I have been testing the first component of the DIY black soldier fly larvae self harvesting bin. The first component is the harvesting system which allows mature larvae to naturally migrate out of the food waste via two migration ramps. The larvae can be collected and used as chicken or fish feed.
This homemade bsfl compost bin can be made in a few hours with materials that can be sourced from any hardware store. Click here for more info…
I drilled holes in the bottom of a cool whip container, filled it with pancakes and strawberries and placed it on the compost pile. Black soldier fly larvae love strawberries. For more info on soldier flies and the beneficial larvae, check out the links below.
It has been a week or so since I transplanted the crazy compost tomato into the other presto hoop bin. As you can see this tomato plant is thriving. More updates to follow.
Crazy tomato just started growing out of the presto hoop bin. This tomato is from a tomato that I threw in the bin at some point. This open bin never got as hot as my compost tumblers which is why tomato seeds are able to germinate, sprout and thrive. I needed to harvest the compost so I transplanted it to my other presto hoop bin. If the tomato survives the transplant I will update with progress.
Opening your compost bin and finding these critters can be quite a surprise. The BSFL are in my DIY compost can. I also had these black soldier fly larvae in my outdoor worm bins. I spent hours trying to get these guys out of the worm bins. I ended up searching google for “white worm maggots”, “compost maggots”, “white bugs in compost pile”. It turns out that the black soldier fly larvae are great composters and the red wigglers like to eat what the black soldier flies leave behind. The black soldier fly larvae are beneficial to the composting process. They help to compost kitchen scraps in very small amounts of time. As an additional bonus, the adult flies don’t carry pathogens and are not interested in entering your home like normal house flies. For more info on soldier flies and the beneficial larvae, check out the links below.
I guess I got the ratio of green and brown compost ingredients correct this time. This temp is taken from one of my compost tumblers.The temperature outside was about 60 degress and the compost is over 120 degrees. Steam coming from the pile is a good thing. This batch of compost has been going for about 2 weeks and is already looking pretty good.
I am always looking for faster ways to generate quality compost. Ensuring the pile has plenty of air is a great way to speed up the composting process. The solution is a compost tumbler. Store bought tumblers can be expensive (I think they are worth it). I wanted to create a compost tumbler, but for less money than a store bought version. I bought two food grade screw top containers. The containers were used to transport olives in their past life. Now with one modification they will help me to generate compost in less time. These containers have enough room to get a mass of compost big enough to heat up. I have tried 5 gallon bucket composters and they just don’t give you enough compost mass to heat up. One of the primary goals is to get as much air to the microbes and bacteria that generate compost. I drilled small holes (1/8″) all around the sides and bottom of the container. I add ingredients that I have stockpiled for the tumbler. If everything is combined in the correct ratio the compost will heat up and really cook delivering great compost in less time. To rotate the compost tumbler I just push it over and roll it on the ground. Simple, yet effective.
When I make a cup of coffee I always put the used coffee grounds in the compost pile. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to the pile. I read online somewhere that Starbucks has a program called grounds for gardens. I went to Starbucks to grab a latte and asked them if I could have some coffee grounds. They said sure… and gave me a 30 pound bag of coffee grounds. I added it to my presto hoop bin. The coffee grounds made the compost pile really heat up. I put some of the coffee in my worm bin and it made the worm bin too hot. I think moderation is the key in a worm bin. Coffee grounds could be used to keep the worm bin warm in the winter.
You don’t have to spend several hundred dollars on your composting container.
In fact, you don’t have to spend any money. When I moved into my house the previous owners left behind a green garbage can. After living in an apartment I was seriously ready to start a compost pile. I wanted to make it asap so I used the green garbage can.
I drilled 1-1/4″ holes with a paddle drill bit. The holes allow for proper drainage and aeration. If I were to do it over again, I would drill smaller (1/4″) holes and just drill more of them. This would help to keep the compost inside the can. As the compost in the bottom becomes ready it starts falling out of the big holes.
You don’t have to spend several hundred dollars on your composting container.
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