Hey man. I love this build and your worm bins. One suggestion I have for you is when you are working with thin material like the plastic maybe look at pop rivets as a more efficient solution. they will grab the material better, typically wear better in thin gauge material and are really cheap. I had some adhesion issues with the screening at the top of you worm bins, and using pop rivets to hold the screen on made it simple and very secure.

@hereholdthiswillya

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the protips

Thank you for the unexpected performance. Must admit I thought ‘damn here is some fast forwarding if I have to sit through this guys kids amateur hour BUT wow, they were great! No fast forwarding here no wonder you’re a proud dad. Thank you also for the info on the soldier fly house build 😝

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Tegan Nottelling Ha! Thanks for the good words. Thanks for watching.

@Xainfinen

4 жыл бұрын

@@GreenShortzDIY That girl have a beautiful voice and style, I would love to hear their full cover of the song is there any chance that your son have that around?

Great sense of humor. It makes the video entertaining as well as educational. Thanks.

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed my cheesiness. :-)

Thanks for sharing! Nice build, easy to follow instructions and timely too ... may have time to put something like this together this weekend. I like the design and that it's mostly made from stuff you had lying around.

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Cool! Hope the video helps with the build. Thanks for watching.

Love the way you handle your plastic waste. As soon as you start what to my simple mind looks like "over-engineering", or at least too complicated for me, my brain begins looking for simpler alternatives. You know, from when you meddle with that plastic lid to make curves etc. The rest I'll more or less copy. Thanks.

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback George. I do tend to over engineer. Simple is almost always better, at in the DIY realm. “Simple” in this particular video is really more like “less complicated.” I am working on a truly simple model. Stay tuned. Thanks for watching.

I love watching your videos. You have many great ideas to apply to my own projects. Thanks!

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Clare. And thanks for the encouragement.

Thank you for this! We built one this weekend with a few modifications based on what we had around the house and some concerns about raccoons. Looking forward to seeing how it works and making adjustments, as needed. Just need it to warm up a bit (central Florida) to get the first group going!

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing, Tracy. In central Florida you might be able to go year round with soldier fly larvae. Here in northern GA they hibernate in mid October. Good luck with your project.

@TheRainHarvester

Жыл бұрын

I have raccoons. How did you prevent them?

@tracydavis1048

Жыл бұрын

@@TheRainHarvester I have raccoons around also, but they haven’t touched my bsf bin. I DID have problems with rats, but I put some 1/2 inch hardware cloth on the top and a latch on the lid and that did the trick. I’m still playing with different ideas and setups to find what works best for me.

@TheRainHarvester

Жыл бұрын

@@tracydavis1048 thanks! I appreciate it! Are your bins black? I wonder if light would get through white color/and of that makes a difference?

Impressive work !

Top job mate, your my go to man for my chickens.

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Barry. I appreciate the feedback.

Somehow I enjoy your videos very much! You are also funny and I learned a lot. A very valuable videos. I subscribed yesterday. Thank you!

Thank for your quick response.

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome, Uma. Glad to be of help.

@ Green Shortz Thank you ... that was very helpful to my immediate decision on the build :)

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

I didn't know soldier fly larva were like lemmings. Its interesting that they are so easy to capture. I hope the chickens have a few good meals!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah. They march right off the edge. I'll make sure to get a video of that soon. Thanks for watching.

Cool video and bin design , greenshorts

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Andrew. :-)

I wonder if they will use something like worm composting to recycle stuff on a very long space flight (like months/years on a spaceship) so they could still have food. And/or this soldier fly larvae composting tool. Cool tool

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

I think you're right. Long space flights would work better if an ecosystem travels with the ship and crew. They'd have to have some waste to soil to food mechanism in place. I can see the title of the documentary now..."Worms in the Outer Rim" or "Maggots Take Flight" or "Compost in Space." :-)

@specUVdust

2 жыл бұрын

Mealworms can eat plastic, too

Impressive work I learned a lot

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Bevakasha. :-) Ani metaber catsat Evrit. Lived in Israel for my last two years of high school. Almost 30 years ago. Amazing place! Thanks for watching.

Brilliant!

I love great up-cycling 🥳

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching.

Awesome band.

Interesting... Thank you for sharing

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. BSFL have been a very reliable composter for me, but only during warm weather. Thank you for watching.

