What's Decomposing My Spent Grain?

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WitWonder

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Went to dump some spent grain in a place where I'd previously dumped some maybe a month or two ago and dug up these critters eating the previous lot;
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Probably many dozens in there having a great old time. Anyone know what they are ?
 
They look like maggots of some description. I'm going to have a guess and say some type of insect larvae.
 
They hatch out to a shiny black fly that looks like a wasp. Very fast fliers and love anything that is fermenting.....
 
Black Soldier Fly larvae. The flies are harmless and only survive long enough to mate, and the larvae love anything which is composting.
 
They hatch out to a shiny black fly that looks like a wasp. Very fast fliers and love anything that is fermenting.....
That sounds like a good description of the things flying around my green waste been after a brew this week.
 
These aren't the only things you will find in spent grain, I have seen termites get into the stuff as well, so be carefull where and how you dump it.

Cheers
 
Compost bin or dig it in is best option. Leaving it in a pile is asking for issues. It will also start stinking and attracting animals. Haven't personallyhad issues with animals but funky mould bad smells etc. Now it all gets composted or dig in or sone is taken for spent grain dog biscuits.

Uses for spent grain are listed in at least 2 threads under 'spent grain'. Interesting solutions sometimes.
 
My chooks love it, they get ~7kgs every two to three weeks (I brew double batches) between the 9 hens, they really go for it if it's still warm then it's a total free for all, if I leave it till it's cold then they're not as interested.....

So it's never in a pile long enough for those things to get a foot hold!
 
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