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black soldier fly bin - best design?

 
pollinator
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Location: Zone 10a, Australia
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I googled for BSF bins and there are a lot of different designs like this one: BSF. Which one to choose? And why? I don't need to reinvent the wheel just a productive bin not too small for about 10 ducks and 10 chickens.
 
pollinator
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BSF bins tend to be sized by waste food inputs, not by output. I can't remember the numbers off hand, but they need a certain surface area per kg of waste, per day. The active feeding area is the top inch of the bin. I have seen some large scale commercial designs that use racks of shallow trays instead of a single bin.

What are you planning on using for a feed?

What is your climate?

Do you have BSF endemic in your area, and a climate suitable for their mating?

 
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Hey all, I am just getting into BSFL and am looking for a composter design as well. The link above for the homemade plywood version looks like the best DIY plan I've seen. Has anyone else tried it with good results?

I am hoping to have a larger scale system capable of supplementing the diet of 100-200 chickens. I have a large supply of food waste (veggies, meat, and dairy) from the grocery store that I feed to my pigs. I could easily feed 1-2 5 gallon buckets a day to the maggots. Brewer's grain and coffee grounds could also be acquired.

The other option is to buy a commercial bin. The best one I've found is the protapod from Tar River Trading Post in NC (https://www.tarrivertradingpost.us/ProtaPod-Auto-Harvesting-Grub-Composter-p/prota-pp.htm). I like the design and wouldn't even mind paying the $300 ticket price but the shipping to Maine is almost half the cost of the bin! Does anyone know another source or have feedback on either of these systems? I would like to try the DIY but I just don't want to spend a couple hundred dollars on materials (between marine grade plywood and paint) and lots of time for a DIY bin that doesn't function properly.

Also, would I have better results buying live larvae or should I be able to attract them with good results in Central Maine? I realize I might only get 2-3 months of production this season but will be ready to roll by next spring.

Thanks!
 
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