what's breeding in my liquid compost?

I started a bucket of liquid compost for plants I don't want in the other composts. I haven't had a lid on it and now it's got these larvae/maggoty things living it. They're whitish, a couple of centimetres long when at their biggest, and they have thin tails maybe a cm long. They seem to swim around a bit. Kinda creepy but intriguing too.

Any idea what they are, and what if anything I can do about them? I guess I should cover the bin...


hot dry inland maritime climate, approaching summer.

 

There's also a couple of clusters of bright white elongated eggs today. I haven't been around so I don't know what's been flying there apart from blowflies.

 

Looks like it might be a rat-tailed maggot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat-tailed_maggot

These turn into hover flies 8)

 

I reckon sunburn's right and you'll get hoverflies.
I'd leave the (really hideous looking) maggots to do their thing.
I never see honey bees around, bumblebees and hoverflies are my main pollinators.

 

The chooks and ducks will go NUTS when you give them a few handfuls of the lovely wriggly fellas..... What a bonus!

 

I haven't got any chooks and ducks, maybe I can give some to the seagulls ;-)

I'm worried now because the grubs need to be able to crawl out onto something in order to do their next part of the cycle. I think I'll have to build some wee hoverfly ladders and maybe a jetty.

 

"I think I'll have to build some wee hoverfly ladders and maybe a jetty."

A floating dock and ramp?

Sue

 

Good idea! I suspect the poor things are drowing at the moment :-(

 

If these are the same guys that freaked me out as a kid, they can heave themselves up the convex inside of a plastic drum, no sweat.

 

Sun lounges and umbrellas? It could be hoverfly heaven!

 

The insects I know as hoverflies don't have aquatic larvae.
I have experienced these guys myself and yes they are very ugly I believe they are called drone flies, well in Australia anyway.
They do pollinate, but they are largish and very much a fly, unlike the dainty little wasp like insect that is my understanding of a hoverfly.
: )

 

you're a treasure Susan

https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2005/11/19/rat-tailed-maggot-2/

 

Apparently droneflies are part of the hoverfly family.
I've always called them hoverflies, but looks like the name could cover a few beasties.
As for the fly in the link, it's familiar, but I've always filed it under 'random unnamed thing doing its thing'.

 

That's funny! I have the same things here at my place!

 

You're right Pippimac,
There are over 6000 different species of hoverflies World wide. I was mainly thinking from my experience with our common Aussie hoverflies.
: )