"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article .com,
"Cat(h)" writes:
|
| Yes. Keep the compost damper. Ants (and woodlice) are a sign that
it
| is too dry, and DO NO HARM
|
| The latter was my first gut response to this post.
|
| The former I am surprised about. My compost heap was part OK, part
| soggy mess, and it was RIDDLED with woodlice in both parts. ...

That was probably an illusion. Woodlice will not (cannot) live in
soggy compost, but are very likely to appear in large numbers at its
boundary with a dry region.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

My woodlice like damp humid conditions. The top of the compost bin which is
very moist is heaving with them. Any pile of dry leaves also seems to have
an abundance towards the bottom of the pile.
So it's a not to wet and not too dry situation around here.