Insect infestation

Albermarle

One thing I've just started doing is using one of those food waste caddies but I'm going to stop using that now just in case.

If it was food waste that was attracting them, then not sure just throwing it in the normal bin is the solution.

We have used one of these caddies in the kitchen for years. The only issue is in the height of summer, we sometimes get a few tiny blackflies, especially if it is overful.

twopenny

Beautiful looking thing. Fascinating why it has that shape antenna.

My first thought was cockchafer ( may bug) but it's the wrong shape and size. Could be the season though that they are flying to look for a mate so it will be a brief time. They'll be coming off grassy fields probably.

Are they coming in when the light is on at night? Is there a particular time?

Wiping lavender oil around the window is often a deterrent. Or just keep it ajar.

But putting the bin outside is a good idea. Weight the lid with something or you'll get bigger pests 😉

Keep_pedalling

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986481#Comment_81986481

Beetles are attracted to light, I get quite a few species turn up when I carry out moth surveys running a light trap.

shiraz99

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986339#Comment_81986339

Well the big difference is the caddie is sitting out on the kitchen countertop where these things have been seen and the lid doesn't exactly close as tight as your normal kitchen bin. It's just a bit of a coincidence that as soon as I start using this I start getting bugs crawling around the area.

FreeBear

If it was food waste that was attracting them, then not sure just throwing it in the normal bin is the solution.

Compost food waste. If it goes in to the bin and ends up in landfill, it will rot down and produce greenhouse gasses. Composting at home helps to return the nutrients to the soil and keeps everything local.

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986504#Comment_81986504

We’re all due to get food waste caddies by the end of the year I believe, courtesy of your local council.

Not sure what will end up in ours as we compost all the vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, etc. and simply don’t seem to waste other food.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986504#Comment_81986504

I am sure if I put food waste in a compost heap in my garden, The only question would be whether the foxes or the rats would get to it first.

We use the food caddies ( our local council has been collecting food waste for years) but the one outside has a plastic catch on it, a large plastic crate over it and two bricks on top of that. Then when it is collection day, it is put on top of the normal bin- otherwise the foxes can get it.

twopenny

Bjorn I have a compost heap where most goes.

But chicken bones, gone off mozzarella and such goes in a tied bag in the brown bin for collection just a few times a year. So it does have its uses.

I understand that food waste is composted by a specialist group. May or may not be true after we've been misled in the past.

FreeBear

We’re all due to get food waste caddies by the end of the year I believe, courtesy of your local council.

Have had waste food collections here for the last 18 years or so. In that time, I don't think I've ever used the caddies - It has all gone in a composting bin.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986690#Comment_81986690

Food waste is easy to deal with, as is cardboard/glass etc.

The issue is with plastics and electrical waste recycling, mainly due to the complex mix of materials. So only the easier stuff tends to be recycled locally, and the rest has an uncertain destination.