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bbandeddie
Member
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2019 11:36am
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Right. This is a sh!tty topic so I’m just going to get to it.
We have a conventional pit toilet at our offgrid place. Been using one on this property for forty years. Not the same pit, mind you! I made a quick inspection this morning and noticed the surface is writhing in small maggots about 3/4cm long. I’ve never noticed maggots before in the pit or had a major nuisance fly population. I say “noticed†because I don’t inspect it often/hardly ever. We occasionally scatter pet bedding wood shavings over the top if it gets a bit rank. This summer I home-brewed some bokashi bran using the rice-wash/milk recipe, added water and sugar to the result and soaked it into some bran and let it sit for a bit. I scattered a layer of bokashi bran on the heap about two weeks ago. My inspection this morning was to see if there was any noticeable change after adding the bran. And...maggots. So. I don’t know if the maggots are simply a result of timing with the season and weather or because I added bran.
Any thoughts on maggots in the pit? Do I have a nightmare on my hands or is this normal?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2019 10:58pm - Edited by: DaveBell
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Use Powered Lime. Is this an outhouse? Post pictures of entire inside and outside (not the pit). Health dept. guidelines require these to be insect resistant. Stop feeding it wood shavings and bran.
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jos_davies
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2019 05:20am
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It's not a nightmare, it happens.
Twice that Dave said, but on lime... this is important.
There are two different kinds of lime.
Hydrated lime, slake lime, or "burn lime"- this is pure white. Hydrated lime is very caustic, so the bag will have a warning on it. This is the kind of lime you use for whitewash. This lime will burn you, do not breath it.
Agricultural lime, "ag lime", "garden lime", "barn lime" or dolomite - this lime is gray, this is safe for you and it will not burn. We spread this lime on our barn floor because it provides an antibacterial quality, dries out and "sweetens" the floor.
I really do not know what kind you want or to use, I would use the barn lime as it is what I have easy access to and neutralized the acids and smells, and is safe to be around.
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old greybeard
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2019 09:28am
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Do you have a screen on your vent pipe?
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2019 04:40pm
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Maybe a critter was attracted by the new addition and died in there and now the maggots are feeding on it?
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2019 08:29pm
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Might be these guys? Good for fishing ( though I won't personally want to handle ) 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat-tailed_maggot
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2019 12:30pm
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We used to use the garden lime but it fills the hole.
We switched to powered lime.
Yes it will burn you. Just put the little shovel you used to scoop it in the hole a little way at arms length.
The reason you have maggots is because you are not using lime!
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silverwaterlady
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2019 01:23pm
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P.S- add a small amount on top of each bm.
Never, ever any flies and the outhouse does not smell.
Some gross stuff but hey, it’s a cabin and my outhouse is very nice, clean and does not stink.
Look down the hole with a flashlight once a week. The poop is in a pile. Take a long sturdy stick and push the mountain of poo down. Flatten it out.
Check for spider webs. Stick a fly sweater down there get rid of the webs and kill the spiders.
Of course I sanitize the fly swatter. I just throw the stick in a hidden place outside and make sure I don’t touch the poo end.
If a lot of people are using the outhouse or it’s hot than slaking is what I do.
I pour 10 gallons of water down the hole and add a scoop of Septa Clean.
This smells awful for the day or two. So don’t do it before company comes calling.
You should be good to go for a few months after slaking.
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