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Cockroaches coming to my compost

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Bishr

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I started composting 5 days ago at home, last night I found a cockroach in a size of a thumb in my composting container, no bad smell in the compost, just like soil, what to do?
Today I put the container in full sun covered with a neylon bag, hoping this will kill eggs if found
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
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South Central Texas
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8b
That's a tree roach (aka wood roach & palmetto bug). Unlike the cockroaches that live indoors, these live entirely outdoors. They won't hurt you & are a very common nuisance bug here in the south. Learn to live with them as you will never exterminate them.
 
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Bishr

Guest
That's a tree roach (aka wood roach & palmetto bug). Unlike the cockroaches that live indoors, these live entirely outdoors. They won't hurt you & are a very common nuisance bug here in the south. Learn to live with them as you will never exterminate them.
Thank u sir, but my compost was in a closed balcony , so that roach found a way in into the balcony, I know that home roaches like organic materials & moisture (& that's exactly what my compost has) as they usually eat trash and waste, I hope u r right, but it would be awful if they made a nest in my compost!
Thanks☺
 
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Monotropa

Guest
If they are the pest ones (most commonly American and/or German species) and you found one in your compost at home, then they were already there my friend...and I doubt that you attracted them to your place for the first time. All you did is just feed them and gave them a nice place to lay eggs.

There is a chance you may have brought them home if you have been somewhere else where they are known to be and you (accidentally) brought them home with you on clothes or inside something (they like to hide until there are too many of them).

Location is a big factor too...where are you located (city/town)?
 
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Bishr

Guest
I don't think they were already at home, but you can't help me so much because I Don't live in th USA, I live in the middle of the middle east, anyway, thank u sir,
But I found out about something new!
Some towns around my suburb suffer from too many nature roaches, so I hope mine was one of them, which lost his way then liked the smell, but anyway, it has maybe layed eggs, is there something I can do to kill those eggs without chemicals? , thank u guys
 
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Monotropa

Guest
Diatomaceous earth may be an option. A few daily sprays of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) may do the trick as well.

But honestly if it were me and I was worried at all about it maybe just tossing it outside and starting fresh could be the safest and easiest thing. Nature will take it course outside on the compost and you can start fresh with your controlled environment. Maybe keep a lid or a screen on the canister to keep future invaders out, or at least to a minimum.
 

Rahab222

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Planting Zone
9B
I have a tumbler composter. I just keep adding new material - like fruit and vegetable scraps - as I accumulate them. Most of the compost is a healthy black color, but some areas still have fruit/vegs. etc. that haven't decomposed yet. Can I just dig around the section that hasn't broken down yet and use what has decomposed? When I open the lid to add additional materials, flies come out or I see them crawling around the compost. I also have a few wasps that have made their home in the composter. Is this compost okay to use or it now has fly eggs in it? The composter is pretty much sealed with latches, but these pests are still finding their way in. The compost has an earthy smell. I need to add more leaves and then turn it well. Do I need to shred/mulch these leaves first or can I just toss them in and make sure I blend everything well? Is it okay if I don't shred the leaves first, as in they wouldn't be decomposed yet like most of the compost is or whole leaves wouldn't be effective?
 
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