How To Make A DIY Soldier Fly Larvae Composting Bin
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- čas přidán 7. 10. 2016
- I've been using a rudimentary 2-bin black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) composter for the last few years. However, it doesn't have a mechanism to capture the larvae as they leave the compost as they prepare to pupate.
In this video, I build the DIY soldier fly larvae composter that has been rolling around the brain for a while now. This is a long video, but a get into a pretty detailed step-by-step DIY process. This new design has a ramped shape to allow the larvae to self-harvest, saving time and removing larvae from the composter only when they are done composting and ready to pupate, and then become adults.
If you want a comprehensive understanding of the biology and composting prowess of the Black Soldier Fly Larvae, check out this video series from Living Web Farms: • Black Soldier Fly Prod...
If soldier fly larvae composting in not for you, check out this playlist for other DIY composters I show you how to make: • Composting Devices & T...
Materials:
13 gallon rectangular trash can
2 small trash cans for capture bins
2x6 lumber
2x4 lumber
3/4 inch lathe screws
3 inch wood or drywall screws (nails an alternative too)
2 5-gallon bucket handles (optional)
Aluminum flashing
Trimmer wire
2 door hinges (I used salvaged)
Roofing material (lots of options here)
Handle material (good opportunity for salvage)
Gorilla glue
1 metal hanger
Cardboard
Tools:
Pen, pencil or marker
Drill and drill bits
Impact wrench or screw driver
Scissors
Wire cutters
Plyers
Box knife
Tin snips
Hand saw
Ruler and measuring tape
Work gloves
Table saw and miter box (design can be modified if you don't have these power tools.
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I love how you used some well-used tools, scrap lumber, and ingenuity to build a darn good-looking piece of furniture for larvae.
I know this video is several years old, but thanks for making it and including the drill info. I have been using power tools my whole life and never knew that
Thank you for watching.
Thanks for the great explanation between the drill and screw settings !!!
The best DIY BSF compost bin I have ever seen. Thank you for sharing.
Guys like you embellish the DIY creative space. Great work!
Thank you, Artemis. I appreciate the encouragement. Thank you for watching.
Great design and build! I would put straw at the bottom of the composter to prevent blockage of the weep holes.
I’m super excited about BSFL for my chickens! I am absolutely going to continue watching your videos to see the updated vid’s on this awesome DYI COMPOSTER! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
The best youtuber attitude so far iv heard this year 💚🙌😂😂
I like the way you presented this project, sincerely and most likely without any retakes. You are clear about what you are going to do and you say it out exactly as it should be. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and skills.
I appreciate that. Thank you for watching.
Great video. Ever since the BSFL began to over run my vermicompost bin, I've started researching them, and am thinking about setting up one of these for them. I think they will be great at composting stuff I don't toss in the worm bin. Thanks for the video.
Hi Aaron. That’s exactly how I discovered Soldier Fly Larvae as well. :-) they are now my favorite composter. Thanks for watching.
Great to see another GA based homesteader. Thx for sharing your work!
Thank you for watching.
Great build! Really, it's the first one I've seen that is easy, works well, right sized, and looks good. I've got a ton of old corrugated plastic signs that I'll put to use on this instead of the plastic trash cans. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you. I'd love to see how you incorporate the plastic signs. A create material to utilize, especially after election time. Thanks for watching.
Wow awesome video. A must build. Being an old sheet metal guy. Folders work great for bending the sheet metal.
Am new to bsf n your video has been very helpful to build my first bin.My profound appreciation n thanks
Excellent video! I would normally do it with wood as well, but since I had a 4’ Tupperware bin hanging around, I decided to use that. I knew from watching another video that I wanted to do a ramp and not pipes, like I’ve seen others do, because the BSFL doesn’t always use them, but couldn’t figure out how to seal the ramp to the wall. The bin walls are not completely flat, so the ramp doesn’t seal completely to it. I’ll use flashing, which I have a ton of lying around. One day I’ll build a custom, bigger one, but as you said, what I’m doing now is a good prototype.
