Black Soldier Fly Larvae Farming - BSFL Large 120L System Instructions

I show you how to make a compost bin system for Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens.)
Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) turn food scraps into compost quicker than worms.
The larvae are a great source of protein for chooks. When the larvae are ready to pupate they climb exit ramps in the bin and feed themselves to chooks. The adult flies which will naturally find the scraps will lay their eggs on suspended corrugated cardboard. The newly hatched larvae will drop onto the food scraps. Keep feeding the larvae your food scraps and the pupae will be healthy protein food for your chooks or aquaponic fish.
If you don't have chooks or fish a BSFL composting system will attract insect-eating birds to your area.
The adult flies only live for about one week and don't eat at all but just mate and lay eggs. They are not undesirable like blow flies and the BSFL in a healthy system will exclude blow flies and maggots from the bin.
Some pupae can be collected in a container under an exit ramp and removed from the chook yard and grown to adult flies if Black Soldier Flies are not naturally common in your area.
When the bin gets too full remove some of the lower layers of compost and keep going with the system.
Happy easy composting!
00:00 What you will need.
00:40 Hand brace with adjustable width hole cutter (electric drill and hole saw could be used)
06:38 Corrugated cardboard for BSF egg laying.
07:19 Cover for rain and heat insulation.
08:15 Adding bedding material and scraps and assembling the unit.
08:53 Adding BSFL.
10:32 Adult BSF.
10:50 Adult BSF looking for suitable place to lay eggs.
11:25 BSFL ready to pupate.
11:39 Chook eats high protein BSF pupa.

[@jessathurman7127]

This is amazing - very clever design. Loved the footage of the adult soldier flies and the surprise ending!

[@Raspukek-fu8un]

licked well.

[@glintinggold]

Of all the BSFL vids I've watched, this is the clear winner!!! Simple, elegant, doable!!!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comment. There are many different ways to grow BSFL. It's good to get ideas from different people and work something out for yourself.

[@clintchilds8205]

After all the many videos that I’ve already watched, I wished I would’ve saw this one first. I’m the type of person that likes to see the build process without all the talking. I’m excited to get started on mine. Thank you sir!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you for your good comment. I hope all goes well for for you.

[@senecapickers4837]

This is the first BSF setup I've seen that actually makes sense, and is so awesome to say the least!! Good job Sir!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you. There's a lot of different systems about and I am still looking for new ideas. Your channel icon looks interesting. Have you seen any of my reptile videos?

[@HiloBoiz808]

I love the sound track!

[@colbypride2268]

Great video best system I've seen yet no BS straight to the point love it

[@folsterfarms]

This is hands down the best BSFL video I’ve seen yet- Thank you for the footage at the end as well… very interesting. Well done!!!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comments. I think Dorper sheep are wonderful. Some people here have these sheep in their macadamia orchards. I would like to see some of your videos of your place one day.

[@CSWRB]

Great job! Clear instructions. And thanks for not making the video any longer than necessary! Best video I’ve seen on BSF bin and I’ve watched a lot of them and gotten so irritated that I skipped to another. This is the one people need to watch all the way to the end !!!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you. I hope you can apply some of my BSFL ideas in a way that works for you if you are able to get a system going yourself. There are many different ways that will get you to the end result that you want and we all can keep experimenting if we want to.

[@anbb5114]

Agreed! Best one.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you.

[@karlau1084]

Great instructional video! Thank you!

[@lawriemcconachy1740]

Lawrie Brillant! I'm excited to build one of these, having first seen a commercially made one I thought I'd design my own. I dont need to now, this one takes the cake, it's the best. And like a previous comment, this video is so GOOD to watch WITHOUT any talking. Big thanks for this.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's good if you make your own. I'm sure yours will take the cake too !! (Your BSFL will love to eat up all the cake you give them.)

[@magnusleijon9773]

Great design! Thank you!!

[@rhondaborders3452]

The video that I watched recently had a store bought bin that cost over $300. This is a very easy to follow DIY. Thanks so much! Don't forget, if you put something under the bins, the liquid that drains out is a fantastic fertilizer for your plants.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Yes. Thanks very much for this useful tip. I hope plenty of people read your good comment.

[@dr.olapadejulius3276]

Highly ingenious, thanks.

[@hawklerfalco9067]

Clear and nice video, thanks

[@027Star]

Thank you , this was so easy to nunderstand , ill be adding this to my flock this spring

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That will make them very healthy and you will have fun making the system. When it is working can you tell us about it please?

