I love how you used some well-used tools, scrap lumber, and ingenuity to build a darn good-looking piece of furniture for larvae.

I know this video is several years old, but thanks for making it and including the drill info. I have been using power tools my whole life and never knew that

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

@smokymountainangoras

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great explanation between the drill and screw settings !!!

Great design and build! I would put straw at the bottom of the composter to prevent blockage of the weep holes.

The best DIY BSF compost bin I have ever seen. Thank you for sharing.

Guys like you embellish the DIY creative space. Great work!

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Artemis. I appreciate the encouragement. Thank you for watching.

Great video. Ever since the BSFL began to over run my vermicompost bin, I've started researching them, and am thinking about setting up one of these for them. I think they will be great at composting stuff I don't toss in the worm bin. Thanks for the video.

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Aaron. That’s exactly how I discovered Soldier Fly Larvae as well. :-) they are now my favorite composter. Thanks for watching.

I’m super excited about BSFL for my chickens! I am absolutely going to continue watching your videos to see the updated vid’s on this awesome DYI COMPOSTER! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Great build! Really, it's the first one I've seen that is easy, works well, right sized, and looks good. I've got a ton of old corrugated plastic signs that I'll put to use on this instead of the plastic trash cans. Thanks for taking the time to share.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I'd love to see how you incorporate the plastic signs. A create material to utilize, especially after election time. Thanks for watching.

I like the way you presented this project, sincerely and most likely without any retakes. You are clear about what you are going to do and you say it out exactly as it should be. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and skills.

@GreenShortzDIY

8 ай бұрын

I appreciate that. Thank you for watching.

Wow awesome video. A must build. Being an old sheet metal guy. Folders work great for bending the sheet metal.

This by far one of the best instructional builds I have seen on KZread! I am currently researching aquaponics, BSFL seem to be a great food source for the fish. I also in GA so I know this build will work for me. Look forward to watching more of your videos. Keep up the good work! Mucho Thanks!!!

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+creemoweet thanks fellow Georgian! Yes! BSFL are perfect for an aquaponics food source. I'm going to try a simpler version of this build sometime this spring. My first version is always more complicated than needed. :-)

@recca5957

6 жыл бұрын

creemoweet 🙄🙄😸

@KKIcons

6 жыл бұрын

Where we used to live in Al, not so far from Ga, there were more soldier flies in the compost than anything else.....

Am new to bsf n your video has been very helpful to build my first bin.My profound appreciation n thanks

Something helpful I find when bending stuff like that chute... is using a ruler. I can get a really sharp and clean fold-line. Love this project, thanks for making this video.

That's quite an update on your larvae system. That's a neat design and I like how much detail went into it. Seems like it will fit your needs perfectly. Even though I'll probably not build it myself (we already have some composting methods in place), it surely was a great video to watch. In fact, if I hadn't read the comments I wouldn't be able to tell that this was more than 15min long. I always have fun watching your projects! Keep up the good work :)

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+Sheyla Montoni thank you. Soldier fly larvae composting isn't for everyone. :-) I appreciate that you said you had "methods" in place. I do think we need to approach composting in multiple ways. I'm glad the video didn't seem long. I try to speed things up when the details aren't necessary, but to be specific when they are. This one was definitely full of details. By the way, it's working really well. The harvesting method is catching a lot of pre-pupae. Makes me realize how many I was missing. Thank you for the comment and the kudos.

The best youtuber attitude so far iv heard this year 💚🙌😂😂

I have been on a binge of you videos this afternoon, all of the stoves and all of the compost ones! You are a very talented man! Thank you very much for sharing you time and know how with the rest of us!!! None were to long just good teaching!!!

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Doris! Thank you for expressing your appreciation. I am having a blast making these videos. I try to keep them as simple as possible, but with all the details needed. Plus a little of the reasons why I think people ought to make them. I've got a few more rocket stove videos in the works. Stay tuned...another binge may be in your future. I hope. :-)

Just a tip on bending the flashing. Use a small 2x2 or squared off piece of scrap. Align the wood with the line, start the bend by hand, then use a hammer to get it perfectly bent. Thanks for the tutorial! I have been wanting to collect BSFL for quite some time as they are quite abundant here.

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the tip. Thank you for watching. Happy composting.

