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Black Soldier Fly Composter - For Dog/Human waste?

 
Posts: 25
Location: Central TX
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I've read elsewhere that black soldier fly larvae will eat dog waste. Does anyone have any experience with this? Also, if they eat dog waste, would they eat human waste as well? Maybe a black soldier fly composting toilet would be a useful thing (basically a big bsf composter with a toilet lid on top).
 
Dan Poole
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Well, I should have looked around a little more apparently. This was posted in another thread about BSF composting and has a brief section on BSF latrines.

http://www.esrla.com/brazil/frame.htm

Still...anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?
 
gardener
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Location: PNW Oregon
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Do a search here at the forums, we've had a couple people around posting about their BSF experiences.

All the best!

 
pollinator
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ive done dog poop, not human. i dont see why they wouldnt. ive seen them eat crazy things. devoured a dead bird to bones in 6-7 hours once.
 
                          
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Location: mile high desert sky island
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I just found out about these guys today, and it looks like that's what is in my humanure pile, eating it faster than I can make it, so it looks like they do the poo.
 
pollinator
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Yippee!!  more BSF interest   Search 'biopod' for a neat manufactured BSF unit - the top feed would accommodate a toilet seat I'm thinking   And the history of the company is interesting.

And then find 'blacksdoldierflyblog' site for do-it-yourself 5 gal bucket version.  I'm planning on making it

I emailed a request to Art Ludwig that he investigate BSF for his upcoming 'Alternate Toilets' book... can't wait.

The URL posted a few entries back worked at one time, and was a terrific powerpoint presentation on BSF... don't know where it went.

I'm soooooo glad you brought them up again!!!  Only challenge I can think of is possibly odor, and keeping them at optimal processing temp in cool weather... but they generate heat, and some insulation might do the trick.  I have to peruse the BSF blog site some more.

Oh, and a professor in the South is/was investigating using them to process hog manure....and a vermicomposter in OR highly recommended them (their friable residue is pre-processed worm food - not to mention the obvious fertilizer, etc uses).

BTW, can anyone confirm that ducks gobble the pupae as avidly as chickens




 
Jordan Lowery
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Only challenge I can think of is possibly odor, and keeping them at optimal processing temp in cool weather... but they generate heat, and some insulation might do the trick.  I have to peruse the BSF blog site some more.



odor isnt a problem with a healthy colony of BSF, but you will have a near impossible time keeping them going over cold winters. even if you can keep the BSF bin alive, it will be too cold outside for the adult flies to mate and lay more eggs. eventually the population diminishes and the decomposing power decreases. then in spring it starts back up again.

imo they are a seasonal benefit, not year around unless you live where it doesn't get below 40 at night. preferably even warmer nights for the best decomposition/reproduction.
 
                          
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Location: mile high desert sky island
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Odor is no problem for me, I keep a good layer of cover material over it and add to the center where all the action is.  I'm a cook and I bring home several gallons a week of mostly organic veggie trimmings which go in the center as well.  Even when I pull the cover material back there's not much smell. 

The other day I was watching these guys work while I was adding to my pile, and I could literally see chunks of veggies just disappearing into the churning heaving mass.

And concerning humanure, I've got a simple bucket with a seat in my one room shack, and as long as I use cover material, there's no smell, except for the smell of the cover material itself.
 
                          
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Location: Alberta Canada
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Nancy Sutton wrote:
The URL posted a few entries back worked at one time, and was a terrific powerpoint presentation on BSF... don't know where it went.

The original link has been taken down but there's a YouTube video of the presentation here.
 
Jordan Lowery
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yea im sad they took down that presentation, it made everyone who watched it understand BSF far better than i could explain it.
 
                      
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Location: Austin,TX
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BSF are great for people poo. They'll eat it up faster than you can replace it, unless you've got a lot of people on site.
Problem is they don't like the cold so year round systems would have to be warm enough for the BSF grub along with an area for them to molt into adults and lay more eggs. But not that hard to figure out.

Did get hot and dry enough here in Texas to stop the BSF from molting (I'm guessing) for a few months.
Either that or they're just getting predated on due to lack of other bugs...it's bad here.
My big 55 gal BSF barrel ended up being taken over by house flys due to this. Just now noticing adult BSF bouncing back around here now that it's cooling off a bit (only high-mid 90's!).

The guy at http://gardenpool.org/?p=704 has a nice diy BSF barrel design...check it out.
ape99
 
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There's a used Biopod on eBay right now at a big discount:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200653420567?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 
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I just made a long post on another thread but soldiers flys are a godsend to an outdoor outhouse they devour everything and keep the pit low and level all spring and summer.use cedar chips ever now and then during summer. The actually get excited like a Pavlov's dog thing every handful you drop in and they eat the chips too making them healthier and there's no more smell than an indoor bathroom. Cedar chips are soldier flys are the best !
 
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