[@027Star]

@@MoreliaAustralia I sure will thanks

[@equisader]

Excellent video. Glad i finally landed on this one. Thank you for not subjecting us to a wall of music and the ubiquitous "don't forget to like etc etc" as if we didn't know. Going to get my materials together and have sone very happy chickens.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comments. Happy chickens are the best type of chickens. I hope you can post some videos one day and show us a glimpse of what life is like in your part of the world.

[@karensterling5246]

I use rubbish bins for my outdoor composting and they all have BSF in them. I’ve been wanting to to start a BSF bin without the expense of costly specialty bins or complicated diy designs. I just recently bought storage totes to expand my worm bins but I don’t think the worms would mind waiting a while as I borrow one for this project. I don’t have any chooks yet but the birds visiting my garden will appreciate the fresh treats over the dehydrated store bought ones nonetheless. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's good you have BSF. And it's good you don't need expensive compost bins. I think compost is great for the wildlife and everyone benefits. I hope you can get some chooks one day. They are amazing when they turn inedible scraps and critters into eggs that are probably the most nutritious food for people. I love your channel icon And your playlist videos are amazing !! I have mainly been looking at the 'farm life' titles and I haven't got through them all yet but they are very inspiring. I noticed some from Elaine Ingham. I have done some of her workshops when she was in Australia. I like the Australia-Eye of the Storm videos in your Documentaries playlist and also the Steven Axford fungi video is fantastic. I hope to see some of your own videos one day.

[@karensterling5246]

@@MoreliaAustralia I do plan on getting a couple of rabbits and chooks. I live on a standard suburban lot but I have space to comfortably maintain 2-4 chooks. That channel icon is one of my many visitors and it looked lovely on that weathered fence. I also have some demanding blue jays, a prized cardinal and northern mockingbirds who frequently lift my spirits. I use the playlist for reference because there are so many great youtubers out with great content. I doubt I can get to revisit all of them. I keep journals for what I feel is vital information for me. Even though I’m in the states I’ve always been drawn to Australian content because it’s climates are very similar to ours so I adopt much of their practices. I learn something new everyday outdoors and I’ve been seeing a variety of mushrooms popping up and it’s my goal to identify them and the various insects who help me behind the scenes. It’s like being in a science class outdoors. I fell in love with your wildlife clips. I love to travel so this platform is a great way to visit the world and appreciate her beauty and abundance without leaving home. I look forward to more of your videos. They’re very uplifting. See you about the great outdoors.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I hope you take some photos and videos and record the things you see and put them on your channel.

[@MariaSanchez-so6de]

Thank you very much!!! Very helpful video

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Hope it all goes well for you.

[@pergamX]

by far the easiest BSFL diy composting bin solution i've seen on yt, thanks. Perhaps scratching the insides of the pvc pipe-ramps would provide more friction/grip to help larvae climb and exit the bin faster.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Great idea. Thank you very much for your helpful comment. I'll roughen up the exit ramps with a bit of sandpaper.

[@rhondaborders3452]

I wondered about sanding the pvc too. You know, great minds & all 😄

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Haha yes. All the comments are so helpful

[@kenk100]

Great video, thanks for sharing

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your encouraging comment.

[@mrbrown6421]

Wow. Thanks. North Central Florida.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Florida must be an interesting place. Can you let me know if and when you start posting videos on your channel please?

[@josiahkulwa34]

Excellent

[@TheRodT]

this is amazing and I like it

[@r.guerreiro140]

Great! Thanks a lot

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comment. I really like the videos in your playlists, specially the health science playlist. You might like to browse my channel?

[@Faisal-zi1mv]

Amazing

[@smarties2k]

Nice neat design 👍

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks. I hope all goes well for you and those with you in your country. Do you make compost out of food scraps? Do you have chickens?

[@smarties2k]

@@MoreliaAustralia Hi. No, I don't rear chickens, but I have aquaponic tilapias and meat rabbits. So I'm thinking of taking up BSF to help with composting of rabbit poop, and in return use the larvae as tilapia feed.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's good you rear fish and rabbits. I think they would be very healthy high quality protein food and it would be sensible to have BSFL in your system too. I hope one day you can show some videos of what you are doing there. I also was very interested to see the Dr Sten Ekburg health videos in your Health playlist in your channel. Best wishes from Morelia Australia.

