This thread on the BioPod forums may interest you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread On BioPod foums

I've had mine for a year with both in them. The populations fluctuate depending on what you feed them and how often you feed them. At one time, the BSFL almost outcompeted my worms because I simply put way too much vegetable scraps in there. However, once the scraps have been consumed, they seem to go dormant and then the EF's take over and their population explodes.

I thought my BSFL disappeared until I harvested my bin and saw a bunch at the bottom squirming. It was quite interesting to see a huge swarm of adult flies escape the bin in spring

Thanks for the feedback. I'm doing some research now and these 2 (the EFs and the BSFLs) may very well be the perfect composting team. The BSFLs eat meat and cheese, etc. and the EFs eat the newspaper and cardboard. And whoever gets to it first eats the table scraps. A slight modification to my 4' X 3' X 2' box (installing ramps and a catch bucket for the BSFLs) is all that will required.

I've been researching them too and that's the same conclusion that I've come to, that they are the perfect composting team. BSFL eat practically anything at a voracious pace...and their droppings are practically the perfect worm food (There is always an enormous density of worms in an area where BSFL have been present). Not to mention that BSFL repel house flies and don't carry diseases.

I've been trying to sit down a time to think of the perfect BSFL/Worm bin, one that is self sustaining and self harvesting. What I do right now is just keep a large enough space at the top of my bin so the flies can mate and offer more BSFL, and then I just open the lid and let them fly out.

takadi:
That "Bio-Pod" has a 30 degree ramp built into it so the BSFLs can crawl out. That may be a marketing gimmick if you have had both live in a box. Obviously your box is kept outside or at least away from the house.
I thought about installing 1" Styrofoam sheet to the inside of my 4X3X2 box at a 30 degree angle to accommodate the BSFLs and they could drop into a coffee can when they get to the top of the ramp.
Once in the can, they can be released to breed.
Any ideas?

I watched that biopod video. From what I understand the ramp collection device is harvesting larvae for other purposes than composting Like feeding fish or pet herps.If your interest is only composting, I see no reason to harvest them at all.

I am looking for better information on the life cycle or more important, how to inhibit the process. For anyone who has ever raised the 'giant' mealworms, you might have observed that as long as the lavae are kept in groups, they inhibit themselves and do not pupate. That is because the pupae would be vulnerable to being eaten. To breed those mealworms would wander off by themselves then pupate and then turn into a beetle.

I wonder if there is a similar process at work here with BSF's, where as long as you keep enough of them together in a close proximity they can not pupate. If so, they might be alot more useful for a small inside bin.

I found BSFL in my 4' X 3' X 2' box today (6/21/09). I raise EFs in the garage in this box so I think they (the BSFL) should be OK. One question: Are BSFL photophobic?

Posted by pjames "... I wonder if there is a similar process at work here with BSF's, where as long as you keep enough of them together in a close proximity they can not pupate. If so, they might be alot more useful for a small inside bin."

From what I read BSF larvae will not mature if their food source is limited. There are reports on the web of BSFL overwintering in idle bins and then resuming their development in the spring.

I've also read of mature larvae being refrigerated to store them. Check out the BioPod forums for info and more links.

Here is a link that might be useful: BioPod forums

I read that about restricting feed or keeping them cool and dormant, but that defeats the purpose of using them year round. I was jsut wondering if other factors were also in play like the number larvae restricting the development into pupae. I know it works for certain insect forms like the meal\worms i mentioned. They must be separated and aloowed to pupate then turn to beetles to lay more eggs..

I will be out of town for the next week so i fed my BSF bin heavily today and will see how it looks when i return.

Well, returned to find everything in the BSF bin turned into a black muck. Amazing how fast those buggers can digest stuff.. I have seen no pupae as such but I have noticed some larvae are on the move crawling up the sides etc. So they may be ready to find a place to pupate. I'm trying to keep them all confined.

I have yet to find any BSF although I have tried. I'm interested in this too. I also have come to the conclusion that the EFs & BSFL would be the most efficient composting pair. Would anyone who DOES have eggs/larvae be willing to send me some?

leearnold.. what i would suggest is to put a small pile of used coffee grounds out exposed. Make sure it stays wet and dark.after a couple days check and see if you don't see maggots in it.