Oh yes, this is simpler.. I will like to build mine too with adjustments for upcyclable materials. thanks

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

Yay! Good luck with your build.

fantastic definitely i will do this build for our quail. what about raccoons do they tear into the tarp? amazing what they can get into and around smart creatures. maybe put chicken wire around the trap.

How do you keep other flies out of the bin if you have to leave openings for the soldier flies?

@PrestigePotato

Жыл бұрын

You dont

Does housefly larvae also separates from compost with the similar technique? Or they pupate in the compost?

Good work...How do you harvest the compost sir

Thx you perfect work

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

Thanks for this. Could you make more indepth videos on how to BSF

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

I do have a “how to operate’ video, if you didn’t see that one. I am also working on one now that observes the bin start up over a month or so. That will be released soon. Just need to finish it. Thanks for watching.

@Parasuniversal

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I'll keep an eye out.

Are two ramps necessary or better? Thinking of making an easier version. Great video!

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

If you can turn them all in one direction, one ramp is fine. They usually figure it out. They just keep moving until they get out. Thank you for watching.

Very nice. Please do a follow up video of how it worked out. A question: do you worry about varmints having easy access through the side into the compost area? Is that a problem?

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Will do. I'll keep an eye out for evidence of varmints. If they are a problem I'put in some mesh to let the soldier flies in, but keep them out. Thanks for watching.

@TheRainHarvester

Жыл бұрын

@@GreenShortzDIY how did this workout? Any changes you'd make? Thanks!

35:40 😂😂😂 Thanks for the clarification! I thought I was helping 🤷‍♀️

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

Every comment is helpful. :-) Thank you for the input.

Nice !!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching.

Would a length of pondliner be better than the tarp?

Tenth video in a row.

what about the liquid build up in the bottom? did you pierce a hole in the tarp, for drip?

Awesome ! Luved the joke about the larva clean freaks ...LOL Question : because I'm not seeing any specific info from you and others for a BSFL harvester + composter . Do you empty the compost bed periodically (need to ?) or would you only do that if you want to harvest some compost ? Cuz we really have no shortage of compost material around here on our 80 acre plot in rural Missip. Sorry I am sorta new at the whole composting thing in general. And my main reason to do this would be for chicken and fish food. Which my plan is to build one next to the chicken coop , so they can self harvest into the coop.

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

I don't need to empty my bin during a season, but I've got multiple composters going, so I may not be the best indicator. If your bin gets full, you can harvest some of the remaining bio mass and put it in your garden bed or let the chickens scratch through it. Or better yet, dump in the garden AND let the chickens scratch through it (if you let them range in the garden). One consideration regarding having your bin ramp right into your coop...most of the larvae will exit at night, while your birds are roosted. They'd have a chance to get out of the coop before they can become morsels. I recommend capturing and then doing a morning feeding.

The song name is Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still.

Hi, how do you start it each year? Do you just wait for natural flies to lay eggs or do you jump start it with purchased larvae?

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

I make sure a let a few of the larvae go in my mulch pile or natural areas in my yard. They hibernate through the winter as pupae. This boosts the local population come Spring. Leaving some of the bio-mass in your composter from the previous summer, will help the newly hatched adults to find their way back to the composting bin in the Spring. I usually try to "seed" my bin with a piece of chicken that has gone bad. The house flies find it first, but then soldier flies comes and take over. Thanks for watching.

great job bro. tq for the idea, i had subscribe your youtube

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. And thanks for watching.

I'm curious to know how long the tarp held up?

Does the tarp rip/deteriorate in the sun?

Do you like the tarp better

So how would you collect the castings (poop) from the larvae? It is just as good as earthworm castings for fertilizer.

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Once a season I use a shovel to dig out most of the dross. I move it into my garden beds. The larvae that come along for the ride, get to hide out in the garden to hatch as adults or over winter as pupae. There are nutrients in the dross, but it isn’t as high quality as worm castings. Thank you for watching.

what happen if i add some soil to speed up composting?will that effect the larvaes>

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

You can soil without affecting the larvae. The soil will get infused with the biological organisms in the composter and it will be great starter soil for a garden bed. Thanks for watching.

did the tarp hold up well? I can imagine it decomposing

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

The tarp has held up very well. No holes yet, except for the few nail holes I made for drainage. Thanks for the question. Thanks for watching.