[@cristianprieto2716]

Awesome

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks

[@cityhomestead40]

THANK You for sharing my NEW Friend I catch regular house flies for our chickens but this would be much better. Greetings From Paducah Kentucky USA🙂💯👍✌

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comments. Greetings to you too from Australia and I hope all goes well for you with all your interesting projects.

[@cityhomestead40]

@@MoreliaAustralia Thank You Yes I have a million projects going on at any given time Lol 😆 if I could just stay focused?... that would be great!

[@mileakin2689]

Thanks for sharing that, it is simple and relatively cheap, think I’ll build a couple of these as well as a maggot trap made from a 5 gallon bucket, that should keep my chickens fat and sassy.

[@RobDuarte]

thanks for this video! I made it yesterday and I'm looking forward to being infested with BSF maggots 😂 A couple suggestions for others... #1 in imperial measurements, you'll want 1.5" tubing - a 10' length is just right. #2 assemble the double-tube end with the tee before drilling the two holes in the bin. My tee was kind of bulky and I drilled the two holes where I thought they should be but they ended up being too close together. #3 doing all the cutting with an angle grinder and cutting disc creates a LOT of awful white PVC dust 😕 thanks again!!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Good practical advice and thanks for putting the imperial measurements here. I have to try and get used to the USA differences. From your previous comments I had to find out that burlap is what we call hessian and hardware cloth is wire mesh. I don't think I'll ever get used to imperial measurements though. Also, chickens here in Australia are chooks. I hope your 'chickens' do well and have plenty of BSF pupae and lay lots of healthy eggs for you and your family. And I think plastic dust is awful too. I like to use hand tools if possible and do projects like this on a concrete floor and not on the grass so I can sweep up the plastic.

[@openinnovation5858]

Very interesting hatching brooding and feeding all in one bin great idea privious i have seen they developed eggs in different bin i would like to develop in commercial way let's see

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I hope you can make a commercial system that works well. It would be good if you can record what you do and share it and help others work out what they could do too.

[@allencallender2205]

Great plan. The only problem I see is BSF is more active at night. Chickens are not active at night. A lot of the BSF will crawl out at night and crawl out of range of the chickens by morning. Easy solution is to catch them in a plastic container until the chickens are awake. You will start noticing the BSF will start reproducing in nature around you which is not all bad.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

yes you are right. We are seeing a lot of wild BSF around the place and a lot of insect eating birds like wrens are feeding on them. The BSFL container is right in the middle of a very large yard for the chooks so the BSFL can't get out of range but only hide in the vegetation and if the chooks don't scratch and find them the BSFL become a part of the environment and that's ok because the chooks have plenty of other things to feed on.

[@dvdgalutube]

This is one of the best DIY BSFL system I've seem on KZbin. Good on you! May I ask, how do you keep house flies, ants and rodents away from this system? Thank you and have a good day!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

The BSFL are dominant and outcompete other flies and ants and when the lid is on rodents can't get in the openings of the BSFL exit chutes. Thank you for your good comment and question. I hope you have lots of good days wherever you are.

[@igoros54]

Биореактор для черной львинки ?) Круто - лайк )))

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Рад, что вам это нравится. Мне когда-нибудь придется выложить обновленное видео. у вас на канале много интересных видео.

[@alicenakajima6014]

This is by far the most well done DIY bsf bin video I have seen. I live on the California coast and we get the cold ocean breeze. Our temperature is mainly in the 60s year round except for the few week long heat waves that is. Do you think that the bin would be sustainable with our climate here?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I haven't had any experience in cold areas. I am in a warm area here. What is 60F? About 15C? Wow ! That is pretty cool. You could enquire and see if anyone in your area has been successful with BSF and see what they are doing. If your bin is positioned on the sunny south side of a building and a dark colour it might keep a bit warmer. I hope you can get something going that works ok.

[@JoesWife1000]

From my limited experience the larvae will keep their substrate warm enough. Mine are in simple plastic buckets at the moment and the temps stay between 80-100F. However, breeding will require an enclosure as they need warmer temps to breed.

[@mikemcginnis9237]

I like the video, thank you. But do you really have to add the BSFL to the bin or can you attract BSFs from the outside? I've seen others do that.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

You don't have to add BSFL. If you have food scraps the adult flies will naturally come in and lay eggs and start the process. I added BSFL because I was upgrading from a small container to this bigger system.

[@alicenakajima6014]

This is by far the best video I have seen on DIY BSF bins. I live on the coast and we get cold ocean breeze. Our temperature is typically in the 60s with the exception of a couple short heat waves every year. Do you think such a bin will be successful and sustainable in our climate?

