In
Davao City
, in the southern Philippines, a startup has introduced the use of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) to address kitchen waste. The flies are fed kitchen waste, turning the food waste into compost, while their larvae, rich in protein, is touted as alternative feed for livestock.
Do people eat black soldier fly?
10. They Taste Delicious. Finally, once you’ve got those black soldier fly larvae, you’re going to want to eat them.
Plenty of people simply eat them whole as a snack
.
How do you get black soldier fly?
One method to attract the black soldier flies is to
start a compost bin using a mix of kitchen scraps that are a couple of days old
. This mix of kitchen scraps can include any kind of vegetable scraps, corn on the cob, rotten potatoes, coffee grounds, fruit scraps or other types of putrescent compost.
Are black soldier flies common?
Hermetia illucens, the black soldier fly, is a
common and widespread fly
of the family Stratiomyidae.
Where are black soldier flies found?
They are found mostly in the
tropical/subtropical Western Hemisphere and Australia
, breeding in compost, manure and outdoor toilets. Black soldier flies can be seen in bright, sunlit areas, resting on nearby structures or vegetation and frequenting flowers of the daisy and carrot families.
Is black soldier fly harmful?
However, like most flies, the black soldier flies only have two wings (wasps have four) and does not possess a stinger. Although the loud buzzing they create when flying is enough to concern many people,
adult soldier flies pose no danger.
How do I know if I have black soldier fly larvae?
It has one pair of wings and two translucent spots located along its midsection, which give it a wasp-like appearance (Figure 1). Black soldier fly larvae are more commonly encountered than adults and can be identified by their large size (as long as the adult),
and dark-spined skin (exoskeleton)
(Figure 2).
Can black soldier flies eat dog poop?
BSF are actually attracted by decomposing food waste and not by
dog poop
. So they usually won’t be found inside dog poop worm farms. If left undisturbed Black soldier fly maggots can cause your worms to hide away in deeper parts of your worm farm and they will stop recycling completely.
How do I get rid of black soldier fly larvae?
The best control for this insect is to
locate and eliminate the soldier fly’s breeding source
. The larvae themselves are harmless and can be picked up by hand, or with a tissue, and discarded. Adult soldier flies can be killed with a fly swatter.
How long do black soldier fly larvae live?
A: The shelf life of small BSF larvae is between 1-2 weeks, while the shelf-life of large BSF larvae is
between 5-7days
.
Do black soldier flies eat poop?
The flies are slender, about an inch long and are often mistaken for wasps. Like the larvae of many other flies, the larvae of black soldier flies feed on
decaying organic matter, including manure
, but the black soldier fly is different. “There’s a huge number of insects that are decomposers of feces,” says Watson.
Why are they called soldier flies?
Maill in The Natural History of Aquatic Insects, is that “
From the back of the thorax two spines stand out towards the abdomen [
this is a characteristic of adults in the genus Stratiomys], and hence the name (Stratiomys), which means the ‘armed Fly.
Are black soldier flies good compost?
Gardeners can mistake black soldier fly larvae in their compost for the maggots of blowflies, but unlike maggots, black soldier fly larvae eat vegetable food scraps. …
They are good to have in your compost
and can process (eat!) large amounts of scraps very quickly.
How fast do black soldier flies grow?
They grow
over about 14 days
and then all but 10 to 20 percent are harvested into feed.
What is the life cycle of black soldier fly?
The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are voracious consumers of organic wastes, including decaying fruits, vegetable waste, animal manure, and municipal organic waste[16–18]. Life cycle of the BSF can be divided into
four phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult stage
[16,19].
Why do black soldiers not lay eggs?
Black soldier flies love mating in early morning where there is good light source. … Naturally, the flies will gravitate towards brightly lit corners. During rainy season, although the humidity is good, it may lack some sunlight.
In the winter, when they go into dormancy, they may not lay eggs
.
