Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) compost

Ms. Jitomate · July 2, 2013

I have accidentally created a Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) colony in my plastic compost tumbler. I have been feeding them my kitchen scraps for the last 6 months and they are swimming in this brown jelly-like fluid. There is no foul smell now coming out of the tumbler but originally in January when the rain got in the tumbler I was adding oak sawdust and shredded paper because it got wet and stinky. The tumbler was storing my greens until I got ready in the spring to start my pallet compost pile, but the BSFL took over the compost. Somehow the BSFLs crawl out and my chickens hang out underneath the tumbler and search for them in the ground to eat them. If they do crawl out I have never seen it happen. I have also never seen the actual black fly in my garden. You would think that there would be so many hanging around because of the colony in the tumbler but I have never seen them in my yard.

Most of the information available is for growing the BSFL for fish or reptile food, which I don’t have or care to do. I would like to know what is this brown jelly-like material and maybe use it in my garden if it is not toxic. Any suggestions? Could it be humic acid?

Redbaron · July 2, 2013

You have your solution staring you right in the face! Listen to your chickens! Dump the bin on a pile of old spoiled hay, saw dust or other high carbon bedding material and let your chickens have lunch! If it was me I wouldn't even try to move it anywhere. Just put some hay under the composter and dump that slimy mess right out. The chickens will quite thoroughly scratch it up and mix it completely while also eliminating the fly larvae!

After they had their go at it, rake up whatever is left and start composting again.

PS. The reason it is like that is the material you composted are too rich. (probably too wet as well) You have to put in some high carbon material from time to time too. And once you toned it down a notch by the chickens scratching through it, and let the pile cook a little due to the new material, yes it is great for the garden.

Ms. Jitomate · July 2, 2013

I don't want to get rid of the BSFL, I want to somehow use their byproduct, if it is not toxic to my plants.

July 2, 2013	#1
Ms. Jitomate Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: San Gabriel Valley, CA Posts: 99	Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) compost I have accidentally created a Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) colony in my plastic compost tumbler. I have been feeding them my kitchen scraps for the last 6 months and they are swimming in this brown jelly-like fluid. There is no foul smell now coming out of the tumbler but originally in January when the rain got in the tumbler I was adding oak sawdust and shredded paper because it got wet and stinky. The tumbler was storing my greens until I got ready in the spring to start my pallet compost pile, but the BSFL took over the compost. Somehow the BSFLs crawl out and my chickens hang out underneath the tumbler and search for them in the ground to eat them. If they do crawl out I have never seen it happen. I have also never seen the actual black fly in my garden. You would think that there would be so many hanging around because of the colony in the tumbler but I have never seen them in my yard. Most of the information available is for growing the BSFL for fish or reptile food, which I don’t have or care to do. I would like to know what is this brown jelly-like material and maybe use it in my garden if it is not toxic. Any suggestions? Could it be humic acid?

July 2, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	You have your solution staring you right in the face! Listen to your chickens! Dump the bin on a pile of old spoiled hay, saw dust or other high carbon bedding material and let your chickens have lunch! If it was me I wouldn't even try to move it anywhere. Just put some hay under the composter and dump that slimy mess right out. The chickens will quite thoroughly scratch it up and mix it completely while also eliminating the fly larvae! After they had their go at it, rake up whatever is left and start composting again. PS. The reason it is like that is the material you composted are too rich. (probably too wet as well) You have to put in some high carbon material from time to time too. And once you toned it down a notch by the chickens scratching through it, and let the pile cook a little due to the new material, yes it is great for the garden. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture Last edited by Redbaron; July 2, 2013 at 01:59 PM.