tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post6646769343283242709..comments2023-03-31T08:03:39.865-07:00Comments on Texas Urban Homestead : My Black Soldier Fly Larvae Set UpAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-5309380397456179732013-07-26T15:55:42.872-07:002013-07-26T15:55:42.872-07:00Have you seen my post about the new and improved s...Have you seen my post about the new and improved set up?<br /><br /> http://texasurbanhomestead.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-new-and-improved-black-soldier-fly.html<br /><br />I have found that I catch a lot more of my larvae with the new set up. You are always going to lose a lot with ramps, but if you are catching enough to meet your needs than that does not matter. All you can do is try your idea. Just know that the larvae can squeeze through the smallest crack and the sludge pretty much clogs any mesh up pretty fast.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-38867924645782654162013-07-26T14:36:34.904-07:002013-07-26T14:36:34.904-07:00I have a semi large scale compost project in Savan...I have a semi large scale compost project in Savannah with worms and bsfl working together to make an extraordinary finished product. On one end of the pile veggie scraps, coffee grinds and brown matter are shrunk down to one third the original size within a week. This side is prominently bsfl at work. As you move down the line, worm concentration becomes higher and higher until the finished product- black gold with about 10-20 earthworms per handful. All this is just a pile on the ground that filled itself up with hard working bugs.<br /><br />In another project of mine, a tripple bin composter has tirned into bsfl sanctuary. I'm looking for ways to convert the bins to fit that role. For example: a fine mesh screen about half way up with bins underneath to catch the sludge and pipes coming out every so many feet for self harvesting. Any ideas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-3041720518425811992012-11-26T09:44:45.820-08:002012-11-26T09:44:45.820-08:00I have only tried raising worms once and all mine ...I have only tried raising worms once and all mine crawled out too, I think because I let them get too dry. I have never had any problems with raising my BSF though, maybe you should give that a try instead. Sorry I have no real help.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-74015636278791397742012-11-26T07:24:47.194-08:002012-11-26T07:24:47.194-08:00I have a vermicomposting bin with red wiggler worm...I have a vermicomposting bin with red wiggler worms. It gets full of these larvae. I have been trying to pick the BSF larvae out. The worms seem to want to be away from the BSFs and climb out of the bin. Do you know if the worms and BSFs can work together? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-69447216506937122752012-09-20T03:32:11.167-07:002012-09-20T03:32:11.167-07:00If they are regular house flies then they actually...If they are regular house flies then they actually wait by doors and get in when you open them. The color white attracts flies. We have a green front door and a white side door, and we see flies by the white door but not the green one. Flies also can sense temperature differences between the inside of your house and the outside - a tiny hole to the outside with air of a more desirable temperature coming from it will attract flies, who can crawl into the house.<br /><br />Getting rid of the flies is a problem. I have seen stuff on the internet for making fly traps, but they just don't seem to work for me. The best solution we have found is a child or husband with a fly swatter! or fly paper (which is gross).<br /><br />If it really is a Black Soldier fly I would just catch them and throw them outside. BSF may look like small wasps, but they do not have stingers (they are a flies) so they wont hurt you. BSF do not have mouth parts and do not feed, so they do not get on spoiled food or poop and do not subsequently spread disease.<br /><br />Black soldier Flies get in our house all the time because I am raising them on a porch and the larvae can crawl right under a door we have that needs the weather stripping fixed! They don't hurt anything, so I just enlist a willing child to throw them out.