Very detailed instructions - thanks for the layman's approach to getting it done.
Thank you for watching.
Something helpful I find when bending stuff like that chute... is using a ruler. I can get a really sharp and clean fold-line. Love this project, thanks for making this video.
I have been on a binge of you videos this afternoon, all of the stoves and all of the compost ones! You are a very talented man! Thank you very much for sharing you time and know how with the rest of us!!!
None were to long just good teaching!!!
Thank you so much Doris! Thank you for expressing your appreciation. I am having a blast making these videos. I try to keep them as simple as possible, but with all the details needed. Plus a little of the reasons why I think people ought to make them. I've got a few more rocket stove videos in the works. Stay tuned...another binge may be in your future. I hope. :-)
That's quite an update on your larvae system. That's a neat design and I like how much detail went into it. Seems like it will fit your needs perfectly. Even though I'll probably not build it myself (we already have some composting methods in place), it surely was a great video to watch. In fact, if I hadn't read the comments I wouldn't be able to tell that this was more than 15min long. I always have fun watching your projects! Keep up the good work :)
+Sheyla Montoni thank you. Soldier fly larvae composting isn't for everyone. :-) I appreciate that you said you had "methods" in place. I do think we need to approach composting in multiple ways. I'm glad the video didn't seem long. I try to speed things up when the details aren't necessary, but to be specific when they are. This one was definitely full of details. By the way, it's working really well. The harvesting method is catching a lot of pre-pupae. Makes me realize how many I was missing. Thank you for the comment and the kudos.
excellent design skills, Thanks so much for sharing!!
Marvelous! i like the Passion with which you have done this work. Good Job, Thank you for sharing the idea.
Thank you for the encouragement, Amith. Thanks for watching.
Yeah I'm definitely going to be doing something like this too. Thanks for the video
You're welcome. I love your channel, by the way. Excellent videos.
1/14/23 Thank you. God Bless and stay safe.
Great illustrations, am impressed & motivated. I must build one 👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks for the compliments and for watching. Good luck with your build.
That's a great looking bin!
+Jake this was a fun build. But I am going to make a simpler version too. My first go round is always more complicated, but it is fun to build intuitively.
Your ingenuity & determination are admirable! Well done!
What a brilliant design! Thank you for sharing this. One question - Do you have any issues with house flies laying in your compost as well?
MAD Science Hacks, from memory, soldier flies are a more aggressive species and won’t let house flies lay eggs.
Yep, heard from others that BSFL eventually outcompetes anything that gets started with them.
OMG!
Had to “pause” to get ready to grab my first batch of spent brewer grains for my BSFL.
Dude, caught a bit of ypu somewhere before; THIS is friggin’ awesome. Right down to the “bromance” with someone wise enough to give - & take - constructive feedback.
Then I kep looking for ypur link to subscribe, gotta go get the grains & a taste of West Sacramento. I’ll be back!!
Truly, this is great, & I’ve searched over 8 years & with my own bi-pod. This is JUST what I need as I “retire” & set up my “urban farm.” Super-duper clear!
Thanks!!!
Just a tip on bending the flashing. Use a small 2x2 or squared off piece of scrap. Align the wood with the line, start the bend by hand, then use a hammer to get it perfectly bent. Thanks for the tutorial! I have been wanting to collect BSFL for quite some time as they are quite abundant here.
Thank you for the tip. Thank you for watching. Happy composting.
Excellent work, bravo!
I've now watched this 3 times. Good video
This by far one of the best instructional builds I have seen on CZcams! I am currently researching aquaponics, BSFL seem to be a great food source for the fish. I also in GA so I know this build will work for me. Look forward to watching more of your videos. Keep up the good work! Mucho Thanks!!!