@Psychoclaw

3 жыл бұрын

I wonder if a pond liner would work in place of a tarp?

Cool Ty🤘❤️

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. 👊🏻👍🏻😎

Nice and simple project, I'm a Brazilian farmer ready to feed 4000 chickens in an organic project to produce eggs. Of course I'll use BSFL... do you know a place that inform a nutrient/gram table ? How many Composting Bin ( like this in the video ) should I construct to feed 1000 chickens ?

@greenshortz_unlisted6022

5 жыл бұрын

Olá Marcos. That is a lot of chicken, but one of the bonuses of BSFL is that they scale in numbers very quickly. I suggest starting with 5 bins and expanding from there until you have enough. The main thing will be making sure you have enough feed-stock to feed each bin. One well-fed bin will produce just as many larvae as five marginally-fed bins. If you have a supply of chicken carcasses that should keep multiple bins going. I am working on a bucket version of a BSFL composter right now. Much simpler to build. I'll have that ready in a couple weeks. Obrigado por assistir.

How. Does your leachate get out?

@jeepien

Жыл бұрын

He ended up poking a few holes.

I’m watching this video August 2022 I’m wondering how long did this bin hold up for and did anything break through the tarp? I’m 67 and building this by myself so I need it to last as long as possible. Now that it’s been four years would you have done anything differently? Thank you for your information. I really like the neat and tidy look of this bin plus the fact that it’s taller so I don’t have to bend over.

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Hi Donna. It still works well. However, I’ve been thinking about an even simpler design. Super simple. Give me a few weeks to build it and make a video. :-)

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Hi Donna. It still works well. However, I’ve been thinking about an even simpler design. Super simple. Give me a few weeks to build it and make a video. :-)

@donnastormer9652

Жыл бұрын

@@GreenShortzDIY I will wait for your new design thank you!

@donnastormer9652

Жыл бұрын

@@GreenShortzDIY I am looking for something that I can set up inside my chicken run so I don’t have to actually collect and transfer the larvae I want them just to drop out of the box and the chicken self-feed

@ GreenShortz That is a good point about night and morning feeding . Which so you know ,,, this is a reply to your reply in my other thread. Cuz KZread saw fit to turn off my reply feature a few months ago. Err more precisely they shadow banned me from replying ... cuz I can see my reply ... but nobody else can ... and I cannot even reply to my own comments of initial thread post. Anyways ... didn't mean to make it a rant about that , just explaining. But so I am clear to your meaning ... is good to dump the compost bed periodically ? ... which of course sounds good to dump in a garden. And yes the chickens go free range in day time ... that is , when the chicken killer dog is tied up ... we switch off days who gets to roam free ; )

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

In my experience, it’s not essential to remove material unless you need space. If I remove some, I don’t take it all. The ambient odor is what keeps the adults coming back, even year-to-year. It’s not a strong odor, unless it’s baking in the sun. But then it is only right around then bin.

seems open to rats/mice. Hardware cloth on the ends would keep out the vermin and let the adult BSF in.

I noticed your bin isnt enclosed in net. Isnt that opening possibility of losing all of those BSFL once they pupate

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

I was thinking about a screen enclosure, but they really seem to stick around. The adults don't even have mouthparts. They are only designed to reproduce and move, if necessary. As long as I keep food in the bins, they lay eggs there. Thanks for watching.

How do you keep out houseflies?

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

The house flies arrive first. But once the soldier fly larvae get established, the kick out the house flies. Not 100% sure how it happens, but I think the BSFL eat the house fly eggs, but not vice versa. Thank you for watching.

👍👊

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

How's it going Fred? Thanks for the thumbs up and the fist bump. And thanks for watching.

The aluminum is oxidized because of the treated wood

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

That makes sense. Thank you for the feedback. Thank you for watching.

You would love a nail gun, 18 Gauge

Went to the website and all I saw available were plans for a rocket stove.

@GreenShortzDIY

2 жыл бұрын

There are more plans, but I don’t think I’ve made some for this composter. Sorry for the mix up. Thank you for watching.

Hi, how about the juice?

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

A little will drip out the bottom. It can be captured as used to fertilize soil. Thank you for watching.

