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I got these flies in my greenhouse. Checking with the resident Master Gardener I found out they are Soldier Flies.
Searching on the internet I found they are not only beneficial but great at composting. There is a company that makes a composting bin called a Bio Pod that uses Soldier Fly larva as the composting agent. As the larva mature they climb up these ramps in the composter and are collected in a container. For info see
www.biopod.com
This mature larva can be used fresh or frozen as food for fish, chickens, etc.
This seems to be a great addition to an aquaponics system--you do not have to buy inputs for feeding the fish. It looks a little too specialized to make one myself, so the only drawback is the price ($180.00 plus shipping.)
Has anyone used one of these? Does it work?
Jerry
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I looked into it a while back, even built me one out of an old cooler and pieces of styrofoam. Then we got chickens and most of our scraps go to them. I should give it a try again.
Scott
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Jerry- That's the system that my husband was looking at too, with the idea of feeding fish and so on. We made up our own set up with a 5-gallon bucket, tilted at the proper angle, and whatever we had lying about... It worked fine, but we don't have the aquaponics going yet, and like Scott, we do have chickens so most of our kitchen scraps go to them now. The birds like the fly larva, too.
One thing they don't mention on the websites about using the Black Soldier Flies for composting, is that the process smells bad, really, really bad... so be sure to locate it downwind. Now it may be that since we were doing a rinky-dink set-up, it wasn't working at maximum efficiency, but it is something to consider even with the fancy $180+ version.
Anyone who's done this: Let us all know how it works for you if you decide to give it a try. Anyone actually feeding fish with these fly larvae?
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
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Liz,
What is the proper angle?
Do you have holes in the bottom to drain off liquid?
Something under the lip of the bucket to catch the larva?
Mahalo,
Jerry
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The larva can climb up to a 40-45-degree angle, so Mike sawed about 4-6" off the side and bottom of the bucket to create that angle. This also takes care of the drainage.
He drilled a hole near the lip of the bucket to fit a short length piece of 1/2" pvc pipe. The end of the pipe has to be flush with the inside of the bucket, because larva can't climb up & over. The other end of the pipe fits into a hole in the lid of a plastic jar (mayonnaise, in this case). The larva climb up the inside of the bucket, go into the pipe and drop into the jar, which can be unscrewed from the lid and carried over to feed the chickens.
The bucket itself has a lid on it. Since it is tight-fitting, we had to create an entrance for the flies to get inside. Another hole for another short length of 1/2" pvc pipe inside the bucket, with one end flush with the outside of the bucket and near the top, helps to trap the black soldier flies inside where they can lay their eggs for future larva production. Other flies also get stuck in there but they just become food for the larva, in theory. Sometimes they become competition for the black soldier larva instead. Oh well, chickens will eat them too. Still fine-tuning the system.
Hope this all makes sense. If you want, you can come over and see it.
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
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Update, many months later.
I finally got it together to build one, based on Liz's posting. Two stacked five gallon buckets, the top one angled at 45 degrees. Holes in the bottom to drain into the lower bucket. A lid on the top bucket with a 1" hole drilled in it. 3/4" pvc pipe from the upper bucket to a plastic collection jar.
I put in kitchen waste and seeded it with some existing larva. 10 days later and now I am collecting larva. The chickens love them, the fish aren't big enough yet.
Jerry
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Jerry,
How do you angle the top one at 45 degree? Do you cut the top of the bottom bucket at 45 degree and set the top one on it? Where do you put the food? Where do the flies get in.
thanks
canhle
canh Le
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well I'll be dipped. I did this by accident in all of my compost buckets. What a stink, but man were the chickens thrilled!
* I'd rather fail at happiness than succeed at misery *
* I'd rather fail at happiness than succeed at misery *
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I cut a half circle on the top of the bottom bucket (which is there to collect moisture.) This allowed me to angle the top bucket. Holding it in place I drilled a 1/4" though both buckets and put in a pin to hold the top bucket at the correct angle. Then I put a hole in the top bucket a just big enough to put in a 3/4" piece of pvc pipe. This goes into a plastic jar to collect the larva. I glued the pipe to the bucket so it is flush with the insides. I drilled a 3/4" hole in the lid for the flies to get in and a bunch of 1/4" holes in the bottom to let moisture out.
Mine does not smell at all--maybe because I put small amounts of bokashi in with the food scraps.
Jerry
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Thanks Jerry
canhle
canh Le
