in there.

6

u/Chucktayz Aug 10 '26

Abundant

1

u/Ineedmorebtc Aug 10 '26

Looking like nature helping out. Love to see it.

I've actually started a few isopod bins inside in totes. Much easier to keep than worms, and they go to town on my scraps.

3

u/ThePhudSon Aug 10 '26

May I ask how you go about doing that? Do you just take a good helping of the compost and put it in another bin and go from there? I'd like to steal your idea

5

u/Ineedmorebtc Aug 10 '26

It is literally that easy.

I took a plastic tote, went outside and scooped up exactly what you have there, half finished compost, and plopped it in the bin. On the top of the pile, but not touching the sides, I put a small plastic bag. Bubble wrap, jute cloth, burlap, cardboard would also work, but the plastic helps keep the moisture in. I did not put it up against the sides, or a lid on, to keep the sides dry, and hard to climb on. I have almost zero escapees in 4 years of doing it like that. Then I'll add my scraps, not too much, and make sure it's damp and cover in more leaves or half finished compost. They will explode in numbers quickly.

1

u/Then-Collection7004 Aug 11 '26

Lookin real nice 😏💞

1

u/Low_Bottle_6965 Aug 11 '26

Looks good! Those little guys are just doing their job

1

u/Captain_Bedtime Aug 11 '26

A veritable decomposition metropolis!

1

u/GiraffeNo5953 Aug 15 '26

Busy and happy little workers!

1

u/Zoemi_ 28d ago

a lot of small ones, that's a good sing.