It’s that time of the week when your food waste pail is full, and you’re ready to walk your scraps out to the green-waste bin. (You are following your community’s rules about composting food scraps, aren’t you?)
But when you open the bin’s lid, you’re assaulted by a flurry of flies — who are perturbed by your unexpected visit.
These new neighbors, commonly gnats or house flies, are a predictable result of letting food rot in the container, said Gerry Villalobos, environmental specialist for the city of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation.
“Until now, food waste has been layered between other materials in the black [trash] bin, preventing insects from accessing food scraps,” he said.
You can replicate that layering in your green bin — and the Bureau of Sanitation encourages it, as long as you use the appropriate items.
Layer food waste between yard trimmings, paper bags,…
