Bins 2 & 3, Update 20.  The heat is still on high in south Florida.  There has been small break during the night hours when the temperature reaches the mid to high 70’s.  It’s not much but I’ll take it.

 

As mentioned in my last notes I would gather several of the pupae I suspect are black solider flies and confine them so that if something does emerge from them hopefully it could be properly identified.  I put a few into a ventilated mason jar then placed it back into the bin.  I’ll leave in there for the next several weeks if nothing happens then I’ll put them in the outdoor compost bin.

The above set of photos are the exact same ones from update 19.  I forgot to refresh the weather page so the video has incorrect information for the ambient temperatures.  The estimated temperature was 87°F with 89% humidity.  It was very wet feeling this morning.  My shirt was drenched with sweat before I was finished.  Surprisingly the bin internal temperatures were exactly the same as last week.

Bin 2 had no odors nor many spiders.  There were worms on the ledge.  I think it was getting warm in there.  Maybe they were trying to cool down.  It looks like all the waste had been consumed.  There was a roach(palmetto bug) in there that was dispatched to another place and time.  Sure hope there aren’t any eggs in there.  Bin 3 had a slight odor from the left over mango.  There were a few spiders in there it looks like the heat is effecting them as well.  They usually fill the bin quickly once they find a way in.

I’ve managed to burn out one blender feeding the worms.  I have a spare in storage but it is buried in our storage unit.  I’d have to remove most of the contents to get it.  That’s not going to happen anytime soon so I purchased a new one that already smells like it won’t last through the next cycle.  I may have to rethink my plan.

I usually put vegetables like carrots that take a long time to decompose in the blender to make it more accessible to the worms.  Items like avocados and fruits get cut up and placed in the bin mostly whole.  Those items typically don’t need assistance, root vegetables usually do.  When I do use scraps put into the blender I place the waste in a thick layer covering half or less of the surface.  This helps the waste maintain moisture preventing it from drying out before it gets consumed.

I’ll check in with the bins in a week, week and half and see how things are progressing.  -13

Project video below.