+creemoweet thanks fellow Georgian! Yes! BSFL are perfect for an aquaponics food source. I'm going to try a simpler version of this build sometime this spring. My first version is always more complicated than needed. :-)
creemoweet 🙄🙄😸
Where we used to live in Al, not so far from Ga, there were more soldier flies in the compost than anything else.....
I like your idea, it is a fantastic starting point. There are some features I would like to see though... Each side if it had a self actuated door where when the chicken steps on the foot pedal it would open the top. This would allow them to get the larva whenever they desired while keeping the larva otherwise contained. This would save the need to transfer the larva to them and the bin entire setup could also be kept in the same area they are. This would create a problem with your runoff collection though as you would not want that accessible to them. You would need to suspend the runoff collection with a hanging bucket, or use a catch and a pipe to get it out of the area accessible to them. With these changes it becomes a self sustainable system.
This is an awesome design! Great work! I would like to see the sitting right in the chicken yard with the bottoms of the cans cut out so the chickens can eat as the larva self harvest. I would then attach one of those small trash cans to catch, the run off and I would keep a little bit of cardboard, or shredded paper, or leaves to soak that stuff up and put in my garden.
this is one of the nicest SF homes I have seen so far
They prefer "condo." :-) Thanks for watching. Are you going to give composting with soldier fly larvae a try?
This maggot house really looking good 👍
Excellent and simple
Impressive use of available materials. I think you're an engineer whether you like it or not.
39:58 "Adaptive re-use for [an unintended] purpose is how I justify my pack-ratedness." 😊
Very good job guys.
I like IT.
Great educational video. Thanks. Regards.
definetely giving it a try ! great video
+Cultivos Tropicus cool! One suggestion I've heard it the comments that would simplify the design for this soldier fly larvae composted is to use a rubber tarp or pond liner for the composting basin, instead of the trash can. I'm going to do a build like this in the Spring, but wanted to let you know if case you build it first. Thanks for your comment.
Actually I came up with the idea of using 2 trash cans , join them both by the upper side (wide side) and let the narrow-bottom side facing out, this should allow an angle when they are set horizontally ( ) , cut the bottoms to make the exit ramps, and then cut a big central rectangle on top of both trash cans to open a working space , if the rectangle is 2 inches smaller than the total area of both cans, you will have a "outer" rim around them to prevent the larvae from escaping ....... hahaha I think a diagram will be better... sorry
I like your design
this is wonderful
I know it's 7 years old but learning is learning. Clipping a sharp corner of flashing makes 2 sharp corners. Take a couple extra seconds and buff the 2 corners with a file to remove the sharp corners.
I'm a Filipino by way! Your place seems so peaceful and relaxing!
Hey this is great. - you would make a great teacher - oh yes just realised. You already are a great teacher! Thanks for this excellent guide
Thank you for the compliment, DJ. I appreciate it.
I want to talk like you, clear, no hesitation, and the job you shown looks good and functional. I want to see the result and the way it actualy works! More power to you and i hope i can communicate with you someday.
If you use that straight edge to help you make your bend in the flashing, you’ll get a nice clean fold.
Great! BSFL 💕🌱🌿
Amazing build and well thought out! I stumbled onto your BSFL videos while looking for a source for queen bees here in Thailand. My wife's family has half a dozen pigs with which I was going to try to use their waste in a small worm farm, with the worms to be used as chicken feed for the indigenous wild chickens Thai people raise. However, after seeing two of your videos, I think I've seen the light, so to speak, especially if BSFL are that high in protein. It is also a huge plus that they can eat meat as opposed to worms. Seeing as how the coldest temperatures here may get into the upper 50's in the cool season, this looks like it could be a 12 month source of chicken and fish food... and maybe even a protein supplement for the pigs.
