Cat and guinea pig poop

[RedheadErin]

We have 3 cats who use cheap clay litter, and 2 guinea pigs who are using straw on top of pine shavings. Can I use their poop for compost in my flower beds? Hubs wouldn't eat anything grown with it, regardless of whether it's "safe" or not.

 

[catjac1975]

I would use the guinea pip manure on the flowers. Not the cat on anything. The clay can't be any good for the garden.

 

[hoodat]

Manure from cat or any other carnivore should not be used on the garden. There is a danger of both disease and parasites getting into you through the veggies and soil. Manure from herbivores is good. We share very few diseases with herbivores.

 

[RedheadErin]

What a pity about the cat poop. There is so much of it, and it just goes to the land fill in the city.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Ya, i've got 3 dogs, and they generate a lot of poo that just goes to the landfill :/

 

[thistlebloom]

Here's a good site you can check out for composting your pet waste: http://www.plantea.com/dog-waste-compost.htm


edited to add that this is definitely not compost to use in a garden, it's just a way to take care of it in a sanitary manner and not send it to the landfill.

 

[RedheadErin]

Oh, I love the composter idea. I'll just need to find a perfect corner in the yard!

 

[hoodat]

In warmer weather you can make a black soldier fly composter. Black soldier flies will consume any animal waste greedily and swiftly and the flies are no problem. Being born with no mouth parts they are not interested in you or your food. They are born for only one reason; to reproduce and then die. youtube has some excellent clips on black soldier fly composters.

 

[RedheadErin]

I just looked them up on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetia_illucens

One thing it didnt tell me was, are these indigenous to the whole US? Do I have to order some larvae from somewhere or will they just show up if I leave the composter open for a few days? It seems like the resulting compost would be good for flowers and shrubs, even if my husband is against using it in the garden!

Here is a video I found that tells how to build a composter. . http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/how-to-build-a-diy-black-soldier-fly-grub-composter-video.html This will make a great springtime project.

 

[hoodat]

I just looked them up on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetia_illucens

One thing it didnt tell me was, are these indigenous to the whole US? Do I have to order some larvae from somewhere or will they just show up if I leave the composter open for a few days? It seems like the resulting compost would be good for flowers and shrubs, even if my husband is against using it in the garden!

Here is a video I found that tells how to build a composter. . http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/how-to-build-a-diy-black-soldier-fly-grub-composter-video.html This will make a great springtime project.

They're present in every state except Alaska (Hawaii has a different species than the mainland) but in Northernmost states they can be scarce. They are abundant in states with long Summers. To find out if you have them take some whole yellow corn and soak it in water till it starts to ferment. If they are there they will be attracted to it. I use them to dispose of my ofal from butchering rabbits. The juice that leaks from the bottom is a wonderful fertilizer when mixed into a bucket of water. The finished compost will be anaerobic (lacking oxygen) but my tomatos did great when topped with it last Summer. Finished soldier fly compost should never be handled with your bare hands since it contains some harmful bacteria but once it is added to the soil the bad bacteria are quickly destroyed by the organisms that naturally live in good soil.