[@JoesWife1000]

From my limited experience, you'd need an enclosure to ensure breeding. The larvae themselves will keep their substrate at about 80-100F just with their body heat and the food scraps composting. For breeding the flies require temps of about 80F and humidity between 60-80%

[@MoreliaAustralia]

You might have to grow them indoors.

[@peterurquhart6580]

Hi mate. Concise video 👍. If the larvae are all harvested, where do the new BSF hatch from - Where/how do unharvested pupae hatch into new flies which would then continue the cycle in your system ? Secondly, do the BSF maggots eat things like dead toads, roadkill, meat scraps, or do they strongly prefer vegetable waste ?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Good questions. I live in an area where there are lots of fruit trees and compost so we always see lots of wild BSF around the place and they naturally come wherever there is food for them. If you had a system going, and no wild flies about and you fed most of your larvae to chickens, you could always keep some larvae aside to grow into flies.Also you could have another system set up nearby where the pupae will hatch into flies. You only need a few flies to survive and each fly lays lots of eggs wherever you have food scraps for them. So hopefully in your area the cycle will continue naturally. The larvae really do well on roadkill or meat mixed in with fruit and vegie scraps.

[@Asiergr]

Hi, I have one question : If all the larvae emerge when they grow older, how do you manage to continue having eggs to continue the cycle? Isn't a mesh necessary to prevent them from escaping?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

There is always a wild population of adult flies about and they are attracted to the scraps to lay their eggs.

[@Asiergr]

@@MoreliaAustralia also in winter in North of Spain?

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

I really want to do this for my chickens. Do I have to be in a specific zone or part of the world (Southeastern US here) to actually attract this specific fly?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

If you have food scraps the flies will come naturally unless it is really cold weather. You can speed things up by buying larvae or getting some from someone near you who is growing them. Everyone has a different system and it's good to see different setups and get info from different people.

[@shedigsdirtblog5879]

Could I use black irrigation tubing for ramps since it's easier to cut and cheaper than pvc these days?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I think that would be good. You can even cut it with snips.

[@Asiergr]

Does this system works in 17 Celsius?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I think it would still work at 17 but the optimum is 25 to 30 Celsius.

[@JoesWife1000]

I don't have those tools nor those skills, but want to try this. What tools can I use to cut the top part of the pipe out, the part for the ramp? I have a hand saw to cut the pipe to the correct length. Do I need anything else to cut for the ramp?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

You will be ok with just your handsaw for cutting the ramps. The bottom ends of all the ramps (the ends inside the container) don't need to have round sections on the ends. See in my video at 02:10 what the middle ramp is like. All the ramps can be cut like this so if you don't have an angle grinder/cutter you could make the long cuts with a hand saw. You would have to support the pipe firmly in a vertical position and cut down with the saw starting at the end of the pipe and cutting two cuts down along the pipe at once. When you get the cuts the required length then make a cut halfway across the pipe. Have you got something to cut the large holes for the top of the ramps to go out of the container? One way of doing this is to mark the positions of the holes with the right diameter of the end of the pipe and make lots of small drill holes around the circle to remove the section for the hole then file the hole smooth. I hope everything goes well for you.

[@RRaucina]

Made two of these today in just moments. Bandsaw makes the pipework easy.Seems like a great idea in its simplicity. I have been raising maggots for years sort of unwittingly, in my compost pile and the chickens love them. I don't think we have black soldier flies here in this part of California near Yosemite park at the 3000 foot elevation. Are the maggots from other common flies behaving in the same manner, following the light out of the box? Or do they have some characteristics that make large production from them difficult? The maggots I produce are quite large and the birds love them. Hoping your system makes it all systematic and predictable.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's great you've made two of them. I hope they work for your flies. I hope it's not too cold for BSFs in your area. I haven't any experience with other flies and maggots. What do you grow them on?

[@RRaucina]

@@MoreliaAustralia Just mixed food waste, bad meat, anything works.

[@RobDuarte]

@@RRaucina The difference is that BSF are very clean. Other flies get into poop, etc and carry it around from place to place. Hence, those maggots (house fly, etc) are more likely to carry pathogens that can then end up in your chicken eggs/meat.

