Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

[maryjohn]

The bokashi leacheate Works just like em-1 in a septic system. It's basically dirty em. Smells a bit like sour beer, no matter what goes in the bucket, including turkey and a lobster carcass

I wonder about the salt thing but bokashi people act like it's not a big deal so I'm going with the flow. We shall see. I may have to order some more soda plant (last order never came).

 

[JackTheGrower]

I'd like to try that.. i wish i could get all the left over food from say some buffet..

That would be cool like 20 Gallons a day...

 

[magiccannabus]

BSF like it around 95F I know this first hand I see it on the thermometer.

Worms do not..

Hummm ideas ideas ideas....

What about African Nightcrawlers? Not only do they need a higher base temperature, they're more tolerant to high temperatures in general. If any worm would work with the BSF larvae, it'd probably be them.

 

[JackTheGrower]

My tumbler had a lull in BSF.. Oh they were there but I think the ants were annoying them when they were on the surface..
The ambient temperature is up these last few days and now I see a massive hoard like FrankRizzo's and they are eating and eating in force.
So it's daily mounds of Starbucks Coffee that are laid flat in a few hours..

Already i have another bucket of leachate.

MagicCannabus.. I didn't think about finding right worm for the right job!

I'm looking at that now..

 

[foescan]

I get produce waste and coffee grinds (all of it certified organic) from several restaurants and grocers, so I have a lot of good material. I have an endless supply of partially-decomposed leaves as well, since people in my neighborhood have been dumping in one location for decades. My piles used to always be hot and require turning several times a week. Now, with the BSF running the show, I don't even have time to turn them. Within a few days a 4'x4' pile will shrink down to about 1' in height. It's ridiculous. And the sounds of thousands of larva squirming still gives me goosebumps.

On the bright side, I won't have a problem disposing of trim. I'm just not ready to start vermicomposting yet, and I don't have a good way to capture the leachate. My piles are directly on soil. I'm going to spread them out and let them dry and see if that helps. Otherwise, everything I have read says they'll disappear come winter.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I get produce waste and coffee grinds (all of it certified organic) from several restaurants and grocers, so I have a lot of good material. I have an endless supply of partially-decomposed leaves as well, since people in my neighborhood have been dumping in one location for decades. My piles used to always be hot and require turning several times a week. Now, with the BSF running the show, I don't even have time to turn them. Within a few days a 4'x4' pile will shrink down to about 1' in height. It's ridiculous. And the sounds of thousands of larva squirming still gives me goosebumps.

On the bright side, I won't have a problem disposing of trim. I'm just not ready to start vermicomposting yet, and I don't have a good way to capture the leachate. My piles are directly on soil. I'm going to spread them out and let them dry and see if that helps. Otherwise, everything I have read says they'll disappear come winter.

Two things i noticed is they are way more active in summer weather and they will "over winter" when it gets cold..

They are a wicked wiggly mess.. The more mature larvae can bight the skin as they try and pull themselves in a cluster of larvae in my hand.. That's weird..
My neighbor sees me with my head in the bin and thinks I'm nuts but i want to see what is going on.
Piled another pile of coffee this morning.. three hours later it's all level. There is a hell lot of them in there today and I came home to three new females. I know because they don't know their way around the tumbler yet. Others seem to know already when they arrive.

Hey Foescan I bet that soil under that pile is good!

 

[magiccannabus]

Not sure where to get the African Nightcrawlers offhand, but I know there's some good places on the web that are fairly cheap. Someone sent me a link a long time ago, but I can't seem to find it again

 

[JackTheGrower]

Not sure where to get the African Nightcrawlers offhand, but I know there's some good places on the web that are fairly cheap. Someone sent me a link a long time ago, but I can't seem to find it again

I found a place near me.. I'll order some soon..

They are huge.. I'll have to make sure they don't get out.. So African nightcrawlers it is.

You say that they handle the heat better? That's a serious plus then.

 

[maryjohn]

The downside is they can't handle cold. Make sure you check the lows in your area against the reccomendations, since you are keeping them outside.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I see..

From this information I would be having problems with them.. I'm sure it will get below 50F this winter..

http://www.wormfarmingsecrets.com/m...d-worms-vs-african-nightcrawler-in-composting

Maybe the red worm is the better choice?

 

[maryjohn]

Find someone who can sew and make that bag I told you about. Keep the bsf in a container up top (like a colander).

My bag broke its bottom seal, and is now open all the time, but the funnel shape keeps it in. When I add material I am using unfinished stuff from the bottom to cover it. So I am gently turning it. Coccoons galore, worms galore, nary a sour bin or muck.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I'm thinking.. Thanks MJ..


The nice thing here is that it a lot of fun!


So hey guys and gals.. I saw how fast they ate a small mountain of coffee grounds so today I put in a huge mountain of coffee grounds.

I'll snap another shot this evening and we shall see if they can "Take the mountain down".

I have a lot of big larvae in there so if they all converge it may get done!

 

[JackTheGrower]

I get produce waste and coffee grinds (all of it certified organic) from several restaurants and grocers, so I have a lot of good material. I have an endless supply of partially-decomposed leaves as well, since people in my neighborhood have been dumping in one location for decades. My piles used to always be hot and require turning several times a week. Now, with the BSF running the show, I don't even have time to turn them. Within a few days a 4'x4' pile will shrink down to about 1' in height. It's ridiculous. And the sounds of thousands of larva squirming still gives me goosebumps.