The BFA soldier fly composite bin,rather let me put it like this of this kind how many do I need to be able to feed a thousand chickens,and entirely feeding on these larvae in order it can make a difference to maximize my profits ?

@GreenShortzDIY

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Uma. There are some videos on KZread of large scale soldier fly operations. Take a look at their methods. You’ll also need to figure out a regular feedstock, perhaps collect food scraps from a local food processor or severs restaurants. You might be able to charge for that service. What I’ve seen is that soldier flies will multiply to match the amount of food available. You should be able to feed lots of chickens. Thank you for watching.

@jeepien

Жыл бұрын

I don't think you should feed entirely on the grubs. Chickens need about a third grains, a third protein (bugs and grubs) and a third greens, for best quality.

OLD PALLETS WORK GREAT &&&& WOODEN DOWELS!!!!!!

Do they live in Texas?

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Dick. Yes they do. I happen to be in Austin at the moment. :-) Here is a Texas A&M document on Common Texas Insects that might be interesting. texasinsects.tamu.edu/soldier-fly/

Drain hole?

@CarlosCastillo-zf5fb

6 жыл бұрын

Right under your belly

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

I'll add a few nail pokes through the tarp when I add the compostables. It was getting dark at the end of this video. I knew I could leave the drain holes to the next video. Thanks for watching.

Does bsfl composting smell bad?

@GreenShortzDIY

4 жыл бұрын

It can. But if your bin is relatively closed off (small openings only), the smell will be contained. I keep mine in the back corner of my yard. I can only pick up the odor within 5-10 feet. And even then, it isn’t really bad until I open the lid. Thanks for watching.

@jeepien

Жыл бұрын

If you keep the compost aerated by fluffing it up weekly, and allowing fluids to drain it should be okay.

Being a tarp, another option is to staple it

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

True. I can't find my staple gun. :-) And I didn't want to bring the nail guns into this build. Too may tools already. Thanks for watching.

Nice! New subs... Could you sellme a some eggs of thad larva?

you got a like just on the politics signs.. haha!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

:-) American politics needs composting...bunch of worms and maggots. To say larvae would be too nice. Thanks for watching.

@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork

6 жыл бұрын

Complete scorched earth... THEN some composting if you ask me.. lol cheers! Larvae would be way too nice!

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

My focus these days is on how I can positively influence my community. I believe change happens locally. Washington is a steaming mess that is too far down the road...or too deep in the porta-potty. I just don't turn on the radio and life is good, :-). Have a great weekend.

@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers! I have the same approach... focus on the good you want to see in the world. I also don't turn the radio or TV on. :)

Any eta on simpler version for lazier people?😂

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

Ha. I get it. I plan on making one this Spring. Thank you for asking. I’ll try to remember to ping you when it will post. Thank you for watching. 👍🏻🙌🏼😎

Old lid? No, larva guide ramp, duh.... Way to reuse the materials... "Neat freaks can exit the other side" lol

@GreenShortzDIY

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kudos, Philip. Can you appreciate my weird sense of humor. :-)

@philipsamaniego1825

6 жыл бұрын

Better than most YT personalities... There's a lot of digital compost to sort through. The thing I like the least is when I need to learn something and I get a YT person(ality) yelling at the camera. I'm not ranting, I'm relieved. I dig the school of rock. Kids need to learn music!. Green fun lol.. Thanks for sharing good info in a proper manner. You can always tell the kids from the adults by the video, branded videos I speaking of. Not the amateurs with no training or practice of course. I'm still LOL that larva crawling through biomass judges the glue-job, and turns around.

don´t kill antz please. :)

@GreenShortzDIY

5 жыл бұрын

I did act without thinking there. Normally, I respect the little creatures too. Ants are amazing. But, thanks for the rebuke. It is well taken.

Aren't you worried this will attract rats?

@GreenShortzDIY

Жыл бұрын

I haven’t had a rat problem. But, the local possum raids the bin every now and then. I’m fine with him getting some extra organic protein. :-) Thank you for watching.

@shellythie6227

Жыл бұрын

@@GreenShortzDIY I'm off grid in the Mojave desert. Rats but no opossums. Triple digit summers and no running water so can't grow anything for the chickens so I want to make this to supplement the feed but only for MY 2 legged critters lol