Black soldier fly composting smells good…

good aromas

(Virtual Scratch n’ Sniff v6.2)

It’s more accurate to say that a black soldier fly composter has a subtle, earthy aroma, plus the smell of whatever waste you’re processing. Some people compare the basic odor of a BSF colony to wet straw, but the main point is that it is not an offensive odor. If you’re smelling something foul in your BSF composter it’s not the larvae or their castings, it’s something else such as anaerobic bacteria and you need to change how you’re managing the system.

If you added the food shown above to a properly functioning BSF composter it would smell like those foods more than anything else. I realize you won’t be processing fresh food like that pictured above, but the point is that if you did then the aroma would be very similar to the fresh product. For example, once I added an entire loaf of stale cinnamon bread to my 5 gallon DIY bucket composter which I keep by the back door of our house. I walked by the composter a few hours after adding the bread and I was surprised by the delicious aroma of cinnamon. It’s not that the odor was just tolerable, it was appealing. Most of the time you probably won’t be adding something as aromatic as cinnamon in large quantities, so for the most part you shouldn’t notice anything but the subtle odors of the food scraps you’re processing. If you add bad smelling waste to your BSF unit it will smell similarly bad until the waste has been consumed.

Chronic bad odors can occur in a BSF unit, but it is a sign of imbalance which can usually be remedied fairly quickly. I know that some people reading this will be skeptical, especially those who have tried working with BSF with limited success, but I assure you I’m not exaggerating. I’ll be working on this post more in the near future and I will list several references to back up my assertions. I will also cover the causes of bad odors in detail as well as the remedies. For now I’ll add a quick quote from Kelly Slocum, a lady who has worked extensively with earthworms and also has considerable experience with black soldier fly larvae:

“I’ve worked on a few BSF waste processing systems, two of which were designed so that raw waste (usually hog manure) was processed initially by the BSF larvae, the poop from which (pretty liquid-y stuff) was stabilized by earthworms. These are remarkably efficient systems that process massive volumes of material each day and render the smelliest waste materials essentially odorless in just a few hours. I cannot emphasize enough the benefit of these flies or their suitability for working in conjunction with earthworms!” – Kelly S (SOURCE)

If you have experience working with BSF and can confirm my claim that foul odors are not a necessary aspect of it I hope you will post a comment below describing your experience.

That’s all for now, but please check back soon!

¶ Posted 21 March 2010 † Jerry § Understanding black soldier flies ‡ Comments (8) °

Agricultural Innovations Inc BSF podcast

Frank Aragona of The Agroinnovations Podcast interviews me about black soldier fly culturing

Agroinnovations.com is a great source of information regarding sustainable agriculture. In addition to this podcast you can find 77 previous episodes that I think you’ll find very interesting.

The Agroinnovations Podcast

Episode #78: The Black Soldier Fly (Part I)

“The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) has many remarkable characteristics that make it useful to human beings. In this episode, I am joined by Jerry of blacksoldierflyblog.com. Jerry and I discuss the lifecycle, morphological characteristics, and population dynamics of the Black Soldier Fly. We also discuss strategies for attracting and managing a healthy colony. This is Part I in a two part series.”

Episode #78: The Black Soldier Fly (Part II)

“In the second part of my interview with Jerry from blacksoldierflyblog.com, we discuss use of BSF for decomposing manures, including human manure, the quality and volume of compost produced, fly larva as the primary product of BSF composting, biological racism against the Black Soldier Fly, and BSF with California Red Worms.”

BSF article by Harvey Ussery

Mature BSF larvae

Black Soldier Fly, White Magic

Harvey Ussery recently authored an article titled “Black Soldier Fly, White Magic” first published in Backyard Poultry Magazine

The article in the October/November issue fills 4 pages and includes photos of a BSF adult (from this site), BSF larvae and a few of the BioPod™. I especially liked the title “Black Soldier Fly, White Magic”. In addition to my photos Harvey also used photos by Bonnie Long.

Harvey describes the basics of the BSF life cycle and how the BioPod is designed to take advantage of it. I’m happy to say that he directs his readers here for more information about this new and fascinating technology. Thank you Harvey, for a very well written article.

