Care free coop

[Project Blue]

BSF do not hand around. They grow up, grow wings, and look for a mate. They do not have mouth parts so they don't eat. They mate and die. It is possible that your chickens are eating the flies during that short period when they fly around.

Goodness, those BSF's keep sounding better and better. It's hard to imagine a fly not being a pest, but BSFs sound very well-behaved and hard working. They have my vote as the good citizens of the insect world.

 

[WingItRanch]

Interesting discussion!

@SnackMeat for your BSF, do you keep them just to break down and compost or do you also feed them to your chickens as snacks?

 

[Penpal]

The BSF larvae eat. It's the adults that don't. The chickens will eat either

 

[avjudge]

Goodness, those BSF's keep sounding better and better.

This thread sent me to their Wikipedia entry, which lists a bunch of advantages of BSF larvae as decomposers, including:
“Significant reductions of E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella enterica were measured in hen manure after larvae were added to the manure.”

Sounds good to me!

(I know this thread has been quiet for a few weeks, but I'm just catching up!)

 

[Project Blue]

I think the more people that know about them the better. I'm not sure but I think they keep away other nuisance bugs by keeping things tidy. I always thought the chickens were eating flies, but there may be more to it.

 

[Penpal]

Chickens don't eat house flies. I'm pretty sure they eat BSF.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

BSF 100% do consume materials.

Oops, somebody beat me to it. The larvae are voracious eaters. It's the adult flies that lack mouth parts.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So anybody know where can I get some of these to put in my compost heap?

 

[kattabelly]

Chickens don't eat house flies.

Mine definitely do, when they manage to catch them.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Mine definitely do, when they manage to catch them.

Sure wish mine would!