Thank you. I think you'll find the BSFL are an ideal composter for your intentions. The worm would have been consumed by the chickens more quickly than they could reproduce, whereas the black soldier fly larvae reproduce exponentially. In Thailand you should be able to raise them year round. The heat produced by the composting bin should keep the larvae pupating and hatching into adults. The adults might be a little slow to reproduce during your cooler months. I'd be interested to hear how that goes for you. As well as if the pigs will eat the larvae. By the way, my younger brother and his family live in Bangkok. Thanks for watching.
Very good and creative video... Thanks a lot... God bless you.....
Thank you, Umesh. Thanks for watching and your blessing.
8:08 Much respect for the way this whole portion was handled. I subbed on the previous video (the follow up to this one, I believe), but if I hadn't already then this alone would have got me clicking the green shorts.
Thanks for the good word Francis. Ben's comment initially struck me as negative and I usually don't engage with commenters who are negative. I didn't initially see what he was talking about and so I replied. It led to a nice resolution and I learned something about my drill. There is so much ranting and nasty comments on CZcams. It was nice to be able to turn a potential negative into something positive. I appreciate your comment. Thanks for watching and subscribing.
Nice little project.
+E Gy thank you! It has been fun watching the soldier fly larvae compost.
brilliant.
Buen larvario y pratico
TQVVM, your SIMPLE & BRIGHT IDEAS
HAS MAKE MY DAYS DIM (Do It Myself)
from your DIY!!¡!¡!¡!...ha...ha...haaa.
You're absolutely awesome. Great output, great presentation. Educational as beep!!! Brilliant. Totally going to subscribe and learn! 😌
Thank you, my friend. Thank you for watching.
Nice information
Hey bud thank you for the video, gonna build a whole bunch in Joburg south Africa to feed my Aquaponics unit
Excellent. You might look at how people have done large scale systems. Might be easier to make one really big one. Thank you for watching.
At around the 35:30 mark it was mentioned that after the eggs been laid in the corugated cardboard, the cardboard would be transferred down to the compost pile. Actually you don't have to do that because once the larvae hatch, they'll migrate to the food source themselves. BUT it is a good idea to make it removable in case you need to change out the cardboard for whatever reason (eg. ruined by condensation).
Personally, I don't bother with the cardboard anymore. The female BSF just lays her eggs around the inside lip of the composter cover/lid. Other people stick to the cardboard method because (1) they sell the egg-filled cardboard, or (2) they have separate set up for the adult BSF (a mating cage) and they need to move the eggs to the composting pile.
Munirah, thank you for adding your insights to the conversation. I agree with your suggestions. I like having the cardboard separate for cleanliness, but that seems a little comical given the context. :-) I may have make a mating cage next summer to see if I can propagate some more soldier flies. It sounds like you have been doing this for a while. When did you start?
When did I start? Hmm...3-ish years. The first few tries only managed to sustain 1 batch of larvae (from a single egg-clutch) but once they pupate, I didn't have new maggots to keep the bin going. Lots of starts and stops. Thankfully I live in the tropics, so I could start back at any time of the year! Happy to announce that my current bin has been going for almost a year with new egg-clutch found everytime I feed them (2-3x/week).
A bit of an advice on setting up a mating cage. Adult BSF mate during flight! So make sure it's big enough for them to do the deed.
Thanks
👏👏Great design and instruction. New subscriber. I appreciate the welding gloves 😅
Excellent 👍🏾
Thank you 🙌
thx for sharing. u r very neat.
Fantastic!
One modification I would make is to use deck screws instead of drywall screws. Drywall screws are weaker and can break much easier than deck screws. Deck screws would be better over time also.
Another change I would make is the lathe screws. Lathe screws are very smart because of the head size and shape, but stainless steel screws will be much better over time. The lathe screws, if I am not mistaken, are made of a tin or zinc alloy (which is soft) and are meant to be buried underneath concrete and therefore not exposed. I would use a truss head stainless steel screw with a phillips or combo drive.
These two modifications are trivial considering what you have here. I have learned a lot from your video. You have great ideas! Thank you!
they are also one of the best foods for reptiles
Erik, I hadn't thought of that. Great idea. I've got a friend with a bearded dragon. I'll have to take him some soldier fly larvae. Thanks for sharing.