[@tonyjack5549]

Very cool. How long do the BSF continue to lay eggs? Can you leave this system to sustain itself, as long as you provide food?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

There is always free range BSF laying eggs unless the weather is too cold for them. You can keep the system going until the composted remains of the scraps finally build up and the container gets too full and there is not enough room for more scraps. Then some of the old compost needs to be removed and you can then keep it going again as usual. Also you need to manage the moisture in the system. Some scraps like old melons can make things too wet and the BSF can drown. If things look too wet and sloppy you can add dry material like bran or rolled oats to get the moisture level right.

[@tonyjack5549]

@@MoreliaAustralia That's great info. Thank you

[@raymondengineering8951]

G’day Mate, Found this today, Best I’ve seen, Starting my build tomorrow, Any chance of an update to your system? Cheers from Southern NSW

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's good you're interested in BSFL. Will you be growing them for chooks or to sell the pupae? I have a new simplified setup now for feeding the pupae automatically to the chooks but the pupae cannot be collected for sale. I have made a simple wire mesh enclosure for the scraps and this keeps the chooks out but lets the pupae out into the chook yard when they pupate. I started with a long piece of gal. steel mesh 3m long and 400mm high. The rectangle gaps in the mesh are 80mm X 50mm (3" X 2"). I bent this strip of mesh around into a rectangle about 1m X 0.5m and I pile the scraps into this enclosure and cover with an old realestate sign to keep out the rain. The soldier flies naturally find the scraps and lay their eggs and the larvae stay in the scraps until they pupate and then move out where the chooks get them. When the whole thing finally gets too full I move the enclosure to a new spot and start again and the chooks have a great time in the old compost.

[@raymondengineering8951]

Lol I can picture them poking their heads through the gaps, 😂 Very clever thinking, and so simple. Yeah I’m just doing it for the chooks, which I haven’t ordered yet 🤔, just getting a few things in place first. I’m going to set up a system like this one first, but the caged mesh in the coop might come later down the track, I have thought about a movable caged area in the coop to grow grass/feed and relocate every month or so, I’ve never seen anyone do it for soldier flys.

[@raymondengineering8951]

You should do a video on your new setup, there is nothing on You Tube about this system and soldier flys get good views 🤙🏻

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Enjoy your new project and I hope all goes well for you.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I do have some footage of the wire enclosure but it was taken after a really wet time and it looks very messy. I guess I could still use it though and make a video of it one day.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Would wider ramps be better than the pipes? (If so, I'll think up a design). Great video. Thank you!

[@TheRainHarvester]

Do they lay eggs in the white bin ? Does light permeate into the bin through the plastic?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I think wider ramps could be ok but some designs I've seen with a single wide wooden ramp didn't appeal to me because I thought the big ramp would take up too much valuable space inside the bin. When the scraps are thrown in there would be a big void under the ramp. That's good if you think of your own design. I hope you and others keep coming up with new ideas.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

They still lay eggs in the white bin. Have you seen in my video the eggs on the cardboard? A bit of light gets through the plastic and some light comes in through the openings.

[@eddenny585]

Mate excellent camera work and editing,are you a photographer? may l ask what camera

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comment and questions. I am not a photographer. For this video I have mainly used my old iPhone X but also my Canon SX 70 HS It's a very easy camera to use with good telephoto and also great macro close up all in the one camera without having to change lenses. When I am working on the farm this camera fits in a small belt/bum bag so it is always handy when I see something interesting. You might like to see my camera zoom test video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYa0dGmZa5x4q6c And if you look at my channel (kzbin.info) you will see many of my videos have clips taken with both the iPhone and the Canon. For example kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXyxiWChbrWgl5o I hope you can record some of the things around you in your part of the world and post some videos on your channel one day.

[@eddenny585]

@@MoreliaAustralia thanks for the reply,we will be returning to Ballina in September after a 3 year absence would like to buy a replacement camera for my go pro,we are expats and love on a small coral island in far north Indonesia l don't mean to give you my life story ha ha just wondering if you have an opinion about the canons ability to stand up to island life as the old go pro is virtually indistructable

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Wow! You are very adventurous. Your life story would be amazing. The Canon is not very robust but I like it because it is very convenient to have macro and telephoto all in one camera. I wonder if you can find someone who can give you a demo so you can get the feel of it yourself?

[@eddenny585]

@@MoreliaAustralia cheers thanks for that information l will look further 😎

[@Mmbohn1]

I have a question...if you put out the fly bin to catch and breed the larvae how do your chickens which are in the same yard not get fly strike due to flies being around?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

BSF don't cause fly strike in chickens or any animal. I've never known healthy chickens to get fly strike from any type of fly. Chickens eat fly larvae and also eat flies if they are quick enough to catch them.

