Max Krippler wrote:
H E L P ! ! !
When I opened the hatch on my above-ground compost tumbler the entire
bottom of the thing was squirming and writhing with what I first took
to be worms. But on closer inspection I believe that these are mostly
some kind of an insect larvae-- possibly cockroaches-- and there are
thousands of them. I really don't want the composter to become the
breeding ground for a pest infestation. Is there anything I can do to
kill the buggars without ruining the compost?

I've used mostly vegetable scraps, rotten fruit and coffee grounds in
this batch...

What else that's not "mostly"? What you describe is probably
maggots... you probably put some meat in your composter

The composter is in the shade all of the time. Do you think that
placing it in the sun (It is made of black polypropylene) would cook
them?

Composting occurs best with heat, that's why most composters are
black, or of some dark color... place it where it will recieve full
sun. Above ground composters don't work very well regardless,
especially not in zones where freezing occurs.

My neighbor just bought a new above ground tumbler composter
(Autoflow), cost like $600, looks very formidable, but I doubt it will
work very well. Proper composting incorporates mostly micro-organisms
and earthworms, composting really needs contact with the ground,
ideally moist ground.

If what you have is maggots, and you very likely do, then you are not
composting... maggots do not process vegetable matter, only meat.
Whatever vegetable matter you place into that tumbler will just turn
to slime, not compost. I suggest you dump your tumbler composter and
get one that sits on the ground.

I have this one: http://www.composters.com/docs/bins_p4.html#sm

It's the only one I've seen that has a 25 year warranty... most have a
one, two, three year warranty and are built very flimsily... this one
is built very solid. I've been using it about ten years now and it's
just like new. It's so simple but it works like a charm... I just
keep filling it and and it takes care of itself, produces fantastic
jet black humous. I bought one of those aggitating tools but long ago
stopped using it, I do nothing but fill at the top and empty from the
bottom.

Sits in full sun right next to my vegetable garden: http://i17.tinypic.com/663is0j.jpg