PSA: I kept getting fruit flies until I buried my scraps under a layer of browns

I spent three months fighting fruit flies in my bokashi bin because I was just tossing scraps on top. Turns out covering each new layer with shredded paper or cardboard traps the smell and keeps bugs away. Why do so many tutorials skip this step?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_hill6029d ago

Ugh, I feel your pain, fruit flies are the worst! Yeah, what @keithharris said about the airtight seal is key, but I still bury my scraps just to be safe.

riley_price29d ago

Hold up though, burying scraps in bokashi kinda defeats the purpose since it's supposed to be an airtight fermentation, not a layered compost. The whole point is keeping oxygen out so the good microbes can do their thing without any air exposure. You might be mixing up the method a bit there.

keithharris29d ago

The bokashi process is actually a little different from regular hot composting (where you bury scraps). Bokashi is anaerobic fermentation, so it doesn't really need a brown layer on top like that - it needs to be packed tight and sealed from air. The fruit flies probably came from not having enough of a seal on the lid, or from leaving the bin too open for too long. Shredded paper on top won't hurt, but the real trick is making sure your bin is airtight after every single addition.