[@TrasonStadler]

So are the flys able to leave the enclosure? But just encouraged to breed there because the food?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Yes they can come and go as they please and giving them food and shelter encourages them to breed there.

[@carolewarner101]

Mmmm, yummy... Never seen a white bin like that one here in the US. Wonder if you could post a link for it? In any event, well done mate!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for your good comment. The 120L (126.8qt) Ezy Bunker heavy duty storage tub available from any Bunnings Warehouse in Australia. Here is a link to Ezy Storage ezystorage.com/pages/about

[@brianhughes3826]

Would plastic confute work better than cardboard for egg deposit as it won't rot?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I don't really know but I think the cardboard would be better because it is more natural than the plastic. The cardboard will last quite a long time because it is dry and if in time it does deteriorate it is not a big job to replace it. I suppose you could try some plastic as well as the cardboard and see if the plastic is used for egg laying. If anyone else has already tried this you could let us know what you have found works best.

[@mdshofiqulazom4841]

Doesn't the hole in the box for drainage get the small larvae out through those holes? And if it comes out, what is the solution?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

The small larvae like to stay with their food. Larvae only move away from the food when they are fully developed and ready to pupate. So if you have a container under the opening you have to give the pupae to the chooks but if you let the pupae drop out naturally the chooks can scratch around and find them themselves.

[@nadafro3116]

May i used this system to auto feeding my fish in the pond?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I think it would work ok for fish. If you try it could you please let us know how it goes.

[@jackyabdoul1435]

Thank you. You made a great design. But i have a question: how about the House Flies? They will come to the container as well, how to get risk of them?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

When I first started growing BSFL there were flies for a while but the BSFL soon out competed them and the flies then were not a problem. When you first start the system if you can get some BSFL from someone who has plenty and you get your system going well with BSFL right from the start the flies shouldn't be a problem

[@jackyabdoul1435]

@@MoreliaAustralia Thank you so much.

[@RobDuarte]

I've seen some people put burlap over the food waste. The BSF eggs will hatch and make their way past the burlap but houseflies get mostly stopped by the burlap.

[@sisterlavender1188]

Why can't we see them crawl up the ramps?

[@tooools5384]

Adipoli

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you

[@viny2tube2]

Will these 2 holes be enough for the adults to come back and complete the cycle? Do you keep the lid open some times to improve the chances? In my enclosures I noticed that the BSF are very bad fliers and they don't mate in the dark.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

The holes are big enough to let in a small amount of light. The BSF don't always lay their eggs on the cardboard but sometimes just on the plastic pipe. There are less BSFs now in the winter and also a lot of small tree frogs have made their home in the bin.

[@RRaucina]

@@MoreliaAustralia seems like the end with the tee and elbows cannot transmit light, and the other end, just the straight tube would. Can you say what sort of production you get with a collector receptacle on the outlet?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Yes. There's a lot more light getting in when the tee is not used but I think the flies mate outside the system and lay their eggs inside and don't need too much light inside. I have never used a collector receptacle to measure production. The whole system is in the chook yard without the tee and the BSFL feed themselves to the chooks when they leave the system.

[@karlau1084]

@@MoreliaAustralia Smart tree frogs!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

The little brown tree frogs are nocturnal but if I disturb them in the day, and they jump out of the container, the chooks love to eat them. A big green tree frog is now living in the container as well as many little brown ones. Would you like to see my video of the big noisy frogs around my place? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKKsnoyvgcd0nrs and also the small brown ones. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXzTg5hoidx7nsU

[@rahsportscards]

Are you from the city by chance? Cadillac!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

No, I live in a rural area. A macadamia and avocado growing area of north east NSW. Thanks for the Cadillac comment. You must be in the US.

[@arnelzablan1498]

Is it okay if i use black bin instead of white?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Black is ok. It would get very hot in summer but a cover over it would shelter it in very hot weather. The real estate sign that I use on top insulates very well.

[@alisonfaulkner2520]

I'm eager to build one of these 'farms'. Is there a worry regarding rodents entering the bin?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's great if you build your own system. I haven't had rats or mice in my bin yet. I think the sides might be too slippery and I don't lean anything against the bin. Also I have an owl nest box not far away. Making an owl box could be a project you might like to do one day. If ever you do, I have an owl nest box video on my channel that could be a guide for you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6rEgo2EhptqfLM

[@alisonfaulkner2520]

Thanks so much…appreciated!!