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-8860803774649405372012-09-19T21:58:31.306-07:002012-09-19T21:58:31.306-07:00Yesterday, in the early evening around dinner time...Yesterday, in the early evening around dinner time (I'm in Texas too) I was preparing a few leftovers from the fridge. In my kitchen, I happened to look up for some reason and on my florescent oblong lighting, I happened to notice 3 black soldier flies. Well, house flies really, but not the great big "cow" flies as I used to call them. But they're the ones which are a bit more robust than the smaller ones. Anyway, I'm wondering.. how did they get inside my house? They were up there on the light, appeared to be feeding. They would make a few buzzes down and around, and then go straight back up to that light fixture. Then, I got rid of them, and later there were 2 more flying aroundn at different times. It's "bugging" me how they came in, and from where? And why? I did have a bag of apples out, and I got freaked out that they were larvae or something in those apples and came in this way. I admit that I put peelings from veggies I may have in the sink in my flower beds, etc. but I didn't have anything in my kitchen sink at the moment, just a few dirty dishes still there. I try to remove the peelings from the kitchen as I prepare dinner or at least AFTER dinner. This might be a silly comment to leave, but I'd appreciate any advice, as I couldn't find any info on these critters, only how to raise them. I'm so concerned how they were in my kitchen, so many of them too. Thanks! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-45238857448358761672012-06-18T12:19:07.993-07:002012-06-18T12:19:07.993-07:00thx 4 for sharing ur info. i am wanting to star a...thx 4 for sharing ur info. i am wanting to star a backyard aquaponics system and read that BSFL are a good food source for the fish. You definitely gave me some ideas.<br /> Thx,<br /><br />Robert in Corpus Christi, TX.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-47828388268118351002012-04-04T16:03:35.171-07:002012-04-04T16:03:35.171-07:00Thank you Callie! You could use wood, but the subs...Thank you Callie! You could use wood, but the substrate is pretty wet. Wood would rot eventually, but you could just replace it then. Also the PVC pipe has a nice curve to it that keeps the larvae from falling off. My bin is going on its third year now and still going strong.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-13398501270213288132012-04-04T15:48:44.641-07:002012-04-04T15:48:44.641-07:00I found your neat blog while searching for info on...I found your neat blog while searching for info on home made BSFL bins...plan on starting a colony to feed our chickens. I like your set up! A quick question: Is there any reason I couldn't use wood as a "migration ramp" instead of PVC?Calliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09800623036113588110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-75050100758945205682011-05-03T12:40:38.823-07:002011-05-03T12:40:38.823-07:00Daniel - No the bin does not smell as long as you ...Daniel - No the bin does not smell as long as you only put vegetable matter in - no meat or dairy. Somehow the BSF larvae keep the smell down, maybe because they eat everything up so fast.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-60064621878352605352011-05-03T11:05:00.905-07:002011-05-03T11:05:00.905-07:00do you have any problems with smell coming from yo...do you have any problems with smell coming from your BSF Bin?Daniel Morchathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593325962158160551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-8280916527542332422010-09-06T19:13:01.179-07:002010-09-06T19:13:01.179-07:00Thanks for the info. I cant wait tell we have chic...Thanks for the info. I cant wait tell we have chickens some day!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-52430291313858509932010-09-06T10:30:29.842-07:002010-09-06T10:30:29.842-07:00With chickens, it's even better. Give your scr...With chickens, it's even better. Give your scraps to the chickens first, then use their manure to colonize the BSF larvae. Toss in whatever scraps your finicky chickens won't eat in with it, along with soiled bedding materials. BSF make a great clean up crew for chickens, and as if that isn't enough, they provide a wonderful source of food for them afterwards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-41560071969748143022010-06-02T21:42:48.495-07:002010-06-02T21:42:48.495-07:00Great post. I am about to start a BSF bin in Ft. W...Great post. I am about to start a BSF bin in Ft. Worth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-13351218518413683352010-04-27T07:10:10.007-07:002010-04-27T07:10:10.007-07:00You are welcome and let me know how it all works o...You are welcome and let me know how it all works out for you! I still want to have chickens myself.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584460551684159341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593178396392787391.post-45320328147731753012010-04-26T21:06:46.660-07:002010-04-26T21:06:46.660-07:00I real like the fact that you have made your own b...I real like the fact that you have made your own bin for breeding the larvae. I want to start this for my chickens. We have over 30 and feed can get expensive. Thanks so much for posting this on your blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com