I like your idea, it is a fantastic starting point. There are some features I would like to see though... Each side if it had a self actuated door where when the chicken steps on the foot pedal it would open the top. This would allow them to get the larva whenever they desired while keeping the larva otherwise contained. This would save the need to transfer the larva to them and the bin entire setup could also be kept in the same area they are. This would create a problem with your runoff collection though as you would not want that accessible to them. You would need to suspend the runoff collection with a hanging bucket, or use a catch and a pipe to get it out of the area accessible to them. With these changes it becomes a self sustainable system.

OMG! Had to “pause” to get ready to grab my first batch of spent brewer grains for my BSFL. Dude, caught a bit of ypu somewhere before; THIS is friggin’ awesome. Right down to the “bromance” with someone wise enough to give - & take - constructive feedback. Then I kep looking for ypur link to subscribe, gotta go get the grains & a taste of West Sacramento. I’ll be back!! Truly, this is great, & I’ve searched over 8 years & with my own bi-pod. This is JUST what I need as I “retire” & set up my “urban farm.” Super-duper clear! Thanks!!!

Excellent video! I would normally do it with wood as well, but since I had a 4’ Tupperware bin hanging around, I decided to use that. I knew from watching another video that I wanted to do a ramp and not pipes, like I’ve seen others do, because the BSFL doesn’t always use them, but couldn’t figure out how to seal the ramp to the wall. The bin walls are not completely flat, so the ramp doesn’t seal completely to it. I’ll use flashing, which I have a ton of lying around. One day I’ll build a custom, bigger one, but as you said, what I’m doing now is a good prototype.

What a brilliant design! Thank you for sharing this. One question - Do you have any issues with house flies laying in your compost as well?

@peergymp

5 жыл бұрын

MAD Science Hacks, from memory, soldier flies are a more aggressive species and won’t let house flies lay eggs.

@swen6797

2 жыл бұрын

Yep, heard from others that BSFL eventually outcompetes anything that gets started with them.

Marvelous! i like the Passion with which you have done this work. Good Job, Thank you for sharing the idea.

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the encouragement, Amith. Thanks for watching.

Great illustrations, am impressed & motivated. I must build one 👍🏽👍🏽

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the compliments and for watching. Good luck with your build.

I'll never build this as 1lb of larva would last me 3 to 4 weeks of fishing so looking for smaller scale larva production but the build is impressive as hell. Great video!!

Very detailed instructions - thanks for the layman's approach to getting it done.

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

Your ingenuity & determination are admirable! Well done!

Amazing build and well thought out! I stumbled onto your BSFL videos while looking for a source for queen bees here in Thailand. My wife's family has half a dozen pigs with which I was going to try to use their waste in a small worm farm, with the worms to be used as chicken feed for the indigenous wild chickens Thai people raise. However, after seeing two of your videos, I think I've seen the light, so to speak, especially if BSFL are that high in protein. It is also a huge plus that they can eat meat as opposed to worms. Seeing as how the coldest temperatures here may get into the upper 50's in the cool season, this looks like it could be a 12 month source of chicken and fish food... and maybe even a protein supplement for the pigs.

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I think you'll find the BSFL are an ideal composter for your intentions. The worm would have been consumed by the chickens more quickly than they could reproduce, whereas the black soldier fly larvae reproduce exponentially. In Thailand you should be able to raise them year round. The heat produced by the composting bin should keep the larvae pupating and hatching into adults. The adults might be a little slow to reproduce during your cooler months. I'd be interested to hear how that goes for you. As well as if the pigs will eat the larvae. By the way, my younger brother and his family live in Bangkok. Thanks for watching.

That's a great looking bin!

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+Jake this was a fun build. But I am going to make a simpler version too. My first go round is always more complicated, but it is fun to build intuitively.

excellent design skills, Thanks so much for sharing!!

At around the 35:30 mark it was mentioned that after the eggs been laid in the corugated cardboard, the cardboard would be transferred down to the compost pile. Actually you don't have to do that because once the larvae hatch, they'll migrate to the food source themselves. BUT it is a good idea to make it removable in case you need to change out the cardboard for whatever reason (eg. ruined by condensation). Personally, I don't bother with the cardboard anymore. The female BSF just lays her eggs around the inside lip of the composter cover/lid. Other people stick to the cardboard method because (1) they sell the egg-filled cardboard, or (2) they have separate set up for the adult BSF (a mating cage) and they need to move the eggs to the composting pile.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Munirah, thank you for adding your insights to the conversation. I agree with your suggestions. I like having the cardboard separate for cleanliness, but that seems a little comical given the context. :-) I may have make a mating cage next summer to see if I can propagate some more soldier flies. It sounds like you have been doing this for a while. When did you start?

