Warning: This post is not recommended for the squeamish.
Someone once brought up a point that has always stuck with me. Imagine the world without decomposing organisms. Not only would the energy stored in waste and carcasses be locked in place, but the planet would be covered with mountains of corpses and discarded scraps. Of course, things would never get to this point, because without the scavengers of the world, everything would come to a biological standstill.
As I’ve been more than willing to admit, my whole horticultural experience is nothing more than a grand experiment. I’ve been winging it since day one, and all my successes have been the result of trial and error. When I first decided to get into composting I was warned of the numerous mistakes and pitfalls that await the flippant composter. In my usual form, I threw caution to the wind and kitchen scraps to the bin.
My composting system consists of a large, plastic storage container with holes punched in the bottom. Despite advice to the contrary, I throw in anything and everything, including meat scraps, dairy and large chunks of things. There was a period of time where my bin emitted an aroma that rivaled that of an open sewer, but I covered it with yard waste and pretended like it wasn’t happening.
One day I noticed some big, ugly maggots on a cantaloupe rind and made a mental note to deal with the fact that I was set for a major fly invasion. Over the next few weeks, I approached the bin with trepidation; tossing in my coffee grounds and vegetable scraps with the expectation of the inevitable fly fest.
Remarkably, the flies never appeared, and the putrid odor diminished. In addition, the scraps (including yard waste) began to decompose at a rapid rate, no matter how much I added to the bin.
Being busy with work, and having lost enthusiasm for being outside in the heat, I ignored the compost bin, other than the daily visit to dump scraps. I haven’t turned it. I haven’t added leaves or soil in ages. I just pile on food waste and garden clippings and leave it alone. In the back of my mind has been the nagging sense that when it comes to composting, I am doing it wrong.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about this barren section of The Oasis and wondering whether or not some earthworms might help make new soil. Since nothing botanical is going on, I entertained the idea of raising some giant African nightcrawlers or some composting red wrigglers. I’ve learned that worms are a bit persnickety. They like their food chopped up. They don’t care for anything acidic, such as coffee grounds or citrus. And, their own waste is toxic to them and must be periodically removed. To top it off, they will desert the farm if they don’t like the digs.Slimy little snobs!
Ever the entrepreneur, I been fantasizing about how to raise earthworms, mealworms and other creepy crawlies for profit. This train of thought brought me around to those husky maggots which have taken over my compost bin. “Maybe they could be marketed as pet food or the like” I mused. Upon closer inspection I decided that they were not your everyday housefly maggots. They look almost like beetle larvae with their thick, dark skin. A few searches on the internet led me to the discovery that not only was I not failing at composting, I am actually winning!
The grotesque creatures writing about in my food waste are truly the stars of the composting world: Black Soldier Fly larvae! “BSF” as they are known in gardening circles are sleek, black flies which resemble wasps. However, these flies have no mouth parts and they neither eat, bite, nor carry disease. All they do in their brief lifetime is mate and lay eggs. Their larvae, on the other hand, have voracious appetites and will consume anything organic at a breakneck pace. This is how my compost bin keeps from filling up. The BSF larvae seem to be in a race to eat whatever I feed them.
Their rapid composting skills should be enough to endear you to these ugly ducklings, but they have a few additional tricks up their grimy little sleeves. BSF larvae emit a chemical that repels houseflies. Finally, the mystery of why my compost bin is free of houseflies has been solved. The BSF larvae do seem to get along with the abundance of woodlice in my bin. The woodlice, or sowbugs are also valuable decomposers, as they break down cellulose. What I find most amazing is that since these critters have taken over, my bin doesn’t smell bad. I throw some disgusting stuff in there, but it is broken down faster than it has a chance to stink!
Why am I so excited? Well, not only do BSF larvae make quick work of rotting food, but with their high protein and fat content, they are also prized as chicken feed, fish food, bait and even as live food for exotic pets. Not to mention that other gardeners buy starter colonies for their own composting setups. So, there is a possible income opportunity for the future.
For now, I am planning to put these little miracles to work repairing the soil in The Oasis. Since I’ve all but abandoned serious gardening, I have nothing to lose.
If you aren’t completely swayed by these marvelous creatures, have a look at how Black Soldier Fly larvae dispense with fish carcasses. If you can get past the yuckiness, it really is a beautiful process.
you are truly a remarkable woman.