Thousands of Grubs in Compost ( picture and video )

[geedub]

I recently uploaded a video to YouTube explaining how my DIY BSF composter operates:

Bucket composter part 1

Bucket composter part 2

I'm planning on using this design as the basis for a feeder for the feral peafowl that live around my place. The idea is to fill one of these with corn that will produce BSF larvae for several weeks and hang it above the ground over a pan that will catch the mature larvae as they exit. The pan needs to drain rain water and also contain the larvae. It works in my head and I hope to test it soon.

 

[beergnome]

Man, I read maybe five pages of this thread before I did a few more searches and decided to raise some BSFL. I've already got a bucket of red wigglers and one of mealworms. My three spoiled 5-week-old EEs just look me in the eye and try to determine if I've got grubs or what. They don't even look at my hands, they stare into my eyes like in a big poker hand.

 

[Lumenos]

Velcro is a great idea on the soldier grub bin, geedub. I've been thinking of making one of those but I was afraid if I post the instructions roliver won't answer any more questions over at the BioPod forum. I wasn't expecting YOU would build one!

I started threads here and at the BioPod forum about my plan to build a solder grub bin attached to a poultry coop.

Quote:
Wait till you read the thread I made here! Lots of citations of scientific studies. I don't even get into the nutritional/medicinal benefits of soldier pupae but they transmit no pathogens (earthworms/redworms can transmit MANY parasitic worms), they prevent coccidiosis, and they are extremely high in crucial calcium. Tom writes, "I am particularly interested in BSF because they are high in methionine (by the cited studies) which is a limiting amino acid in poultry rations. This usually comes from an animal source (like insects) ." The only problem is, we are at the mercy of those egg-bearing females. If they don't come and leave eggs it gets real expensive to buy new ones.

I'm still working on a post about duckweed, redworms, and midges, which can also turn poop to gold!

 

[tom e]

Hey all! I know it's an old thread, but I'm very excited about these insects! They (or rather my chickens passion for them, lol) have changed my little ones from birds that run from people into birds that come running TO people.
I just dig them out of the compost bin I've made of old pallets, no biopod yet, but there are always thousands there for me.
My compost is ALL our food scraps without exception, shredded paper if it doesn't have colored ink or gloss on it, the occasional bunch of old grounds from starbucks, old horse manure I get from a neighbor, and any weeds from the garden.
It pretty much always smells like citrus and coffee, and stays pretty hot.
Anybody worried about breeding tons of flies I've only ever seen 2 of the adults and they were at the bin itself. We do always have small black ants there, and whenever I make lemonade or orange juice fresh (often since we have lots of trees) I see some fruit flies when the squeezed fruit is added and until the BSFL get into them and take over. Really no mess no fuss. I just need to figure out how to make it self harvesting now.

Great resource!!

 

[Lumenos]

Quote:
Some people with livestock and lots of manure do get a great deal of them. Thing is, if they got rid of them they would probably have millions of unsanitary houseflies. However, you might want to be careful because the newly hatched ones are hard to see and they can live in your body if eaten alive. It is very rare but worth mentioning as more people are raising them and some videos show people handling them and running their hands through the churning masses of grubs. The tiny grubs can ride on the large grubs.

Quote:
You just need a bin they can't crawl out of then a ramp and container. If it has flat walls, all you should need is a piece of PVC pipe against a wall, with an elbow going through a hole in the side of a collection container. The collection container can be inside the bin. I used a small width PVC pipe and it seemed to work fine. I had to cut the end of the PVC in half, for maybe 5 inches so they can get on it when it is partially buried. 30-40 degree angle for the ramp. Put a little of something dry in the container so they can't crawl the walls. I used a plastic coffee "can" with a lid, so it would probably be rain resistent (if you make the pipe hole tight).

You could get fancy and drop the grubs out to a collection container on the ground where the chickens could get um. I'd be afraid skunks or coons would get into it at night but I've yet to hear of them getting into a grub bin.

 

[butterflywings]

I'm on page 7, sorry for being slow on reading all of this...

I just wanted to thank everyone for knowing so much

I keep seeing these grubs in my compost and worrying I haven't done something right. I have been worried my compost has picked up some horrible bug that will lay eggs that will hatch in my garden.... And that I need to spray my grass or it will all die as well.

Thanks for the info!

 

[GoChick]

"Some people with livestock and lots of manure do get a great deal of them. Thing is, if they got rid of them they would probably have millions of unsanitary houseflies. However, you might want to be careful because the newly hatched ones are hard to see and they can live in your body if eaten alive. It is very rare but worth mentioning as more people are raising them and some videos show people handling them and running their hands through the churning masses of grubs. The tiny grubs can ride on the large grubs."

Whaaat?? this is freaky! I was about to buy or make a biopod and start raising BSF for my chickens until I saw this commment! Is this really a concern?
Can I feed them safely to my chickens and have them eat less feed? I have tons of garden scraps, so feeding the BSF would not be an issue. I'm looking for anything to cut my feed bill...

 

[tom e]

This is a real concern if you think you might actually ingest a maggot, intentionally or otherwise.
I have them (now returning finally after a winters absence) and have never had a single problem. Honestly though it hasn't been by choice with me, they invade my compost every year and I'm glad to have them!

There are fly larvae in the world that want to get inside you to cause problems (myasis) but soldier flies are not one of those. They can only get inside your belly against their efforts- in other words if you swallow one! (that's why they call it PSEUDO- myasis whenever it has occurred in the world..) Compare that tiny possible threat against the very real threat of contamination that houseflies coming from chicken feces or an overabundance of compost can cause. I think houseflies are many many times more dangerous but I don't have any statistics. You WILL see a reduction in houseflies once the BSFL move in. Right about this time every year I'm rejoicing in the newly hatched BSF I'm seeing cause I've had it up to here with flies!

 

[GoChick]

Quote:
But what about the chickens eating them? Would they still stay alive? Any concerns there?

 

[tom e]

Have you ever looked inside a chickens gizzard that's full? It would be a very TOUGH bug indeed to survive that trip. It's like with us, if we chew the BSFL we 'accidently swallow' if poses no risk. I don't think it could possibly pass through a full gizzard without being (the chicken equivalent of) 'chewed'.

Aside from that I really don't know. I do know my birds go insane with a special murderous glee when they even think I have some in my hand. There is literally no treat I've ever offered that they would take over them. And I haven't had any trouble with them getting sick yet from anything, let alone the grubs.

You have to do what you think is best!