@munirahbakar4123

7 жыл бұрын

When did I start? Hmm...3-ish years. The first few tries only managed to sustain 1 batch of larvae (from a single egg-clutch) but once they pupate, I didn't have new maggots to keep the bin going. Lots of starts and stops. Thankfully I live in the tropics, so I could start back at any time of the year! Happy to announce that my current bin has been going for almost a year with new egg-clutch found everytime I feed them (2-3x/week). A bit of an advice on setting up a mating cage. Adult BSF mate during flight! So make sure it's big enough for them to do the deed.

this is one of the nicest SF homes I have seen so far

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

They prefer "condo." :-) Thanks for watching. Are you going to give composting with soldier fly larvae a try?

1/14/23 Thank you. God Bless and stay safe.

Yeah I'm definitely going to be doing something like this too. Thanks for the video

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome. I love your channel, by the way. Excellent videos.

Excellent work, bravo!

Great to see another GA based homesteader. Thx for sharing your work!

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

If you use that straight edge to help you make your bend in the flashing, you’ll get a nice clean fold.

This is an awesome design! Great work! I would like to see the sitting right in the chicken yard with the bottoms of the cans cut out so the chickens can eat as the larva self harvest. I would then attach one of those small trash cans to catch, the run off and I would keep a little bit of cardboard, or shredded paper, or leaves to soak that stuff up and put in my garden.

8:08 Much respect for the way this whole portion was handled. I subbed on the previous video (the follow up to this one, I believe), but if I hadn't already then this alone would have got me clicking the green shorts.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the good word Francis. Ben's comment initially struck me as negative and I usually don't engage with commenters who are negative. I didn't initially see what he was talking about and so I replied. It led to a nice resolution and I learned something about my drill. There is so much ranting and nasty comments on KZread. It was nice to be able to turn a potential negative into something positive. I appreciate your comment. Thanks for watching and subscribing.

definetely giving it a try ! great video

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+Cultivos Tropicus cool! One suggestion I've heard it the comments that would simplify the design for this soldier fly larvae composted is to use a rubber tarp or pond liner for the composting basin, instead of the trash can. I'm going to do a build like this in the Spring, but wanted to let you know if case you build it first. Thanks for your comment.

@permacultura_tropicus

7 жыл бұрын

Actually I came up with the idea of using 2 trash cans , join them both by the upper side (wide side) and let the narrow-bottom side facing out, this should allow an angle when they are set horizontally ( ) , cut the bottoms to make the exit ramps, and then cut a big central rectangle on top of both trash cans to open a working space , if the rectangle is 2 inches smaller than the total area of both cans, you will have a "outer" rim around them to prevent the larvae from escaping ....... hahaha I think a diagram will be better... sorry

I want to talk like you, clear, no hesitation, and the job you shown looks good and functional. I want to see the result and the way it actualy works! More power to you and i hope i can communicate with you someday.

this is wonderful

This maggot house really looking good 👍

Thanx, I'm on it! Nice job. I had started some mealworms about 2months ago, but their life cycle is much to long. I still don't have any new pupa yet, just 1100 beetles.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Cool! I haven't tried mealworms. Are they composters? Or is it about created a food source? I saw your other comment about chickens. Is that what you are feeding the mealworms to? Thanks for watching.

Excellent and simple

Impressive use of available materials. I think you're an engineer whether you like it or not.

Thanks

I know it's 7 years old but learning is learning. Clipping a sharp corner of flashing makes 2 sharp corners. Take a couple extra seconds and buff the 2 corners with a file to remove the sharp corners.

Hey bud thank you for the video, gonna build a whole bunch in Joburg south Africa to feed my Aquaponics unit

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Excellent. You might look at how people have done large scale systems. Might be easier to make one really big one. Thank you for watching.

Nice little project.

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

+E Gy thank you! It has been fun watching the soldier fly larvae compost.

Very good job guys. I like IT.

OMG you were reacting so awesome to that guys comment/tip, just awesome 👏 😎 SUBBED

Buen larvario y pratico

brilliant.

I'm a Filipino by way! Your place seems so peaceful and relaxing!

