Worm Composting / Black Soldier Fly Composting

[BorealWormer]

This is my second winter for having an indoor worm bin. In both cases BSF larvae have "magically" appeared in the worm bins.

I accidentally introduced them to my indoor bin last year so had to deal with the adults appearing at sunny windows and the prepupal larvae migrating out of my bin. How about you?

[rainbowgardener]

Nope, have thankfully not seen the adult flies (which I think are kind of creepy) or the larvae anywhere but in the bin. But I regularly comb through the bin and pull out all the BSF larvae I can find, throw them outside for birds to find.

[BorealWormer]

... the adult flies (which I think are kind of creepy)...

I think they look kinda neat with their white legs but each to his own tastes I guess

[applestar]

That's a cool close up/macro shot of the fly, but... If this was one of those TV crime shows, we could run a finger print match

[DoubleDogFarm]

Just a quick updated photo.


I filled the troughs with horse manure bedding. Dumped my worm compost garbage can and quartered. Each of the troughs received a quarter of the worms and bedding.

I may have to string a 2 x 4 across, between the two post, to keep the troughs level.

Will see what happens.
Eric

[applestar]

Looking good. Will you be trying the fresh "spent brewers mash" soil mentioned to attract BSFs? I believe you'll have some at some point.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Looking good. Will you be trying the fresh "spent brewers mash" soil mentioned to attract BSFs? I believe you'll have some at some point.

Not in the four worm troughs, but may start a BSF colony bug barracks.

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

I never have to worry about "attracting" BSF's! They are always present in my compost pile AND my indoor worm bin. You might have to attract them if you really wanted big numbers of them, like wanted them to be the main digester of your "stuff."

[Gary350]

Melon attracts BSFs quicker than anything. It must be the sugar that attracts them.

One time I did an experement. I cut the melon into lots of 2" pieces and sprinkled them over the top of my compost plus 1 cup of white sugar that I converted to Fructose sugar by boiling it is water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Compost was 45" diameter 38" deep. 2 days later compost was 45" diameter 14" deep. My compost was in the shade under a tree. It was amazing, sorta like having 6 months of composting done in 2 days. Only problem the compost was wet and looked like black mud, it did not rain on it and I did not add water. I took me 2 weeks to till that blob of mud into the garden soil.

[BorealWormer]

... Only problem the compost was wet and looked like black mud, it did not rain on it and I did not add water. I took me 2 weeks to till that blob of mud into the garden soil.

BSFL do shred things quickly releasing all the contained water in a rush. Drainage can be a problem and purpose built BSFL bins often have filter/drainage systems.