Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

JackTheGrower · Aug 30, 2009

Having read several posts about the Black Soldier Fly and also having managed large communes of BSF larvae over the years, a proper thread seems right on!

Let me start with a link to Wikipedia, that notorious free encyclopedia, for a link ( since I donate I'm allowed ).

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is a common and widespread member of the family Stratiomyidae, and quite possibly the best-known species in the entire infraorder. There are several reasons for this:

* The larvae are common scavengers in compost heaps, since decomposing matter is their food of choice.
* The larvae are used in manure management, for both house fly control and reduction in manure volume, and the mature larvae and prepupae raised in manure management operations are themselves useful as feed supplements[1]
* The larvae are sometimes found in association with carrion, and have significant potential for use in forensic entomology[2].
* The larvae are sometimes sold as live pet food under the names phoenix worms and soldier grubs for owners of herps and tropical fish. They store high levels of calcium for future pupation which is beneficial to herps[3]. Phoenix worms were first developed as a feeder species by Insect Science Resource.
* ESR International, LLC developed a patented residential BioPod[2] for successfully managing your organic waste while producing beneficial soldier grubs.
* Although extremely rare, the larvae could potentially cause intestinal myiasis or pseudomyiasis in humans. See this case in Costa Rica[3] There have been a handful of cases worldwide of black soldier fly larvae causing intestinal myiasis and it would most likely be the result of people scavenging food from refuse containers.

The soldier fly has no functioning mouth parts and instead spends its adult lives in search of mates and reproducing

Black soldier fly eggs take approximately 4 days to hatch and are typically deposited in crevices or on surfaces above or adjacent to the food source[4].

The larvae range in size from 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch (3 to 19 millimeters). Although they can be stored at room temperature for several weeks, their longest shelf life is achieved at 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 15 degrees Celsius).

The adult fly is a mimic, very close in size, color, and appearance to the organ pipe mud dauber wasp and its relatives. The mimicry of this particular kind of wasp is especially enhanced in that the fly's antennae are elongated and wasp-like, the fly's hind tarsi are pale, as are the wasp's, and the fly has two small transparent "windows" in the basal abdominal segments that make it look like the fly has a narrow "wasp waist".

It's true I know them to be harmless and still the wasp looking adult causes me to "be careful."

JackTheGrower · Aug 30, 2009

Currently I am using a compost tumbler that's design allows for liquid drainage and am collecting the "leach" for use as an additive in other liquid mixes.

FrankRizzo has a set up.. Hey Frank why not share a bit.

Some talk about using the left over decomposed materials in Vermiculture. That sounds good! I will put that on the list for later in the season as it cools down!

Anyone have a story.. Why not share?

Jack

dub 6 · Aug 30, 2009

can you elaborate on the benefits of these things? i assume the eat dead roots and fertilize the soil??

thanks

JackTheGrower · Aug 30, 2009

dub 6 said:
can you elaborate on the benefits of these things? i assume the eat dead roots and fertilize the soil??

thanks

Yeah.. I know a little..

What they do is eat and live in the muck of their waste and the decay of the food they live in. They like it that way so the benefit is from the materials broken down.
I'm extracting a liquid leach whose nutrients are related to the materials that have been digested / decomposed. I always suggest test plants for any new mixes we are unsure of.

I assume there is other benefits to the leach but I would guess at the exact names or nature. Microbes would be a safe guess. I would guess there would be bacteria and bacteria related byproducts to it. The BSF are masters of their Medium; That is an absolute truth.

I had the leach from my experiments, years ago, with BSF analyzed and there was nothing bad about it. Sodium was a concern but I processed veggie scraps from the grocery store and that waste was chemically grown most likely.

Good enough for the hobbyist IMO. Good enough to have fun with in Organic soil.
BSF are employed in many industries such as reclaiming pig manure. The BSF are just not picky eaters IMO.
Mine are eating peaches mostly..

I'd like to learn more as BSF live and thrive in many places across the USA but not all.. I like them and I am all caught up with my soil needs ATM so they are welcome to hang out in the Tumbler. I may build a proper BSF house tho.

IS there anything specific I can answer? Generally the leach is decomposed BSF food stuffs. I would guess that it's beneficial but can't say specifically what biology it adds to the soil as a leach. Maybe we can find out more.

Jack

jaykush · Aug 30, 2009

good stuff jack, im starting a colony of these for waste reduction here. then to use the bsf castings to feed to the worms.

JackTheGrower · Aug 30, 2009

BSF young larvae like fresh coffee grounds

BSF young larvae like fresh coffee grounds

Ah Starbucks you are looking so good..

Well just a heads up on feed for the Larvae.. Coffee grounds..

In this photo these young larvae all are drawn to the coffee grounds I dumped this morning,
As the peaches have been picked now I will need to switch their primary food.

So here is my discovery today..

All good Jaykush! Looking forward to your posts..

Jack

FrankRizzo · Aug 31, 2009

I have a real fancy set up for my guys......it was very expensive and lots of maintenance. It is comprised of one old tin trashcan and all of my kitchen scraps. Fancy uh?

The bsf showed up on their own. At first I figured they where some sort of maggots or something. Got bummed out that I had already ruined my compost. After some research I figured out what they where and what they did. Now I take good care of the little guys and girls. Do grubs even have a sex? Anyways.

This is basically what I know about them: (not sure if it's all correct)

They thrive in a "green" compost pile. Meaning it's a pile comprised of mostly "green" kitchen scraps, yard waste etc. Things that haven't had time for the moisture to evaporate. Basically they like "raw" organic matter. If you have them chances are your compost has too much moisture and isn't composting properly. They don't like temps over 100 degrees f. They also don't like the light.