[@GameEmbassy]

the larvaes will sometimes not go to the ramp but climb in the wall and goes straight to the top finding some holes or exit. do you have any suggestions how to avoid that? I tried putting a plastic cover on top, place glue sticks on it to hold the plastic covers and make some hole in center giving enough space for the entrance of bsf to enter where the paper board was waiting for female bsf to lay their eggs, but then all the larvaes still climb the walls and the glue was gone waste because of moistures inside resulting to them not going to the ramp where my traps are waiting haha. I have a feeling they know i have a trap bin for them haha.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

They are sneaky little things if they escape and avoid your trap containers. Your idea sounds good but if your glue came unstuck with moisture you could try using waterproof sealant to secure your plastic cover. Escaping larvae is not a problem for me because I have my system in the chookyard and I let the larvae escape and get eaten immediately by the chooks. i.e., I don't have trap containers on the exit ramps.

[@GameEmbassy]

@@MoreliaAustralia Thanks for the advice good sir. I will try that waterproof sealant. I kind of trying to cultivate them and make them mature enough before i feed it to my chickens. God bless and stay healthy.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thank you and I hope all goes well for you. If you would like to see a recent video of my chooks (chickens) here is the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXnUq4GjnN-Bmrs

[@thyme4jb935]

Since building this bin, have you found it to be a good design? Would you change anything?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

There was a problem because the holes in the bottom were too small and clogged up and liquid started to build up. I feed them old pumpkins which are good for BSFL but end up very moist and sloppy. I drilled larger dia. holes in the bottom, and a lot more of them, and that solved the problem. Another thing to watch out for is water getting in when it rains a lot. Water can track back under the extra cover so the drainage holes are important.

[@thyme4jb935]

@@MoreliaAustralia Do the larger holes allow them to get out?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

No. The larvae stay with the food.

[@cararyan6646]

What about a water tap, like in worm bins ? Then you also have access to the liquid fertiliser :)

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Worms like a a lot of water but BSFL don't like a lot of water. They like moist conditions but not too soggy.

[@RobDuarte]

The build went great and I have millions of larvae in there. The problem I have is that they don't seem to be finding the ramps. They are all crawling straight up the walls. Did this happen to you?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

That's great you've got your own system going. My larvae often pupate in corners of the container and it's hard to tell just how many get up the ramps and out into the chook yard. Have your larvae actually pupated yet or are the larvae just crawling around looking for a place to pupate?

[@RobDuarte]

@@MoreliaAustralia none have pupated. I'm hoping they don't because then I guess I have to fish them out if I want to feed them to the chooks?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

You shouldn't have to fish them out. When they pupate they stop feeding and then naturally find their way out. At that final stage they want to get away from the moist scraps and they seek the light to pupate outside so most of them should use the ramps to get out.

[@RobDuarte]

@@MoreliaAustralia unfortunately I looked today and they are actually pupating on the underside of the lid. I think the lid is letting so much light through (it's yellow, while the rest of the tub is black) that they just head straight up. There are only a few that make it up the ramps. I am going to modify it today to have one ramp against one wall and one against the other.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I have three ramps, two on one side and one on the other. I hope the changes improve things for you. Thanks for letting us know how you are going.

[@ajmnuisanceanimalcontrolll3895]

The bin is nice but someone needs to ask Santa for some updated tools. I would have just used the grinder to cut everything at least. But it could be done with the electric drill.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Haha. I haven't asked Santa for any new power tools yet.

[@jerryfvair5211]

Look at dual purpose. Chicken n possibly raise trout. This is obviously weather sensitive. So you happen to know what months it will be effective? Central America. Tennessee Kentucky area. Also i have preserved catapa worms thinking one could harvest excess and freeze in salt water brine..

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I have never heard of catalpa worms before.They look great. I don't think there are any in Australia.They look pretty juicy and should be good for chickens and fish. I don't know the lower temperature range for BSF. You'll have to check if anyone is growing them in your area. If it is cold people might be growing them indoors.

[@jerryfvair5211]

@@MoreliaAustralia catfish love them

[@douglascolman4501]

I made a BSF bin but couldn't keep the ants and geckos from raiding it. What do you do to keep them out?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I've never had trouble with ants or geckos, only frogs making themselves at home. I guess if you have ants the system is too dry. A bit more moisture should deter them. Are your geckos the Asian pest gecko? I wonder if anyone else reading this might know what to do about geckos ??

