Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

BSF supposedly cant digest cellulose. That is why it is good to add BSF leavings to your worm bin. However I think that any natural fiber would rot eventually. I would use something synthetic. If the bottom of the bin is smooth and has a good slope the waste should slide down to bottom end and allow for easy removal or you could shove it down now and then. The BSF would naturally migrate to the front where the new food is. The only problem with such a system is the bin will have to be large. I think your 5 foot bin would work great. Post some pics if you make it.

This system would allow production of very large amounts of BSF due to the surface area available.

CD think your BSF have flown back to the city, still no action what so ever

Hang in there baby, it ain't been a month yet

Mine are just getting scary - put half a large butternut in there on Saturday and the whole things was gone in less than 18 hours, peel and all

What kind of temps are needed for the BSF to start breeding?

Whatever we had in November !

about the same Temp as now then, high 20 - low 30c

Yeah, but you may need more than a month as I already had flys around (obviously) whereas you gotta wait for them to metamorphose and then breed - then it's a month.
Just keep up the supply of milk-soaked bread and then listen to Bon Jovi's "Keep The Faith" a couple of times

A little more detail on my thoughts for an improved BSFL bin/collector...

First, I wanted a large, not too deep bin. The key component for processing a lot of waste is surface area. (Read and experience have confirmed this!!) So, I looked at "bunk" trays or liners for cattle feed. They have really neat large shallow trays. the problem is that for a 5' x 2.5' tray I'd have to fork out $110 or so and it would possibly be too large unless I can get some local farm or restaurant waste to feed it...

At Home Depot today and I found what I think will be "just the ticket" for the right price!!



They had 3' x 2' mortar mixing trays for a scant $11 each... HEAVY duty plastic, too! Ding, ding, ding!! I bought four with the plan of making two pairs of trays that feed a common piece of guttering that has end caps and down spout in the middle to a waiting bucket!



I also picked up two strips of flexible vinyl corner mold for $3 each that will be riveted in to form a lip around the inside I expect these buggers not to be able to negotiate for an untimely exit...

Hopefully I can get on this project on Thursday and I'll post pics of how I do what I see in my head... I expect the whole thing to have less than $40 per bin with an expected output greater than the commercial BSFL 'pod.

CB

Good luck CB - look forward to seeing the photos !



You're going to need a hell of a lot of scraps and other food to put in there to do that - my family of four certainly do not generate enough for the bipod.

I have several sympathetic neighbors that let my boys pick up their food scraps... Also have chickens and a local turkey farm. If I want, I can get turkey poo by the 20 ton truck load, but it STINKS!! My dream would be to teach the local farms how to process their waste with a bsfl house... Long as I can get a little cut of the critters for fish and chicken feed!

CB

Once your AP system is pumping you'll have a lot more veggie scraps to feed them...

Yeah, 20 tons of anything is a hell of a lot, let alone turkey crap


That's pretty handy - mine have chooks so won't give me their scraps. Still, they give us eggs, which is cool as I haven't yet sold Mrs Chilli on the idea of chooks/quails.


Good, I'm kinda counting on it.

Not disputing that, but am questioning it. I throw any paper towel I use in the kitchen into the food scraps that go to the flies and it all seems to disappear along with everything else, though it's usually the last thing to go.

just because they cant digest it doesnt mean they wont eat it and chew it up. Mine ate coffee filters after they ate the coffee.