I buy these for my amphibians and reptiles, even my tortoise likes to have a few. They are super high in calcium, which is great for reptile keepers bc they dont require calcium powder supplements. I believe they are sold as Calci-worms, Phoenix worms, and BSFL. I keep mine refrigerated to prolong their use
Beautiful idia brother
Thanks for watching, Jianur. I appreciate the encouragement.
This is an awewome design. You put flashing on the sides as a lip but I had thought that the larva could not climb more than 45 degrees?
Good job Ben you da man 👨
Thanks for watching. :-)
You're making sense to me right now❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹👼👼
Thank you for watching. :-)
Thanx, I'm on it! Nice job. I had started some mealworms about 2months ago, but their life cycle is much to long. I still don't have any new pupa yet, just 1100 beetles.
Cool! I haven't tried mealworms. Are they composters? Or is it about created a food source? I saw your other comment about chickens. Is that what you are feeding the mealworms to? Thanks for watching.
Using old screws. Awesome! Don’t waste.
Indeed. I’m almost out of old screws. :-) Thanks for watching.
u r a genius man bro 👍😀👍
Thank you for the encouragement. 👊🏻👍🏻
too fancy. way too many other practical, easier to build boxes out there. but I give you A for Effort and for the explaimation, presentation, clarity and everything. subscribed.
+noctanol I'll concede. This was a complicated build. I do plan to be a simpler version of this Soldier fly larvae bin.
I guess it would cost so much for my handyman to help me do this that I might as well buy one
Great video though I am looking forward to watching many of your creations… Thank you for helping us all
Hi Kater. I’ve got a extra simple design planned for the Spring. Stayed tuned before you make your purchase. Thank you for watching.
If ur struggling to find compost material try out any juice bar i have hit up gym that make their own drink and get their pulp 😃
Très intéressant
I'm not much of a woodworker. But, I think drilling straight into the end grain - vertically oriented relative to how the tree was oriented when it was growing - provides the weakest hold on the screw - easiest to pull out. I'm thinking put the boards on adjacent sides of the legs? Thanks for the video, by the way, I think I might use this as my example. We have chickens. We have vegetable scraps. We have neighbors with manure. We should be growing our own chicken feed!
Yes! Grow you own chicken food! I think you'll be pleased with the amount of fly larvae you can generate. The chickens will love them too. I just made a simpler version of this bin. Similar construction of the box, but I use a tarp instead of the trashcan. Saved lots of time. Thanks for watching.
Is there a video, yet, of the tarp construction? I'll search. You're welcome - thanks for posting
Ben doesn't see it all man great video and it works so who cares but you do a lot of wood work in a wired way that takes up time!
Thanks Eric. I appreciate the positive feedback. Ben actually apologized the tone of his message. But, I did learn something about my drill. :-) Thanks for watching.
We need to operate through love move often. Thank you.
Thanks share DIY..
And then for next? How about larva BSF? Can see video?
"Always cut away" .... I was taught (40 years ago), "Cut your buddy, not your belly". They both serve the same purpose.
Solid
I ever knew that about the drill bits either. Thought the bits were bad!
awesome
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video: not too much talk, lots of detail.
+Matthew Cassis thank you. I am rarely a man of few words. It is good to know it is possible. :-) Thanks for watching.
I love watching your videos, on your soldier fly larvae composter. Can you make one bigger for more compost?
Just a tip for someone using this design - use wood for the lid. The choroplast is great because it is lightweight however, possums or raccoons will definitely chew on it and get through. This is the issue I have, hope this helps!
Thanks T.K. Good tip. Thankfully, I haven't had that issue since I created this particular soldier fly composting bin. However, I have had something raid my bin in the past, when my BSFL bin was more make-shift. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely! Thank you for the design! Glad yours is staying structurally sound. I'll likely just do wood over it so the plastic will make a great heat insulator. Luckily it's an easy fix!