[@douglascolman4501]

@@MoreliaAustralia Thanks for the reply. I'm in the Philippines so I guess they are Asian and they're certainly a pest. the ants are small and carry off the newly hatched larvae. I will try again in a swinging box with greased supports.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I hope that works for you.

[@douglascolman4501]

@@MoreliaAustralia me too.

[@donnastormer9652]

Aug2022 now that it’s been 2 years would you do anything different? Do they all use the ramps or do some get hung up on the lid seams?

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Sometimes some of the larvae would pupate in a corner of the container, not having used the ramps. I don't think this was a problem as the flies that were not eaten by the chickens just meant there was more flies for breeding. After some time the container was taken over by frogs. They were the little brown tree frogs and also the big green tree frogs that we have here. So now I am trialing a new system that is simply an enclosure of heavy duty galvanised steel mesh. It is about 1m X 0.6 m and 0.5m high. It has a cover over it to keep the rain and the chickens out. When there is a lot of larvae in there I sometimes let a few chickens jump in for a while for a treat but mostly they just get the larvae as they naturally move out through the mesh to pupate.

[@donnastormer9652]

@@MoreliaAustralia thank you for the reply. I’d like to see your new set up. I want as little contact as possible with them so will build mine for free feeding in the chicken run

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I should make a video of my new set up one day. I agree with you that a simple set up for free feeding in the chicken run is ok. It definitely is easier to manage so should be more sustainable for the long term. My new enclosure has filled up once so I stacked some logs around the enclosure of old compost and shifted the mesh to a new spot and started again so I could keep on doing this I suppose.

[@RobDuarte]

@@MoreliaAustralia Is this not something that you could solve by putting hardware cloth on the top fly openings? I'm going to duplicate what you've done and I was already thinking i'd add some screen there.

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Great idea.

[@hazzard404]

Is that a bed bug i saw in your bin

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Haha. Did you see me scratching ?

[@hazzard404]

@@MoreliaAustralia i do pest control for a living. What were they feeding on?

[@Faisal-zi1mv]

Pls upload results

[@MoreliaAustralia]

A lot of frogs made their home in the container and now I have another very simple system going in a mesh enclosure with a cover over it and it seems to be going ok so far.

[@iris.inspired]

I'd love to see the new mesh enclosure you're currently using

[@MoreliaAustralia]

I'll see if I can get some video of it sometime.

[@joepaullawncare7222]

Must suck not have an electricity

[@davidvickers8425]

I dont understand why people give the vege scraps to the bsf? I give that straight to the chickens. The bsf love meat and carbs, animal waste, and if you add some coffee grinds it boosts their metabolism. With some plant waste. Chickens eggs taste better when you give them a lot of cobs, squash and grain and safe weeds. +bsf

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Thanks for all your helpful info.

[@BPHomestead]

Soooo you used a hand drill to drill the holes and an angle grinder to cut the pvc.... Mate, your technology balance is all out of whack!

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Yes it sure is ! I don't like the angle grinder but the old hand drill is such a pleasure to use. Another old tool that I love, for woodwork projects, is an antique drawknife that my grandfather used to make cartwheel spokes. His sweat is still on the old wooden handles and I am glad now for the helpful lessons my grandparents tried to teach me when I was young. They were real pioneers and did things tough without modern equipment.

[@cecilitaf]

Way too complicated for me 😢

[@MoreliaAustralia]

Yes, it is complicated for some people. I am trialing a new very simple system now. It is just a rectangular steel mesh enclosure full of food scraps. It has a cover over it to keep out the chickens and other birds and rain. It is working really good so far. Some people think the more complicated the system is the better it is but I think the opposite.

[@cecilitaf]

@@MoreliaAustralia plus I have carpal tunnel so ,it is hard to manipulate all the manual tools ....

[@mena2138]

Hello, what a great project you are doing, I am part of a large agroforestry project in Andalusia with more than 25 projects around the Sierra de Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema. We would like to help you in your project by helping you create a Successional Food Forest by choosing the species, its location, the time to chop and the best way to do it, creating ditches following contour lines... to create a dynamic food forest and up to 250 % to 400% more profitable per hectare than an average crop, if you are interested, respond to this comment with a way to communicate and show you our work!! We want to participate in your path, without interest in money. Thank you anyway!!!!

[@gandalf2256]

Can't talk lol

[@Raspukek-fu8un]

mmm buraku sordjah fries