PUTTING BUGS TO WORK : HOMEOWNERS GET TIPS ON COMPOSTING.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

They spent their Saturday morning learning about worms, earwigs and beatles as they watched the bugs squirm in dirt.

But the people listening intently weren't children, they were homeowners and gardeners interested in tips on composting.

The city of Thousand Oaks sponsored the composting workshop at Conejo Creek Park North to help get residents started on turning food and garden clippings into rich soil for the yard.

The lesson hit home for Elizabeth Budlong, who said she and her husband decided they produced way too much garbage.

``I realized we had too many garbage cans out front every week. Our neighbors only had two,'' Budlong said. ``Our neighbors told us what they were doing so we decided to come to this.''

The fact that the information was free also helped draw the 70 or so residents. The workshop attracted people who had been composting for years, others who had been working at it with mixed or uncertain results and some like Budlong who wanted to give it a try.

Irene Jensen said she'd been composting for 20 years, but she came to the workshop because she likes to get the most recent information - and she likes visiting the park.

``I love to come down here,'' Jensen said. ``And you're always learning something new. I like to keep up.''

Some people brought samples of bugs they found in their compost heap to make sure the process was going along all right.

Daryl D. Wagar, with the parks division for the city of Ventura, served as Saturday's bug expert. He put residents at ease by showing them the kinds of bugs they would expect to find as the composting process continues.

``A lot of people get a little queasy when they see that their pile is alive,'' Wagar said.

The potato bug, also known as the Jerusalem cricket, drew the most cringes. The two-inch long bug, light brown with stripes on its abdomen, can be found at the bottom of a composting bucket, Wagar said, and it's considered a good one to have around.

``It takes a lot of food to feed these guys,'' Wagar said. ``In your garden, they'll eat bulbs and tulips. But in the bins they're OK.''

Visitors also learned from Kreigh Hampel, an environmental education consultant based in Burbank, on how to speed up the composting process, which can take anywhere from three weeks to a year.

Hampel told the group to make sure the compost pile doesn't get too dry. When it does get dry, they should add water and green plants. On the other end, if the compost pile gets slimy, it needs to be stirred so that oxygen gets in and dirt needs to be added, he said.

Hampel also recommended that people use worms, which can be added to the compost pile right away, to get even better soil.

``Worms are like slow-motion rotor tillers,'' Hampel said. ``If you have earthworms in your soil, you have good soil.''

TIPS ON COMPOSTING

Don't stir compost heaps too often - they do best when left alone for long periods.

Compost soil should be mixed with soil in the back yard because it is generally too rich to use alone.

Compost piles can heat up, even as high as 140 degrees, and do fine. Only very large piles can spark fires.

Pill bugs, earwigs, beatle grubs and potato bugs are all very good for compost piles even if they aren't good for your garden.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) Daryl Wagar holds a bucket of com post with common backyard bugs inside, including the Jerusalem cricket.

(2--Color) Composting bins of various sizes are available Monday through Friday from Thousand Oaks City Hall.

Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News

Box: TIPS ON COMPOSTING (See text)