With Harvey’s permission I have published his article on this blog which can be found here or by clicking the link in the right hand column under Black Soldier Fly Pages.

¶ Posted 05 October 2009 † Jerry § The BioPod § publicity ‡ Comments (6) ° Tagged: BioPod, publicity

Do-it-yourself BSF bucket bio-composter

I no longer recommend building this unit. I have released a new version which is far superior to this design. To see the BSF Bucket Bio-Composter version 2.0 please navigate to that page by clicking HERE. Please note that there are several very good and informative comments at the bottom of this post.

A no-frills approach

Introducing the Black Soldier Fly Bucket Bio-composter v1.1, a minimalistic approach to black soldier fly composting. Despite it’s limitations I hope this simple DIY composter will inspire people to try their hand at attracting and culturing BSF grubs.

Each bucket will vary but the basic concept is the same.

Vent Holes

I used a 1/2 inch flat drill bit for the vents, but a larger hole is acceptable. Smaller might work but the vent holes are the primary entrance for the adult BSF and they might have difficulty with less than that. The pilot holes were drilled level with the bottom of the raised band that is near the top of the bucket. I put the vents there for two reasons. 1) By placing them close to this “overhang” there is some protection from rain entering the bucket 2) The female BSF will be attracted to the scent coming from the vents and the protected spaces created by the reinforced rim will present them with a good egg laying site. I expect most of the eggs to be laid in these protected spaces.

Go slowly when drilling or you may tear up the overhang. I drilled very slowly and still chewed it up a little.

On my particular bucket the reinforced rim was 3 to 4 inches below the top of the bucket, but it’s higher up on some buckets. Higher is better if you have a choice because as we all know, hot air rises. To exhaust the dead space above my vents I drilled the singe hole that you can see in the photo of the finished composter.

Drainage

This composter doesn’t utilize a continuous drain system. There is a drain hole on the side of the bucket and periodically you’ll need to tilt the bucket and let the accumulated liquids drain out. I plugged mine with a cork.

I picked a place about 3-4 inches from the bottom so that when tilted all but a small amount of liquid will drain out. The bucket biocomposter can be placed at an angle in the opening of another 5 gallon bucket for draining. Handle this liquid or “tea” carefully and sanitize your hands afterward. The tea can be used as fertilizer, but I don’t have experience with that so you’ll need to do your own research and testing.

Coconut Coir Liner

(The photos above are from version 1.0. In the newer version the drain hole is placed lower.)

Coir is made from the outer husks of coconuts and is commonly used for lining wire planters and hanging baskets. I bought a flat piece at a garden shop about 1 inch thick and cut 3 disc shapes to fit the bucket. Coir is also available in loose form. I don’t think it matters which type you use, and I’m guessing that about 3 inches of total material should work. Be careful if you cut it because it’s pretty tough. I set mine on a thick piece of Styrofoam and “sawed” through it with a utility knife. I feel fortunate to have completed the task with all ten digits still intact.

The purpose of the coir liner is to provide a space for liquid to accumulate without flooding the food scraps that you’re composting. The BSF grubs cannot process the scraps well if they’re submerged, and the liquid creates an anaerobic environment (no air) that encourages the growth of bad bacteria. BSF grubs create an aerobic environment (with air) through the churning action that happens when they feed. By maintaining aerobic conditions you will avoid imbalances that are easily recognized by offensive odors. A balanced BSF colony smells like wet straw plus whatever food you’ve added recently.

The Lid

You can snap the lid into place on your bucket composter but I don’t want to go through that process every time I open and close the unit. A simple solution is to just set the lid on top without pressing down and then secure it with small bungee cords as you can see in the photo. My dog keeps raccoons and other scavengers away so usually I don’t even use the bungees. Of course if you have a dog it might be the worst scavenger of all.

The knob serves a more important function than the obvious one. I’ve observed BSF females laying eggs on the top of the lid on several occasions and by using the knob you can avoid crushing the fragile eggs. It won’t be the primary area for egg laying but there’s no good reason to crush good BSF eggs and the knob is easier to handle anyway.

