My piles fauna disagrees with my thermometer

My pile reaches 160 degrees at times (all without ever turning ). At the same time there are insects and mycelium in the pile. I was under the impression that mycelium didn't like temperatures above 80 degrees and insects would get cooked somewhere around there as well, but unless my thermometer is lying, I have white rot mycelium and a few crawlies just chilling out in a 160 degree sauna.

I don't even know what my question is here. It seems that the numerical indicators and the fauna indicators of temperature are contradicting each other. What gives?

On a side question: are the weed seeds likely to be dying? If the center is 160 degrees, then the outside of the pile probably has viable seeds. How do those with no-turn piles work their way around this?

It is possible that the outside layer of the compost is only 100F where as 8 inches down it 160F

It is possible what you are calling white mycellium is actually actinomycetes. Actinomycetes thrives in a hot pile and looks like fungal mycellium.

Also check to see if your thermometer is way off.

S Bengi wrote:It is possible that the outside layer of the compost is only 100F where as 8 inches down it 160F

It is certainly more than possible.

Ardilla Esch wrote:It is possible what you are calling white mycellium is actually actinomycetes. Actinomycetes thrives in a hot pile and looks like fungal mycellium.

Also check to see if your thermometer is way off.

You are awesome. I suspect that is exactly what i'm looking at.