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Good Question: Why Do Compost Piles Heat Up?

(CBS 5) – Not all piles of rotting food are disgusting. In fact, some are actually cooking up something special. Keith Mattison of Pinole asked this Good Question: Why do compost piles heat up?

ANSWER: According to composting expert Lori Caldwell, compost piles heat up from the thermophillic bacteria consuming the material in the pile. Compost piles can heat up to between 95 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

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