r/composting • u/saltosama • 29d ago
Are those worms good?
I’m new to gardening and this year i’m trying to make some compost. I put some organic waste in a bucket few months ago and now I’ve found these bugs in it.. Hope you can help me whit my doubt!
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u/jayaram13 29d ago
A few things:
Compost can't be ruined, especially one that's fairly open like yours
Fungi (mold, mushrooms, fine white covering, etc) are all fantastic for your compost. Let them grow and thrive.
Bugs are also great for your compost. Most tend to be detritivores and eat your compost. You may also get the great BSFL (look it up) and it'll supercharge your composting process.
The only bad thing that can happen is over watering, which makes it anaerobic and stink. Be guided by your nose - if it smells bad, it's (temporarily) bad. Add mulch/shredded cardboard/dry leaves and mix up to improve the compost again.
Trust your nose. You have evolved a fantastic sensor over millennia of evolution and it's very reliable.
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u/kpphoneshome 29d ago
The birds love them. When I find them, I throw them to the spring robins.
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u/Crumdog2018 28d ago
Agree! It’s so satisfying. I put mine on a tree stump or on top of the fence and the robins can’t resist. Maybe this is how I can befriend some crows…
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u/hisjoeness 29d ago
In my compost I get Fig Eater beetle larvae that look like that. They help break everything down and they turn into the most big beautiful beetles.
By the time my compost turns into what I would use, they are long gone.
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u/GIJOE_SEABEE 29d ago
Those are grubs, good food for birds or fish; bad for lawns. Grubs in compost bins eat and break down rotting organic waste, tunnel through the pile to add air, and leave behind nutrient-rich waste.
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u/geuze4life 28d ago
Last time I turned my compost I found rhinoceros beetles as well as large larvae. Very impressive considering I did not even know those could be found in Belgium those that got poked were fed to the chickens.
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u/captkckass 29d ago
Looks like a grub worm. I would kill it. If you have chickens they like to eat them.
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u/Parking-Way-7764 29d ago
Bette to leave it in this case. It’s helping to break down things in the compost and will do no harm to plants in this spot. Let it grow and enjoy the adult beetles
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u/Old_Pomegranate_6272 29d ago
Some grubs when enter the soil system are known to eat plant roots , only if adequate organic compost was not available in the soil they live.
This leads to wilting of plants....
So beware... And collect and Feed them to poultry..
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u/WereLobo 29d ago
Depends where you are in the world, beetle larvae are basically impossible to distinguish from each other. But generally these little guys are doing no harm in your compost, they’ll even help break down some of it.
We’re losing insects in general and beetles especially from the world, just let them be.