scaley worm insects inside my compost tumbler?

Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:10 am

I have a 30 bushel compost tumbler which I have been using. When I went to check it, I noticed a bunch of scaly worm type insects inside, presumably eating the rotting vegetation. I've never seen this before. Does anyone have an idea what these are?

Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:59 am

I'm guessing, Black Soldier fly larva.

Eric

Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:57 am

What does anyone suggest I do? I don't need more flies

Thu Sep 06, 2012 11:33 am

Yup, that was going to be my suggestion too, BSF larvae. I don't think you need to do anything. The larvae are part of the decomposition process. As long as your composter is outside, not in your house, the flies will not be a problem and you won't notice them. The adult flies only live about a week.

http://esrint.com/pages/bioconversion.html

Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:46 am

buddy110 wrote:What does anyone suggest I do? I don't need more flies

Move your compost tumbler out doors.

Or, stop eating altogether.

Biological activity of decomposition and renewal is going to take place no matter how we feel about it.

We can clean up after entropy, but its never going to go away.

Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:57 am

It's outdoors. I've been tumbling for years. Just never saw this before..

Fri Sep 07, 2012 3:14 am

They like moisture, so perhaps your materials are wetter than usual?

But maybe you just never noticed them; they are pretty ubiquitous in rotting materials. One year I did an indoor worm bin and it got BSF larvae in it, which I wasn't too excited about inside. I have no idea where they came from, the eggs must have been on something I put in (like leaves for bedding/ food).

Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:56 am

BSF are not like the typical house flies, BTW, so this does not mean you'll see a cloud of flies around your bin.