I'd bought one of those 'soil saver' black square compost bins at Sam's for like 40 bucks. and filled it with stuff to compost and the larvae appeared. I got one for my father also and he claimed he didn't see alot of composting going on but I recognized a black soldier fly buzzing around. Then he put out some coffee grounds and called me to tell me how fast some maggots appeared to eat that stuff up..
I had a good laugh at his first shot at composting ..

Used coffee grounds? I hadn't thought of those. I tried most everything else. That's hilarious - I'm a big fan of UCGs for the worm bin.

I have BSFLs and EFs in a 3' X 4' X 2' box in my garage. I also have hundreds of other flies of at least five different species. I understand that in nature there are no "controls" as such, but I thought I read that BSFLs kept other flies away? Obviously an "outside" box (and I consider my garage to be "outside") is nature run amuck and the BSFLs do not have the ability to stop or discourage other flies from visiting this box. Any suggestions?

pjames:

"Black muck" + larvae on sides = too wet. Won't bother the young larvae much (they can even swim a bit!), but while proper harvesting may not be necessary, providing mature BSFL an escape route out of that situation IS. Unlike composting worms, dead BSFL stink--and in a wettish bin, they can't go dormant, so they die.

I have no idea how many dead ones it takes to discourage adult BSF from laying a new generation, but...

DSF

http://bokahsislope.blogspot.com
...and there was rejoicing in the worm tower, for the wriggle had survived the heat!

Yeah. It was obviously too wet (probably the potato that I'd put in there). I added alot of paper and more food and that seemed to help.It wicked the moisture up. Haven;t checked them for a couple days but last time I did, I noticed there were still some crawling on the sides. I think these are the mature larvae looking for some place to pupate. They are darker in color than the others. I am trying to prevent them from pupating and going to the adult flying stage as they are in my garage. I want to see just how long I can keep this single batch of larvae going without adults laying a new generation.

EFs & BSFLs in 1 Box Works. The other flies (and I have no idea what they were) are mostly gone now. BSFL population is on the rise after feeding them for 3 days straight. I have noticed that some very dark (almost black) BSFL have hardened up and are just laying under the surface of the compost (I have found 4 so far). These are hatching out flies I guess, and I am now leaving the breathable fabric cover off the box for them. If that little bird comes back, I hope (s)he doesn't make a pig of itself.

Your black larvae hardened up? Mine are soft and actively trying to escape. I have a fair sized population in a kitty litter box so I can seal the lid (small drilled holes for ventilation). I have tried leaving the box open but with the light on, and it seems the black larvae are also photophobic and retreat downward to hide in the bedding.

I am trying to see how long I can keep the larvae from pupating. I have the theory that if they stay in close enough proximity that pupation may be inhibited to some degree. This colony has been going for almost a month now.

I do not restrict feed and except for the week I was out of town have kept a few inches of raw food on top. I do not grate, chop, shred or blend anything. Toilet paper rolls, paper towels etc all go in intact.

My larvae are in my garage so they are not really exposed to the outside, but I have had fruitflies in my worm bin. And have seen a few common houseflies in the garage on occasion. But so far none have appeared where the BSFL are.

I'm going to post back periodically with observations. I no longer have either fish or reptiles so I have no use for the larvae except to consume garbage. At least I can use the worms for bait.

I finally have some pics here:

http://s682.photobucket.com/albums/vv188/steamyb/Worm%20Bin/

I wanted to give you folks a little update on the EF/BSFL Box. I have only made a couple of changes in the management of the box.
First, I created an empty 3" ditch all the way around the EFs and their bedding.
Second, I moved the cardboard into the very center of the box surrounded by the EFs and the bedding. Two reasons for doing this: I want the BSFs to lay their eggs on the cardboard and the cardboard is EF food.
Third, I now feed the BSFLs in the ditch that was created. The idea is that as the BSFLs eat their way around the box, the EFs will follow them and clean up the mess. Also, if this food and the BSFLs should get too hot for the EFs, they have room to get away.
My garage is 20Â X 40Â, so the mature BSFs are mating in the garage. I now have BSFs laying eggs on the insides of the box and on the center cardboards. This is working so far. I hope to be able to monitor liquids in the box by watching the moisture in the ditch. So far evaporation has taken care of any accumulation of liquids. I have no method to harvest the BSFL, since I have no chickens, fish, or lizards.