I like your design

If ur struggling to find compost material try out any juice bar i have hit up gym that make their own drink and get their pulp 😃

You're absolutely awesome. Great output, great presentation. Educational as beep!!! Brilliant. Totally going to subscribe and learn! 😌

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend. Thank you for watching.

We need to operate through love move often. Thank you.

👏👏Great design and instruction. New subscriber. I appreciate the welding gloves 😅

Great educational video. Thanks. Regards.

Great! BSFL 💕🌱🌿

I ever knew that about the drill bits either. Thought the bits were bad!

I'm not much of a woodworker. But, I think drilling straight into the end grain - vertically oriented relative to how the tree was oriented when it was growing - provides the weakest hold on the screw - easiest to pull out. I'm thinking put the boards on adjacent sides of the legs? Thanks for the video, by the way, I think I might use this as my example. We have chickens. We have vegetable scraps. We have neighbors with manure. We should be growing our own chicken feed!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Yes! Grow you own chicken food! I think you'll be pleased with the amount of fly larvae you can generate. The chickens will love them too. I just made a simpler version of this bin. Similar construction of the box, but I use a tarp instead of the trashcan. Saved lots of time. Thanks for watching.

@solfeinberg437

6 жыл бұрын

Is there a video, yet, of the tarp construction? I'll search. You're welcome - thanks for posting

Very good and creative video... Thanks a lot... God bless you.....

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Umesh. Thanks for watching and your blessing.

This is an awewome design. You put flashing on the sides as a lip but I had thought that the larva could not climb more than 45 degrees?

Ben doesn't see it all man great video and it works so who cares but you do a lot of wood work in a wired way that takes up time!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Eric. I appreciate the positive feedback. Ben actually apologized the tone of his message. But, I did learn something about my drill. :-) Thanks for watching.

Nice information

Fantastic! One modification I would make is to use deck screws instead of drywall screws. Drywall screws are weaker and can break much easier than deck screws. Deck screws would be better over time also. Another change I would make is the lathe screws. Lathe screws are very smart because of the head size and shape, but stainless steel screws will be much better over time. The lathe screws, if I am not mistaken, are made of a tin or zinc alloy (which is soft) and are meant to be buried underneath concrete and therefore not exposed. I would use a truss head stainless steel screw with a phillips or combo drive. These two modifications are trivial considering what you have here. I have learned a lot from your video. You have great ideas! Thank you!

thx for sharing. u r very neat.

Hey this is great. - you would make a great teacher - oh yes just realised. You already are a great teacher! Thanks for this excellent guide

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the compliment, DJ. I appreciate it.

Can't say it better than anyone else here....SUPERB. I have been thinking about doing this for a long time and your build is not that complicated. I will build about twice your size as you advise. btw, has anyone told you look a bit like and even sound a bit like Alan from 2 & 1/2 Men......lol

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ray! Definitely scale this thing up. I'll go bigger when I build this soldier fly composter again. One comment on the video had a good idea I thought might save you some time. +Theo Lubbe (see below) suggested I use some pond liner or heavy duty sheeting instead of the trash can. The flexibility of the material would allow for the drop in the center, ramping up to each end. It would also save the lacing up the middle step. Also would let you scale this however you needed to fit the liner.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Can't say I've been compared to Jon Cryer. lol. I'll have to watch a few episodes to see. But, he's a cool dude, so I'll take it. :-)

@solemandownunder10

7 жыл бұрын

Yep Tom, I saw that comment & definately good value.....only question I have about that method is collecting the leachate .....maybe punch some holes along the center low point and cover over with shadecloth or weedmat ?

Also, when you are bending your flashing...use a straight edge or scrapper to fold exactly where you want/need

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip Caleb. A good suggestion. Thanks for watching.

awesome

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

The air holes on the sides will allow for the flies to escape so use some mesh

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+Steven Arambula it is actually necessary for the adult soldier flies to get out to mate. They'll return to lay eggs. Thanks for watching.

I guess it would cost so much for my handyman to help me do this that I might as well buy one Great video though I am looking forward to watching many of your creations… Thank you for helping us all

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Hi Kater. I’ve got a extra simple design planned for the Spring. Stayed tuned before you make your purchase. Thank you for watching.

Solid

I've now watched this 3 times. Good video

Excellent video,now how do you ensure procreation of the soldier fly? I didn't quite grasp how you handle the pupae..Also,is the compost any good for growing mushrooms?