Avoiding Ants

In the photo above I’m using a barrier created by setting the composter in a pan of water to prevent ants from invading the contents. You can also set the bucket on a stand like a stool and treat the legs to repel ants. Similarly you could suspend the bucket on a chain or rope.

One issue I didn’t consider with the water pan is that the black soldier fly grubs that migrate out of the bucket may drown. A possible solution is to put the bucket in a dry pan that in turn sits in a larger pan with water.

The process of composting

I’ll go into detail about using the bucket composter on a separate page and I will add a link here when it’s ready. The basic concepts will be the same as using a BioPod, just on a smaller scale and with a few addtional steps. During hot weather keep the bucket in full shade, don’t overfeed, and if it begins to smell bad you’re doing something wrong. I expect I’ll be able to process about a half pound (.25kg) of food scraps with this unit each day, or maybe a little more. This composter isn’t designed for high effeciency or high volume, it’s designed as an introduction to bio-composting with black soldier fly grubs (Hermetia illucens). If you enjoy this you’ll probably want to graduate to a BioPod or a more elaborate DIY system. On the other hand you might find that this bucket design is all you need…

Harvesting Grubs

To harvest the mature BSF grubs you will need to periodically leave the bucket in a tilted position. Alternatively you could mist the inside walls of the bucket and set the unit in a larger container with a layer of sawdust (not pressure treated), peat, or some other dry bedding material. The moisture on the walls will allow the grubs to climb vertically, exit via the vent holes, and onto the bedding material. Assuming the bedding remains dry the grubs will not be able to escape the catch pan.

Coming soon: “how to” page for the BSF bucket biocomposter v1.0\

solider

¶ Posted 13 August 2009 † Jerry § Raising black soldier fly larvae ‡ Comments (139) ° Tagged: DIY Composter

The BioPod™ is not a toaster – a disclaimer

toaster

By that I mean you can’t simply buy one, add food waste to it without further involvement and expect it to perform properly. Successful operation of a BioPod requires regular observation of the black soldier fly (BSF) colony and small adjustments designed to keep it balanced. There are only a few simple adjustments involved, but to know which to use you will need to learn about BSF. It’s similar in scope to learning how to ride a bicycle and about as easy.

Your involvement

Often the adjustments are as simple as withholding food scraps for a few days and in other cases you may need to add something dry like stale bread, cereals, or shredded paper to soak up excess liquid (BSF won’t eat the paper). Sometimes you may need to remove the lid for an afternoon, or treat the BioPod legs to repel ants. On average your BioPod won’t require more than a few minutes a day and you can even ignore it for a several days at a time if you manage it properly. The key to making it simple is to study the black soldier fly grubs and to understand how various factors effect them. If you don’t learn the basic behaviors and needs of these fascinating animals then you will probably have difficulty keeping them. If you learn to avoid overfeeding and overheating the colony you’ll be most of the way there.

Please do some research before you buy

Your geographic location and even the altitude at which you live will effect how easy or difficult it is to culture black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens). Culturing BSF is possible anywhere, but if you live along the west coast or in the southeastern U.S. there’s a very good chance BSF are already around you and starting a colony will be relatively easy. If you live in a cold and/or dry climate the difficulty level increases. If you’re not sure about your specific area please contact us and we’ll do our best to inform you.

The main factor is temperature

In general the warmer and wetter your climate, the more likely it is that you already have black soldier flies in your area. Colder and/or drier climates represent less likely places to find BSF and they are the most challenging places to establish a colony. This is also true of elevations over 5000 feet (1500m). The native range of BSF is the southeastern U.S. but over time they have been transported around the world. They are not an invasive species.

(click map to enlarge)

BSF are most commonly found in the USDA plant hardiness zones 7 – 10, but there are often exceptions. The hardiness zones relate to temperature only and while this is the most important factor with BSF it isn’t the only one. I’ve gotten reports of robust BSF populations in zone 6 and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of them in cooler zones in the future.

Don’t let me discourage you

I just want everyone to understand that when you purchase a BioPod you’re entering into a new hobby that may be somewhat challenging at first and also very rewarding. If you like gardening, traditional composting, or vermiculture then you’re a likely candidate for black soldier fly culturing. Likewise, if you watch nature and science shows you will probably find BSF as fascinating as I do.