Return to the Soil Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
Posted by
c2g 6 (
My Page) on
Wed, Sep 8, 10 at 22:51
| I've been composting all my compostable kitchen scraps for the past 4 months in a 30 gal rubber garbage can with drill holes poked in it. I've been filling up my mini (gallon?) compost holder in the kitchen, dumping it in the composter, and layering it each time with dried leaves or dried yard/garden cuttings. I've just about filled it to the top - no mixing - and I noticed some large maggot-type worms all over the top kitchen scraps layer. (see pics below).
The first time I saw them, I checked the mini kitchen composter I was about to dump and there were little white versisons, which I'm guessing are also maggots, on the vegetables. I dumped them in and gave the mini composter a good washing. Usually fruit flies, that's it. Is my compost OK with these creatures in it?
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
- Posted by c2g 6 (My Page) on
Wed, Sep 8, 10 at 22:54
| Forgot to mention they're about a 1/2" long. (and I think that was a cantaloupe rind.) |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| Black Soldier Fly larvae I'd say, happily breaking down the compost. tj |
'It's a good thing!'
| | |
| In the thread "What is this in my compost bin?" (see link below), we've been talking about these same larvae. There are Black Soldier Fly larvae, which I've learned are even more effective for vermicompost than red wigglers. |
Here is a link that might be useful: What is this in my compost bin?
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
A fly maggot for sure, whether it is the larva of the Black Slodier Fly or the common house fly or the stable fly or one of the others is difficult to tell since they all look very similar. Maggots need a fairly moist environment and a good source of protein to exist so their presence can indicate your compost is too wet and has some Nitrogen that needs to be covered.
While some CAFOs have used the Black Soldier Fly larva to digest their manure piles since the adult BSF does nothing except look for another BSF to mate with in its short 30 day life there is no real good reaon to have them in your compost, especially since most of us cannot tell the difference between the various fly species until the maggots are much older. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| The biggest difference between the larvae of Black Soldier Flies and those of house and stable flies is the smell. BSF larvae secrete digestive enzymes that help them digest their food. These digestive enzymes help prevent the growth of anaerobic bacteria that other fly maggots depend upon to help pre-digest their food. These anaerobic bacteria are what produce the "stink" associated with them. If you've got BSF larvae, it probably doesn't stink, and if it stinks then you've got disease carrying flies. Even when my compost pile has perfect amounts of water and air, and it's hot inside the pile, I often find BSF larvae eating cantaloupe rinds on the surface of the pile. I'm a vegetarian and eat lots of fruit. Cantaloupe is one of my favorites, so I have lots of cantaloupe rings and seed 'muck" that I throw on my pile. I find that the cantaloupe seeds are one of the few seeds that will often sprout after high compost temps. For this reason, I like to leave them on the surface of the pile to go ahead and sprout. Once most of the seeds have sprouted, I turn the cantaloupe seedlings under the compost. Because the cantaloupe rinds are very wet, I also leave them on the surface in the sun to dry out so that my pile doesn't get too wet. These cantaloupe rinds are the main thing I ever see the BSF larva eating from my compost. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
I have a compost bin filled with these flies. I love what they are doing in my compost bin but am worried about spreading the compost on my garden, will they eat my plants when I plant them this spring? I don't think they will all die over the winter because it is generally above freezing.
Thanks! |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| Those maggots digest decaying vegetative waste and if they are the larva of the Black Soldier Fly the adult flies do not eat anything for their roughly 30 day life, all they do is mate and lay eggs to produce more maggots. Since most everything I have seen about these maggots in compost says they indicate poor management and really do little worthwhile they do not belong in your compost. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| Chickens love BSF maggots, for what that's worth. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| BSF larvae eat raw food waste and then they poo. IMO, BSF larvae poo makes good compost. My pile is typically very dry and I still have them munching away on food scraps fairly regularly. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| I have read that other flies stay away from where the BSF's are. If so, they could be useful in that respect. I have seen special BSF composting bins for sale. Never tried it but sounds interesting. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
- Posted by jolj 7b/8a-S.C.,USA (My Page) on
Thu, Dec 23, 10 at 1:15
BSF is poor management??
I have spread manure on fields for 40 years in sheet composting.
I have had a compost pile for 32 years. We have always believed that all worms helped the process, not just the redworms that have become hip in the urban renewal of the last few years. Farmers have used animal & plant waste for
thousands of year, we get a microscope for a hundred years or so & we know everything.
To each his/her on, but I say more the merrier.
If it does not bite me or my vegetables, let it live.
Happy Holidays everyone. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| If you are looking for a consensus, I agree with black soldier fly ... and ... YAY! It's a good thing. |
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| YES@ these look to be BSF larvae, in addition to being voracious eaters of decaying plant material, they are also about 50% protien, as the adult of the species does not have a mouth and cannot eat, they need to be able to sustain the fly for its 5 to 8 day life so that it can breed. these guys do not harbor bacteria, and are DEFINATLY a GREAT addition to your compost! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mad River Seeds
RE: should this 'worm' be in my compost?
| | |
| "voracious eaters of decaying plant material" They are eating your compost up, it is something to consider, how much compost to you want to end up with at the end of the process? Maggots are bad, they eat way more the worms, if worms do eat compost, it's not very much if they do. If you don't care about how much compost you get then, no problem, expect they are gross when you have to deal with them. |
Post a Follow-Up
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in.
If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
