Comments for Black Soldier Fly Blog

Comment on BioPod pre-owned sales by Jerry

Jerry — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:16:08 +0000

Hi Dave,

I’ve heard of wild BSF populations in TN and also KY so you should have a relatively easy time attracting and raising them. Good luck!

Comment on BioPod pre-owned sales by Dave

Dave — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:09:37 +0000

Hello Folks, I live in east TN and we are interested in a used BSF biopod. I assume they will do well here – right? thanks.

Comment on BIOPOD™ by PROTA™CULTURE by Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:03:30 +0000

Hi Henry,

I’m waiting to receive one of the new BioPods so at this point I can’t compare it to the original. For the record our last price for the original BioPod was $188.50 with shipping and we are offering the new units for $189.00 with shipping. Dealer cost hasn’t gone up so you shouldn’t see much in the way of price increases from other dealers either. I imagine it took a big investment by ProtaCulture to produce this new unit and I’m sure they’re doing their best to keep the price as low as possible. I know their goal in designing this new BioPod was to improve the efficiency of their product. I’m looking forward to testing one. Also, the new units are slightly larger at 10 gallons vs. 9.8 gallons for the original. I agree that it would be more convenient if a stand were included and I will begin looking for a readily available and inexpensive shelf/stand that can fill this need. If there is a $5 shelf unit that works well with the new BioPod then the stand becomes a matter of a few dollars and trip to the store. Hopefully the improvements I anticipate will offset the lack of a stand.

I appreciate your position and the feedback.

Comment on BIOPOD™ by PROTA™CULTURE by Henry

Henry — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:56:02 +0000

I got a message today the new bio pods would be ready to ship out on March 15. I also noticed they raised the price. The bio pod is smaller and doesn’t come with a stand but cost more.?? I won’t be buying one -they should have kept getting them from Vietnam they looked better and cost less. I have been waiting since Oct 09 and can’t bring myself to spend the extra money for less of a machine

Comment on Do-it-yourself BSF bucket bio-composter by Jerry

Jerry — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:39:42 +0000

Brian, I think your idea has a lot of merit and I will probably try it this summer. Thanks!

Comment on Do-it-yourself BSF bucket bio-composter by Brian Travis

Brian Travis — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:24:13 +0000

Jerry, I like your two bucket idea for drainage management! I have a suggestion for a further modification to make it modular so you can manage pudding accumulation as well as liquid: Try three nested buckets, with a 4th on standby. The bottom one is a liquid catch, the second has a layer of choir and holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. This second bucket is a semi-premanent coir buffer. The third (top) also has drainage holes to allow drainage into the coir and catch buckets. The second bucket should have sufficient coir that the bottom of bucket #3 rests on the surface of the coir. As the third bucket (feeding and grub bucket) fills to a level where a 4th bucket bottom would just rest on the surface, add the 4th bucket and commence all feeding into that bucket. In a short period of time, all the larvae would migrate up thru the holes into the feeding bucket at which time it would be placed in the third position and the third bucket removed – full of pudding for compost use and absent MOST of the live larvae. As that 4th bucket fills, you still have a spare feeding bucket to use to repeat the process. This could eliminate the hassle of trying to separate live larvae from pudding when the diy system becomes full – which is the only complaint I have about the BioPod. (An issue I am facing now as my BioPod over-wintered chock full of mature grubs and full to the top of the exit rap.)

regards,
Brian Travis

Comment on Do-it-yourself BSF bucket bio-composter by Jerry

Jerry — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:56:28 +0000

Dave,

The rope should work, but I expect you will see a lot of larvae wedging themselves between it and the bucket where ever they’re able. For a minimal set up like the bucket I wouldn’t worry about a few lingering larvae. The pvc is fine and it gives a lot of options for directing the larvae.

For what it’s worth I’m considering a two bucket set up to improve the drainage system. The bottom bucket would catch the runoff and the top bucket would house the colony and have numerous holes drilled in the bottom. You would still need a layer of filter medium like coir and something to keep the filter from expanding as the larvae tunnel through it.

Please keep us posted!

Comment on Do-it-yourself BSF bucket bio-composter by Dave

Dave — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:48:43 +0000

I have a small flock of chickens and am today building a bucket composter per the info here. I appreciate all the time you folks have put into this blog.

I’m planning on using a short piece of polypropylene rope, screwed to the inside of the bucket, positioned as to make a larvae “highway” similar in shape to the ramp in the biopod – heading around the sides of the bucket and up to a hole that will have a PVC elbow, leading to a downspout and into a catch-device that can be unscrewed from the pipe. I’m curious if there are any downsides to this, to the use of PVC, or if anyone has tried similar ideas?

Comment on BIOPOD™ by PROTA™CULTURE by Jerry

Jerry — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:47:17 +0000

Hi David, I can only tell you that the new BioPods will available soon. I'm just a dealer so I don't have the latest information about production but I believe a few units have been fabricated and are being tested. I have a recent post about the BioPodPlus here; http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/2010/02/13/the-new-biopod-plus/ and I will update it as I get new information.

Comment on BIOPOD™ by PROTA™CULTURE by David Nelson

David Nelson — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:14:38 +0000

I want to buy a biopod when can I order one.