Waste,Waste,STINKING Waste!!!
Most of us waste our precious time
thinking about a perfect way to dispose wastes,as I did.But right now,I am less
worried about it,as I figured out that there is a unique organism buzzing
around us,who really feast on bio-wastes that worry us.
This gentleman(or gentlefly) is….
Well,it is a black little fly,named Black Soldier
Fly {Hermetia illucens}who can be a savior to
us from our waste management concerns.He may not be a stranger to you ; whose nice
picture is given below.He is similar to a wasp;who is ready to help,not to
sting
A fly and composting!!?
Why not ! As days pass,he will be
your best friend,Of course ; as that foul smell of rotting fishes and meat that
have annoyed you won’t be there anymore.Also he will drive away houseflies and
prevent them from laying eggs on compost bin.
Can a little fly be that
much……?
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Before composting |
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After 7 hours |
Dear friend,it is
not the fly who are going to help you.Like any fly,Black Soldier Fly also
undergoes metamorphosis{i.e fly lay eggs-->worms
/larvae-->
larvae to pupae -->pupae
to fly}to complete its life cycle.Nature’s play,right ! Well,it’s the worm
stage that matters, according to our wastes.
The worms of Black
Soldier Fly are very hungry boys.They may intake kilograms of bio-wastes within
hours and excrete a pulp like substance,which is an excellent source of
nutrients,as per internet related information.Also,I spread it around my curry
leaf tree (Murraya
koenigii (L.) Sprengel) which
brought her leaves back.May be a health tonic for plants.
But do Black Soldier Fly
be another headache ?
Definitely
not,these flies have no mouth parts.Yes,I am serious,as they emerge out as fly
from pupae stage,their mouth parts are modified so that no more feeding in fly
stage.It’s main aim,from then onwards is to find out a mate and thereby
multiply its race.
What about the worms/larvae in the compost bin?
They are good at eating,not at causing
nuisance.When they reach maturity,they may try to move out of the compost bin
and find out a safe,shady place to become pupae.I once put some mature worms
with the compost on the feet of a guava plant,to findout whether it harm the
plant or not.But,surprisingly they moved down from hot sun and find shelter
under the dry leaves.Later they turn out to pupae.Not a single leaf of
guava was harmed.
Pupae of Black Soldier Fly can be used to feed
chicken without another thought.Also if you want to use the service of larvae in
future,you can incubate it to produce a colony of Black soldier flies.But as I love their freedom too,I
let them be what they want.I have also read somewhere that the pupae are
commercially sold for composting purpose.It can then bring some revenue also.
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Pupae of Black Soldier Fly
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Pupae of Black Soldier Fly |
Do we
work hard to draw it’s attention?
Yes,work
hard to drill an opening on your compost bin :)Then only mother fly can lay eggs
which later become larvae.Those flies are extra sensitive to rotten
smells,especially that of fish or meat.So they will find out your bin,as it's their basic instinct :)Have some
patience for a few days;That’s all. Better use plastic bins, paint bins or
something,as the heat trapped inside thrills the worms :) They love high
temperatures which accelerates their feeding tendancy.
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Mother fly on her way to lay eggs(inside the red circle) |
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Don’t
forget!!!!
- Always
put bio-wastes only,as worms have no wonder teeth to eat other things :)
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Pipe compost in my compound;wastes are put inside a pipe and it turns out compost with the help of anerobic bacteria. |
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My prehistoric compost bin :)
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My black soldier fly compost bin |
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Worms eating the wastes |
Instead
of buying bins for making compost,I
tried a nice idea which made me a basket weaver too.About 4 plastic sheets.some
plastic ropes – compost bin ready:) I put some holes on the sides of the plastic
sheet and stitched them together using the plastic wire.
I had several fears until it worked well
–whether worms jump out as spring from bin,could it withstand rain(as rain
showers unexpectedly in my locality),would it attract rodents etc.It stands
well in rain and rodents never made a look on my compost bin.
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Materials used to make compost bin 1.Plastic sheets,2.Plastic ropes |
It’s
not a great one,but all that glitters is not gold :) it meets my needs, that’s all.Better use big and tough bins if
stray dogs are there in your locality or there is more waste per day.
My new compost bin
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compost bin using old metal bin |
A big bin can serve as effective one to start black soldier fly composting. Keep a hole at the bottom so that the liquid extract or excretion of worms in semi-liquid form can be collected by placing a collector down it.Also keep some open space on the bottom so that black soldier fly can lay eggs inside the bin.
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Add caption |
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liquid extract after composting |
My findings around the compost bin
My
compost bin is now a little ecosystem :) Some tiny ants also visits it to dine
along with worms;Some big ants who cleverly captures born out flies around the
compost bin;a chameleon and some grey sparrows who usually challenges the Black
Soldier Flies to lay eggs.I feel a little proud to be the contributor of this ecosystem :)
I have
heard much about composting,especially pipe compost which is gaining much
popularity in Kerala,my state situates in India.But nothing can match with
Black Soldier fly compost as it is
- most
eco- friendly(CO2 is the major by-product during Black Soldier Fly
Composting unlike methane,in anerobic composting which is a notorious gas that causes global warming)
- no
offensive smell(though compost from Black Soldier Fly has some smell,it is
hardly disturbing compared to the pungent smell from closed composting like
pipe compost.
- least time
for composting – it only takes one or two days to obtain the waste if one or
two kilograms of waste is dumped inside the bin;anerobic composting may take 1
to 2 months to convert waste to compost.
- Easy
to install – the only device needed is a bin;also the presence of Black Soldier
Fly in your surroundings.I think,those flies are very common in most places
such as US,India etc.
Hope
you got a practical way to convert your bio-wastes to excellent compost for
your plants.Thanks to Black Soldier Fly :)
*****Have a nice compost day*****