On the bright side, I won't have a problem disposing of trim. I'm just not ready to start vermicomposting yet, and I don't have a good way to capture the leachate. My piles are directly on soil. I'm going to spread them out and let them dry and see if that helps. Otherwise, everything I have read says they'll disappear come winter.

foescan, I hope you won't mind me quoting your message twice.

I was getting ready to go out on the job hunt and I can take a moment to do this before I am tired today.

When I realized I could make a point of posting a few organic soil concepts again.


All quotes and links are Wikipedia..

The soil food web is the community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil. It describes a complex living system in the soil and how it interacts with the environment, plants, and animals

.

In this case we have the BSF as our major player with the top layer.
I read that the "Soil food web" is about the transfer of energy in a system. In this case it is taken two paths. One Solid and one Liquid.
The point of use of this flow of energy will be the organic soil we grow in

We can harness some of the processes of nature to provide an abundance of plant nutrients. So this BSF is the top dog in my system for sure.. The Pig of the soil food web.

Alright I have done what i wanted to do. I hope someone who is new to Organic soil and the ways of nature will find the following links useful. Any suggestions on more links welcome!

Food Webs
Soil food Web
Rhizospere
Soil Biology
Microorganisms
Vermicompost
Sewage sludge treatment
Composting
BSF
Earthworms
Nutrient

Thank the White Rhino.


JackTheGrower

 

[foescan]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's nothing less than amazing how much the BSF can consume, and how quickly! But as I don't have a worm bin (I'll build one eventually), and my piles aren't getting hot like they used to, I'm concerned about pathogens and weed seeds surviving. I topdress several vegetable garden beds with compost. I have now planted alfalfa and comfrey around my piles, hopefully hat will help reclaim runoff, and I can add their trimmings right back to the pile. I'm planning to remove the soggy-with-leachate soil under the piles to use in a future grow; what's the best way to go about that? I was going to mix it with used/spent soil in a trash can and make sure igets hot.

 

[JackTheGrower]

How interesting.. So you have decided to make that pile a place to grow "plants that help our plants."

Go with it! I can't think of a better way to feed helper plants.

Any pictures?

Your problem is one of abundance of organic opportunity. I wonder if turning the current pile into BSF system and start a new pile.. What materials do you have that feeds BSF so well?

 

[jaykush]

they sure look to love coffee grounds, almost if not more than worms.

on a side note i caught a BSF laying eggs on one of my collection trap thingy yesterday.

 

[JackTheGrower]

they sure look to love coffee grounds, almost if not more than worms.

on a side note i caught a BSF laying eggs on one of my collection trap thingy yesterday.

Good to see Jaykush.. I enjoy seeing "new" females who don't know how the tumbler works.. They spend some time checking it out by smell.

Oh they do. I put out the last of the tub this morning and the first thing I see is the perfect mound has had a land slide about a half hour after.

Jay remember to save some liquid back for next year as an attractant. If you can get a liter you will have them sooner next year. I'd freeze it myself. It lasts a long time like that.

 

[foescan]

My "good" pile that is completely overwhelmed by BSF is 100% organic waste, and consists of banana peels, overripe bananas, coffee grinds, pineapple, apples, tomatos, pears, corn, corn husks, various lettuces, cabbage, eggplant, onion, and my fravorite, lots of mushroom scraps like portobella stumps and gills. Sometimes it gets fresh horse manure and alfalfa, and if it needs more carbon I'll add leaves or shredded plain cardboard. BSF seem to love shredded corrugated cadboard, the undersides of larger pieces are always swarming with them, and I don't know if they are eating it, but I won't see much left after a week. I'll try to get pics soon.

 

[JackTheGrower]

My "good" pile that is completely overwhelmed by BSF is 100% organic waste, and consists of banana peels, overripe bananas, coffee grinds, pineapple, apples, tomatoes, pears, corn, corn husks, various lettuces, cabbage, eggplant, onion, and my favorite, lots of mushroom scraps like portobella stumps and gills. Sometimes it gets fresh horse manure and alfalfa, and if it needs more carbon I'll add leaves or shredded plain cardboard. BSF seem to love shredded corrugated cardboard, the undersides of larger pieces are always swarming with them, and I don't know if they are eating it, but I won't see much left after a week. I'll try to get pics soon.

Is it bad that I was thinking "Yum" as I read the list? I had to catch myself... Maybe I was a BSF in a previous life..
So you say cardboard? huh... I'll test that here. Interesting if they can digest cellulose. I understand the instinct to "hide." They are plump grubs after all.. Easy snacks i would assume.

Sure share.. Maybe find a tub that drains and set it up.. If they are attracted to one place by scent maybe they will avoid a second pile? They pupate so that which is larvae today will be an adult in the future. Placing new food in a bin may transfer the BSF community to a proper place for you and you can pile elsewhere? Scoop them up as best as possible, fill the tub and feed in there..

When I had my large "sacks" and processed bulk store refuse I had other piles and they didn't bother. I guess the scent of the sack and maybe the poor food quality of the second pile helped to keep them separate.

I don't see these guys as a problem for the garden at all..

 

[maryjohn]

Jack, I think his problem comes down to economics. Bsf take a much biggeR share of the energy stored up in your scraps. They literally fly away with it.

Worms leave behind a rich and ready compost and don't fly away.