DIY black soldier fly bucket composter - part 1

Please see the updated version of this unit at http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/bsf-bucket-composter-version-2-1/

This is a do-it-yourself composter designed to use black soldier fly larvae to rapidly break down kitchen scraps and food waste. BSF are a harmless non-disease carrying species of soldier fly that are native to the U.S. They consume almost anything that can rot except for high cellulose items like paper, leaves, grass, etc.

I designed this unit to be easy and cheap to construct, and also to be convenient and efficient. At the time of this video some of the systems have not been tested but I feel pretty confident they will perform well. As upgrades are made I will post them on my blog on the page dedicated to this unit: http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/bsf-bucket-bio-composter-version-2-0/

Part 2 of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zFcDT8gBo8

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• composting
• bio-composting
• compost
• black soldier fly
• larva
• soldier grub
• biopod
• hermetia illucens

[Venominme]

I had a hard time getting my velcro to stick through the humidity and grubs burrowing under the strip. Have you had to reglue it and what have you found that works?

[BlackSoldierFly]

@Venominme I've had good luck with velcro sticking. Be sure not to stretch it while you apply it and clean the bucket with alcohol first. After placing the velcro take the back of a spoon and press the velcro with good pressure. The velcro and the bucket should be the same temp when you apply it. I used velcro "ultra thin" which seems more rigid. Velcro cures for 24 hrs so its best to keep it dry for a day. If you have a section that fails you can cut it out, clean it well, and fill it with new.

[baracuduck]

is there a mite occuring because of humidity and spoiled vegetables ? thank you

[sys49512]

Plastic with BPA (Bisphenol-A) are poison.

Please double check as far as is anyway possible.

[xpsyclonex2002]

@BlackSoldierFly I used to live in Jesup. Small world.

[BlackSoldierFly]

@xpsyclonex2002 It depends on temperature mostly. In south Georgia mating stops in October and resumes in mid April. The adults emerging in April spent the winter pupating. In contrast; in warm weather BSF spend about two weeks as mature larvae and another two weeks pupating.

[xpsyclonex2002]

@BlackSoldierFly Sweet. I was worried that they needed to hang from something. I couldn't think of a way they could do that without legs. Do you have a time frame from when they burrow to when the adults emerge?

[BlackSoldierFly]

@xpsyclonex2002 You can keep them in a few inches of sawdust but if ambient humidity is too low they can dry out and die. If released in nature I guess they burrow into the ground or under loose debris. They need to be able to climb up and out of the material when they emerge as adults and compacted soil seems like it would be too difficult for them.

[xpsyclonex2002]

@BlackSoldierFly when you release BSF larva to help re-populate the composter, where do they turn to adults? Do they burrow in the ground? Climb up it trees? etc? I ask because I am interested in creating a closed loop system to contain a system. I would allow a small amount of larva to go free within an enclosed space that way they can only go back to the compost bin to lay eggs. I just want to make sure that the enclosed space has what they need to convert to adults.

[dmacosta1]

i like it