Soldier larvae

Debby · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Gainesville Tx

I have many questions so bear w/ me. In my composting trash bin there are thousands of these insects. So many that you can hear them eating. When I add new stuff or even shredded paper they eat it down to nothing in no time. Should I just keep adding to this pile? I usually stop and start a new one. And when will I know it's finished? When they have it down to a tablespoon???!!!
Also my compost on top of the ground is finished. I started it last fall. Today I was merrily spreading it everywhere. It was full of grubs. I know worms are excellent but grubs??? Don't they ruin your grass???
Last question. Can your entire shrub bed be compost? I made a compost pile in an empty bed that will be planted this fall. The top 6 inches will be compost. Thanks for any help

CaptainCompostAL · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 866 Location: Irondale,Alabama

Normally soldier fly larvae, sow bugs, etc. are really thick and thriving in a newly built, high protein/ammonia, compost pile. After a few weeks of constant aeration and decomposition, they tend to either die or move on, and the bacteria and fungi that over whatever they get through with. All of these organisms are 100% beneficial and helpful to all gardeners.

You can sheet compost or lasagne garden your entire garden bed, or new garden bed, with nothing but compost, or a combination of greens and browns.

Debby · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Gainesville Tx

So after they die or move on is the compost ready? It certainly is starting to look ready but doesn't smell too good yet.

CaptainCompostAL · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 866 Location: Irondale,Alabama

Compost is ready when all your greens and browns have decomposed to a level that it is mostly (not necessarily totally) homogeneous. It must have a pleasant earthy smell. It should also be crumbly and soft. It doesn't have to look black, but it should be dark. (My compost is dark brown)

The color of compost varies from black to brown to gold, etc. based on the age of the compost and the ingredients you used in it. Leaf mold or leaf based composts are normally blacker than say horse manure/sawdust based composts like mine.

Humus is not compost. Humus is the end of all compost, and all living things. I can make compost from a rapid hot process in 2-4 weeks, but it would take me 6-12 months to make humus! Humus is a black, dirt-like product, that is mostly all carbon and beneficial microbes when it's ready.

Many folks wait too long to use compost because they think they have to have it look like humus. My philosophy is to get as much organic matter in the form of compost and mulches on my no-till beds all year round. The soil microbes and earthworms will take it to humus later in the year, while my crops grow fine.

Happy Gardening!

Priswell · Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 5:09 pm Post subject:

So after they die or move on is the compost ready? It certainly is starting to look ready but doesn't smell too good yet.

It means that there's too much food in the pile and not enough bacteria or earthworms to eat it, so the pile becomes acid, and the soldier flies move in.

Add some dirt, sphagnum moss or ground coconut hulls to your pile and turn it over every day for a few days until the smell goes away. Then add your compost ingredients (especially kitchen waste) in more balanced ratios or in lesser amounts.