They will eat just about anything. And they will do it relatively quickly. I could see them being very useful if someone had trim to get rid of......

From what I have read out there it seems like people are kind of split on the subject. Some people really don't seem to like their presence, others welcome them.

They help keep smells and other worse bugs at bay. They don't let bacteria build up which it what helps keep smells at bay.

You can feed them to fish and birds. I guess they love 'em.

I can't find the link where I read about one guy feeding his dog's poop to 'em. I just remember reading that he put the turds through his bsf and then feed that to his worms before he used it as compost. I have no idea if it's true or if that would kill all the bad stuff that's in pet waste.

Here are a few links on them:

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/
http://www.esrla.com/brazil/frame.htm
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=802&storyType=garde

Here are my bunch

I look forward to hearing what other people's experiences with them.

maryjohn · Aug 31, 2009

I've had a few in my worm bin, and they are too creepy for me.

interesting to learn the adults have no mouth parts though. but they are huge not my favorite bug. call it aesthetics.

JackTheGrower · Aug 31, 2009

maryjohn said:
I've had a few in my worm bin, and they are too creepy for me.

interesting to learn the adults have no mouth parts though. but they are huge not my favorite bug. call it aesthetics.

Ha! Wit till you have a heaping handful and they are all wiggling but then you feel one larvae that is older using it's mouth parts to get a grip and pull itself along in the pile.. It can't hurt but you know you are being bit..

LOL they are the good guys.

Frank I know what you mean! I had a "worm bin" in the back under a tree and the worms left but those larvae were in there.. I was lucky to see an adult and learned more but I knew they weren't house fly maggots.
When I saw the liquid dripping out of the old washer tub I was "all in."

ThaiPhoon · Aug 31, 2009

These things will "self harvest". If you provide a way out for them. There is a company that sells a bin designed for BSF. I don't have the links handy at the moment. You can easily make some sort or ramp for them that leads into a container. These larvae can be frozen for later use as well. Fish love them.

JackTheGrower · Aug 31, 2009

Worms + BSF?

Worms + BSF?

I was looking and no one seems to have an easy system for worms plus BSF..

I agree that one seems to make the other more efficient and I agree that a worm stage would make any materials the BSF lived in more plant friendly through a balanced fungi and bacteria environment, although not necessary, so.. Any ideas?

This has my interest.. What kind of unit would make the two practical?

BSF like it around 95F I know this first hand I see it on the thermometer.

Worms do not..

Hummm ideas ideas ideas....

Jaykush what are you planning?

nibirubian · Aug 31, 2009

ive had those larvae in my compost pile but i thought they were disgusting and didnt think they were benificial...
anyway anyone got a pic of an adult?

why dont we just put earth worms strait into the pot and let them do their thing

jaykush · Aug 31, 2009

Jaykush what are you planning?

i plan to reduce household waste ( things my worms and the compost should not get like meats, cooked food, etc...) and also get free feed for my chickens( they love grubs and its good for them ) then feed the bsf castings to my worms and eventually make compost tea with the resulting castings.

as for how i will house them, im still working on something hopefully very simple, at the moment there just in a 5 gallon bucket in the chicken yard and building a population because i attracted them from the wild.

JackTheGrower · Aug 31, 2009

Thanks..

Got to get my mind around it.. There is a general question in the BSF/Worm community how to combine the two..

That's where I'm at tonight..

I see it but how to make it simple to manage is the real Q...

Alright..

Cool I have a new project! I need a distraction!

JackTheGrower · Aug 31, 2009

nibirubian said:
Ive had those larvae in my compost pile but i thought they were disgusting and didn't think they were beneficial...
anyway anyone got a pic of an adult?

why don't we just put earth worms strait into the pot and let them do their thing

It's more about utilizing the ways of nature..

In this case it would seem the advantage is BSF eat the big stuff, create an environment that decomposes things some and is ideal for offering to Earthworms.. The problem arises that the temperatures and the cohabitation is an issue.
Earthworm castings are a neutral bacteria/fungi material which offers the soil a resource for both nutrients and tilth. It's a nice amendment.
BSF medium is more biased but not bad..

It's just more fun to figure this out IMO.

I have posted links.. Just look for the underlined stuff they are links to things that define the concept I'm presenting. Me knowing something is good my text enlightening others is great.

Jack

Johnny Rotten · Aug 31, 2009

My compost bin is full of these and they are awesome. They tear through the compost within 24 hours so in never smells or rots and then the earthworms come up and eat what left. These two combine pump out excellent compost really fast.

JackTheGrower · Aug 31, 2009

You got both living together?

You got both living together?

Hey do you want to share more on how you have both living together? That would be cool!

Kola Radical · Aug 31, 2009

Very cool. A little creepy... but very cool.

Johnny Rotten · Aug 31, 2009

I didn't plan on them living together, it just happened naturally. The earthworms crawled up from the ground and are usually in the bottom of the compost bin where the compost is almost finished. If you look in my old gallery one of the last pictures is my compost bin full of larvae. I made a thread a couple years back asking what they were and nobody knew.

jaykush · Aug 31, 2009

Got to get my mind around it.. There is a general question in the BSF/Worm community how to combine the two..

do they both have to live together, why can they be apart. as far as im concerned they both like different environments to function at there best.

here is a link to the company that makes the BSF composter.

http://thebiopod.com/

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Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

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