Any idea what this thing pupating in my compost is?

There are tons of them! I’m deeply curious. I thought about dissecting one, but decided to ask here first, rather than kill something unnecessarily.

Sorry, it’s hard to get a good picture of them with my phone.

Thanks,
Daniel

Looks like black soldier fly larvae. Chickens love to eat them.

wayne fajkus wrote:Looks like black soldier fly larvae. Chickens love to eat them.

Exactly. Harmless. Excellent at breaking stuff down. Good for chickens, fish, pigs . . . The adults don't mess with people . . . You'll rarely see them unless you're looking for them.

Excellent. Happy to have them, then. No chickens allowed on this urban plot unless they are “show” chickens. 🙄

Thanks for the help!
Daniel

I saw those guys in my bin and almost jumped out of my skin, and then I remembered this thread, so thanks for posting it.

But what on earth is a "show" chicken?  Is it the opposite of a "don't tell" chicken?

Haha, sorry, I didn't see your response. That's hilarious. Can't wait to share it with the also frustrated semi-permie neighbors.

The city has a no-livestock ordinance. Animals with hooves are strictly forbidden, but the loophole with chickens is that they're allowed if you bring them to chicken shows, and you keep no more than three. No joke. They have to have papers, or something. On the plus side, there are some very fancy-looking chickens out there in the world that are also good layers. So, we're thinking about it. I'm sure I can get a passport, driver's license, and high-school diploma for my chickens in some dark corner of the internet.