Help! Fireants in the BSF larvae bin, compost smells like old wet manure.

[RichnSteph]

Like the tittle says. I went out to feed the little colony of BSF that I've been keeping alive for transfer into the dedicated bin I'm building this weekend and noticed there were very few in there. Put some food down and an hour later there were fireants in the bin eating the food and some of the larvae. So I turned the compost pile they live in hoping that it would help and the smell that came out of it was horrible. Very very wet at the bottom where I layered grass clippings. I left the bin open hoping it'd dry out and I hope the ants leave enough larvae to seed the dedicated bin.

Any advice???

RichnSteph.

 

[RichnSteph]

And the saga continues. I mixed the compost up pretty good last night and left it open to dry. Before bed I took several pieces of fish out there that had gotten freezer burned (I thawed them out) and put them in the compost for the BSF larvae to eat hoping to keep them going until the new bin is ready. Got up this morning and there is a buzzard sitting in the bin eating the fish......


I can't wait to have the new bin built and start feeding my little larval friends on fermented brewers grain from a local beer maker.

*sigh*
RichnSteph.

 

[Sill]

This is my BSF bin except I covered the open end with 1/2x1/2 wire to keep out birds. I normally put a bucket under the gutter channel to catch the larvae. It works.




If ants are a problem you need to put your bin legs or wheels in water so they can't cross over to get to the bin. Maybe some plant saucers or something like that. I assume the fire ants are not nesting in the bin? I think their colonies are always in ground.

 

[RichnSteph]

The ants weren't nesting in there just eating things. I sprayed an ant killer around the perimeter and they went away. Got the bin dried out and started seeing adult flies again and more larvae turned up. Then I promptly left it open for a few days to make sure it was drying out and caught a half dozen birds out there eating the grubs. /face palm... Sometimes I feel like I can't win. So now the bin is covered except for a little area for the flies to get into and out of and the colony is making a comeback. The bin is on the ground and is only supposed to be temporary until I get the new one built but with work and military training coming up it will probably be another month before I can get to it.

I can never get things done when I want to, life tends to get in the way. *laugh*

Thank you for the reply and the advice.
RichnSteph.

 

[Sill]

The ants weren't nesting in there just eating things. I sprayed an ant killer around the perimeter and they went away. Got the bin dried out and started seeing adult flies again and more larvae turned up. Then I promptly left it open for a few days to make sure it was drying out and caught a half dozen birds out there eating the grubs. /face palm... Sometimes I feel like I can't win. So now the bin is covered except for a little area for the flies to get into and out of and the colony is making a comeback. The bin is on the ground and is only supposed to be temporary until I get the new one built but with work and military training coming up it will probably be another month before I can get to it.

I can never get things done when I want to, life tends to get in the way. *laugh*

Thank you for the reply and the advice.
RichnSteph.

Can't blame the birds, free food! Netting or hardware cloth will keep them out. I do get lizards occasionally, the smaller ones go through the wire cover, but they don't eat much.