Chicken litter/manure

Question

I recently purchased 220 pounds of chicken litter from a reputable composting company. Emptied it into a well ventilated compost bin, wet it thoroughly and covered it with a blanket. It’s been two weeks and I now have maggots. How do I get rid of them organically? Are they part of the composting process and I shouldn’t worry? If I dig a deep hole and bury it, would it kill the maggots?

Answer 1

Composting involves heat, which occurs naturally in a correctly set up compost heap as the bacteria do their thing. The heat is what keeps the bugs out, as well as killing weed seeds and keeping the compost from smelling like rotting garbage. I think if you add some more material and set up the compost so it will heat properly, that will take care of the maggots. Here are some articles to get you going: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/manures/chicken-manure-fertilizer.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/ultimate-beginners-guide-composting.htm