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Oak Grove, Mn

I have been experimenting for the last few months with compost teas. So far I have used Earthworm Castings and Alaskan Humus as the biological source for the brew. Over the weekend I picked up a bag of Insect Frass. Has anyone here used it in compost tea. I am thinking that 3 different sources for biological organisms might give the best bio-diversity. I want to employ the shotgun theory to the plants...give em a wide variety or biology..and the survivors will hopefully be the ones the plant needs.

4/11/2018 3:59:06 PM

Ontario

I will be trying it in my compost tea this year I have 10lbs of the stuff it's supposed to help the plant build up resistance to damaging insects

4/11/2018 8:56:21 PM

Grittyville, WA

I’ve never seen anything better than dead bees/ pollen/ bee cacoons.

4/12/2018 10:18:28 PM

Seattle, WA

It can vary microbially and in nutrient value based on the type of insect. The stuff I looked at and we sell in our store had a high microbial charge that was primarily bacterial based.

4/25/2018 1:32:30 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

thanks Tad12 for your website...i studied it over the winter. It is interesting that you found predominant bacterial populations in insect frass. Do you think there is anything to the claim that insect frass contains chitins that stimulate the plant to natural defenses to insects

4/25/2018 7:42:07 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

It makes sense since insects are in the same family as shellfish. But I am pretty sure chitins are more known for defense against fungal pathogens rather than insects.

4/26/2018 6:22:23 AM

Ontario

The frass I have is from black soldier fly larvae label says NPK 3-1-3 micro nutrients,amino acids,beneficial microbes and some plant available chitin

4/26/2018 12:30:23 PM

Brockton, Massachusetts

I’m using Budswell a bat guano tea, my theory being what do bats eat , predominantly insects, so what’s past through there waste. The jury is still out but it doesn’t seem to hurt.

1/20/2020 11:35:32 AM