EcoRenovator - View Single Post - How to compost non-plant food scraps (Black Soldier Fly bin)

benpope · 01-13-11, 01:32 PM

You are right about the temperature; I had to give up the BSF for the winter. They generate a lot of heat moving around, but once it got down to about 40F, food piled up in the bucket. I've gone back to regular composting for the winter, but come spring I may run it all through the "trout-o-matic" and let the BSF larvae do their thing. Maybe I'll get some hens again too and see how they like the larvae. That will really help close the waste loop.

To get around temperature issues, I could set up the BSF bin within a solar chicken coop. This guy is working on closed-loop BSF breeding which could keep them going over the winter in a warmed space. Anyway, it's interesting stuff. Even if you compost you'll be amazed how slowly your garbage can fills up after you set up a BSF bin.

01-13-11, 01:32 PM	#3
benpope Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Little Rock, AR Posts: 95 Thanks: 16 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	You are right about the temperature; I had to give up the BSF for the winter. They generate a lot of heat moving around, but once it got down to about 40F, food piled up in the bucket. I've gone back to regular composting for the winter, but come spring I may run it all through the "trout-o-matic" and let the BSF larvae do their thing. Maybe I'll get some hens again too and see how they like the larvae. That will really help close the waste loop. To get around temperature issues, I could set up the BSF bin within a solar chicken coop. This guy is working on closed-loop BSF breeding which could keep them going over the winter in a warmed space. Anyway, it's interesting stuff. Even if you compost you'll be amazed how slowly your garbage can fills up after you set up a BSF bin.