The wood might work just as well on its own. I used the plastic material on the BSFL bin since I happened to have some on hand to reuse. If I hadn't, wood would have been the likely alternative.
Can't say it better than anyone else here....SUPERB. I have been thinking about doing this for a long time and your build is not that complicated. I will build about twice your size as you advise. btw, has anyone told you look a bit like and even sound a bit like Alan from 2 & 1/2 Men......lol
Thanks Ray! Definitely scale this thing up. I'll go bigger when I build this soldier fly composter again. One comment on the video had a good idea I thought might save you some time. +Theo Lubbe (see below) suggested I use some pond liner or heavy duty sheeting instead of the trash can. The flexibility of the material would allow for the drop in the center, ramping up to each end. It would also save the lacing up the middle step. Also would let you scale this however you needed to fit the liner.
Can't say I've been compared to Jon Cryer. lol. I'll have to watch a few episodes to see. But, he's a cool dude, so I'll take it. :-)
Yep Tom, I saw that comment & definately good value.....only question I have about that method is collecting the leachate .....maybe punch some holes along the center low point and cover over with shadecloth or weedmat ?
Also, when you are bending your flashing...use a straight edge or scrapper to fold exactly where you want/need
Thanks for the tip Caleb. A good suggestion. Thanks for watching.
Excellent video,now how do you ensure procreation of the soldier fly? I didn't quite grasp how you handle the pupae..Also,is the compost any good for growing mushrooms?
What would you think about putting the chatch basin on the 2 x6 and dill holes for the lava to crawl through?
I'm a contractor. And your driving some of your screws to far in. It's starting it in the wood causing a bubble.. because when the screws head pulls tree plastic into the wood just a little it causes a little hump which then causes a bubble. If you un loosened athe over tightened screw it would flatten out
Not a bad design.
I was kinda hoping you would use a bead of RTV Silicone Sealant under the metal flashing and where the cut plastic can attached to the wood (especially in the bubbled out areas).
Adding a layer of hardware cloth over the catch bins would make them animal resistant. Adding an additional layer of hardware cloth under the plastic covering the lids would prevent animals from digging into the bin through the thin plastic sheets.
Also, a few coats of water sealer (or stain) over those boards would definitely improve the lifespan of that project. I'm in north Georgia, and the humidity here will quickly eat through lumber in the forest.
When drilling holes, use a larger drill bit (or a step bit) to clean up the edges of the smaller holes you just drilled (instead of a razor knife) for a more professional look.
Lastly, freeze the worms you don't use (so they die humanely) and consider dehydrating them (outside) to use them in the cold, fall/winter/spring months as a healthy feed option.
All in all, it looks like a decent design. My feedback is merely constructive criticism.
Thanks for posting the video.
Sincerely,
SurvivalNerd (CZcams)
Well done! well thought through. With egg laying beds to attract locals.
i like ya man, so imma give ya a building tip. Play with your caulk more. You don't have to lay it all out on camera for the whole world to see if your shy but just remember, your caulk is always there for you.
Lol.
I love this composter the compost tea comes out of the bottom? Do you have issues with mosquito larvae? I don't have the material to build one or how to. But thanks we learned a lot
You could use caulking if there's to much gap.
Wow, your video prevented me from buying something I already have way too much of, lol. Grubbly farms sells them as a chicken treat. I thought these were horse-fly larvae for years.
Awesome! Feed the birds! I see why you thought they were horse fly larvae though. About the right size. Sounds like you are going to build a system. I’ve got a simpler version coming soon, but the main difference will be using a piece of tarp instead of the cut and stitched trash can. Same frame system. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas for improvements.
Nice one Tom, how do you come up with these ideas ?! Haha - keep em coming
+bdajedi I just let em flow, bro. And it is the caffeine. Coffee is my creative juice. Thanks for your comments and encouragement.