Excellent 👍🏾

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 🙌

Id get some vinyl 1/8-14 tube cut in half and put on the exposed edges to help prevent cuts because for sone reason id expect my body to getin contact with the flashing…tubing preventing most cuts.

I love this composter the compost tea comes out of the bottom? Do you have issues with mosquito larvae? I don't have the material to build one or how to. But thanks we learned a lot

Très intéressant

they are also one of the best foods for reptiles

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Erik, I hadn't thought of that. Great idea. I've got a friend with a bearded dragon. I'll have to take him some soldier fly larvae. Thanks for sharing.

@Tara-sf7uu

4 жыл бұрын

I buy these for my amphibians and reptiles, even my tortoise likes to have a few. They are super high in calcium, which is great for reptile keepers bc they dont require calcium powder supplements. I believe they are sold as Calci-worms, Phoenix worms, and BSFL. I keep mine refrigerated to prolong their use

What would you think about putting the chatch basin on the 2 x6 and dill holes for the lava to crawl through?

Beautiful idia brother

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Jianur. I appreciate the encouragement.

Nice! Have you tried blending the leftovers before feeding them to the larvae? Would it make it easier for them?

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

The soldier fly larvae are kinda like little blenders themselves. They don’t mind chunks of stuff. They are made to break it down. Composting worms prefer smaller pieces. Some people composting with worms do blend the food scraps for them. Thanks for the feedback.

39:58 "Adaptive re-use for [an unintended] purpose is how I justify my pack-ratedness." 😊

Good job Ben you da man 👨

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. :-)

Thanks share DIY.. And then for next? How about larva BSF? Can see video?

Just a tip for someone using this design - use wood for the lid. The choroplast is great because it is lightweight however, possums or raccoons will definitely chew on it and get through. This is the issue I have, hope this helps!

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks T.K. Good tip. Thankfully, I haven't had that issue since I created this particular soldier fly composting bin. However, I have had something raid my bin in the past, when my BSFL bin was more make-shift. Thanks for watching.

@83JustSomeGuy

7 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Thank you for the design! Glad yours is staying structurally sound. I'll likely just do wood over it so the plastic will make a great heat insulator. Luckily it's an easy fix!

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

The wood might work just as well on its own. I used the plastic material on the BSFL bin since I happened to have some on hand to reuse. If I hadn't, wood would have been the likely alternative.

Love the video! But, would it benefit more if you attached your worm composter to the bottom of your black fly composter, in order to be able to switch between the two when flies go dormant, or would larvae escape?

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

I think it is better to keep the composting worms and the soldier fly larvae separate. They tend to compete when they are together and the worms usually lose. Thanks for watching.

You could use caulking if there's to much gap.

Nice one Tom, how do you come up with these ideas ?! Haha - keep em coming

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

+bdajedi I just let em flow, bro. And it is the caffeine. Coffee is my creative juice. Thanks for your comments and encouragement.

u r a genius man bro 👍😀👍

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the encouragement. 👊🏻👍🏻

Dubia roaches are extremely easy, and would make a nice offset for chickens or good protein for dogs and fish or any other animal.

@GreenShortzDIY

7 жыл бұрын

My wife has enough difficulty dealing with me composting with soldier fly larvae. She would definitely disown me if I started growing roaches. :-)

Can you feed the chickens solely on bsfl?

Could this be placed in a greenhouse for the winter and keep up some breeding?

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Renee, yes. If the greenhouse stays in the 70-80 degree F range, they should be able to continue to reproduce. The adults don’t have mouthparts, so they won’t chew up anything. They just reproduce. Thanks for the question.

Wow, your video prevented me from buying something I already have way too much of, lol. Grubbly farms sells them as a chicken treat. I thought these were horse-fly larvae for years.

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Feed the birds! I see why you thought they were horse fly larvae though. About the right size. Sounds like you are going to build a system. I’ve got a simpler version coming soon, but the main difference will be using a piece of tarp instead of the cut and stitched trash can. Same frame system. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas for improvements.

I love watching your videos, on your soldier fly larvae composter. Can you make one bigger for more compost?

I'm a contractor. And your driving some of your screws to far in. It's starting it in the wood causing a bubble.. because when the screws head pulls tree plastic into the wood just a little it causes a little hump which then causes a bubble. If you un loosened athe over tightened screw it would flatten out