Anyone using black soldier flies?

[gmendoza]

I have a composter made from a plastic 55 gal drum loaded with soldier fly larve that I take out and hatch in a 10 gal aquarium inside my lab/bathroom.When the fly emerges,I catch it and release it to the wild!

Im going to make one of those soldier fly bucket contraptions this spring.

 

[Tarvus]

Quote:
Tom, if you're wanting to use the larvae as suppliment feed for your chickens, here's an idea: Come springtime, set up a bin similar to the double ended one in my blog (it's scalable in case you don't want one quite so large) with one of the collection tubes feeding directly into your chicken coop so the chickens can harvest directly as the grubs crawl off. Use the collection bucket on the other side to harvest the pre-pupal larvae to either place in a pupation bin so that the emerging adults will augment your local population, or to save for your chickens to feed on later at a time of your own choosing. Much of the crawl off occurs at night, and I don't know if or how much chickens feed at night, but it would sure give the birds something to look forward to - scratching around for treats in the mornings!

 

[tmoore8595]

Has anyone seen any native black soldier flies yet? I think it will probably be a couple more months before they show up here in central Alabama. I have made a container with a self harvesting system and can't wait to get started. I plan to use the larvae to feed my chickens. Hopefully this will cut down on the cost of chicken feed.

Any comments and/or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Tarvus]

Quote:
They are already here in southwest Florida. Once your daily highs top 80F, they'll start showing up. You should start seeing them mid to late april in central alabama.

 

[Kassaundra]

This is definately on my to do list for early spring. I have looked at the home made contraptions from buckets and I plan on using/making them. I hope to get enough to freeze some for the winter months when they don't have as many insects to eat, but I am also growing big south american roach colony for that too. I don't know what has happened to an otherwise normal human, I get a few chickens and now all of a sudden I am growing/harvesting insects on purpose!!!!!

 

[D3invertebrates]

Im surprised theres not more info on this site about bsf, maybe I just didnt find it. Its a worthwhile thing to do for sure,
a little over 40% protien its a great treat for chickens or whatever,
they reduce the mass of waste by 50%, I know some of you have huge piles of poo behind your house dont you,
and there actually quite an effective pest fly repellent, A&m claims 95-100% suppresion in poo, they really are a huge asset to my operation.

I know everyone will tell you a different way to do it, which can get really complicated believe me, but
it really is as simple as taking a bucket and filling it with poop or old food or whatever.

I have 2 buckets in my chicken yard right now both are under trees have a few drain holes on the bottom and a way for the larvae to get out on top one has a few holes drilled around the top edge one just has a lid thats broke enough they can get out and yes they will crawl straight up and out, I only put the lids on if theres gonna be alot of rain you want it wet but not soaked, one of my buckets I fill with quail poop I wouldnt feed chickens larvae that fed on there own poop and the other I put all the old food I cant give my redworms like meat and whatever really eventually theres so many bsf in the buckets they spill over and go into the ground to pupate and then the chickens come along and do a little scratching and they find a nice little treat. Sometimes when I let my chickens out they run full blast for those buckets just to get to those bsf larvae first lol, goodluck!

 

[D3invertebrates]

The A&M report was no longer available so I thought I just post it for all yall who arent convinced yet.


Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), in Confined Animal Facilities

Jeffery K. Tomberlin, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, Texas Cooperative Extension, Stephenville, TX
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University

IDENTIFICATION: Like its name suggests, the adult black soldier fly is black in color and measures approximately 5/8 of an inch. Its elongate shape and black body allow for easy identification. 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).

Figure 1. Adult black soldier fly laying eggs
(Photograph courtesy of Dr. Craig Sheppard, Department of Entomology, the University of Georgia).

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: Black soldier fly larvae will occasionally be found in association with decaying organic matter around faulty plumbing, such as underneath toilets or sinks. Additionally, the black soldier fly will colonize earthworm beds, and the larvae occur at high densities in manure basins in confined animal facilities. In the past, it was thought larvae in confined animal facilities were pests because colonized manure would liquefy and spill outside of the basins. However, more recent evidence has determined that these flies are beneficial, and their presence can result in 95-100% suppression of house fly populations by out-competing house fly larvae for resources in the manure. Additionally, black soldier fly larvae can reduce manure accumulation and associated nutrients by 50%. Moreover, the larvae can be self-harvested and utilized as animal feed.

Figure 2. Black soldier fly larva
(Photograph courtesy of Dr. Craig Sheppard, Department of Entomology, the University of Georgia).

BIOLOGY AND HABITAT: The black soldier fly has a complete life cycle with an egg, larva, pupa, and adult stage. Eggs are often deposited in decaying organic materials, such as fruits, vegetables, animal feces, and even human remains. At 81oF, the egg takes approximately 4 days to hatch, while the larval stage can be completed in 21 to 45 days depending on food quality, as well as temperature. The pupal stage lasts approximately three weeks. Adults do not feed and live approximately 15 days. Adults are often found in vegetation surrounding livestock facilities, and adult males will remain in these areas, find a female, and mate. Mated females return to a larval resource only to deposit their eggs and then die soon thereafter. The black soldier fly has three generations per year in the southeastern United States and is active from April through October depending on prevailing temperatures. Temperatures above 80oF will often result in adult black soldier flies emerging even during the winter. However, once the temperature drops, adult populations will once again be suppressed.

MANAGEMENT: If control is desired, it is suggested that an integrated pest (IPM) management approach be used. IPM relies on three tactics for successful suppression of an insect pest.
CULTURAL: Cultural methods rely on manipulating the environment to reduce insect pest populations, such as removing black soldier fly breeding sites, such as piled manure, from the vicinity of a confined animal facility. Often in livestock facilities, removal of all manure can be difficult due to the sheer volume being produced. Therefore, it is suggested that the manure be aerated to reduce the moisture content below 40%, which is attractive to females looking for oviposition sites. If the black soldier fly problem is inside a home or building, it is recommended that the larvae be removed by hand, the larval food source, i.e., accumulated feces, removed, and any faulty plumbing from which the resource, such as accumulated feces, is being released fixed.
BIOLOGICAL: Biological control uses predators, parasites, and pathogens to suppress pest species. Parasitic wasps, which are extremely small, will lay their eggs in immature black soldier flies. The wasp eggs deposited inside the black soldier fly larvae will hatch and resulting offspring will then feed on the black soldier fly and eventually killing it. The immature parasitic wasp will develop into an adult and repeat its life cycle. Many of the wasp parasites used to control house fly and other livestock-fly pests will also parasitize black soldier fly larvae. These parasites are available commercially and can be purchased and used to augment local parasitic wasp populations. However, it is important to realize that although parasitic wasps will offer some measure of control, immediate results will not be observed and they will not completely suppress a fly population. Therefore, biological control should not be used alone, but in concert with other control methods such as sanitation.
CHEMICAL: If a black soldier fly problem persists, an insecticide can be used. Because the black soldier fly spends a small percentage of its time as an adult in livestock facilities, it, and its larvae, is typically extremely susceptible to standard permethrin insecticides labeled for livestock facilities. Applying these insecticides along the perimeter of the manure basin where female flies will be attempting to lay their eggs should be enough to suppress a black soldier fly population. This tactic will also most likely prevent black soldier flies from colonizing earthworm beds.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Drs. Carlos Bogran and John Jackman, Texas Cooperative Extension, for their helpful comments on this manuscript.

 

[Kassaundra]

I tried this year to raise them w/o success. It was a wicked hot, and record breaking drought year, I don't know if that was why I didn't succeed or not. I attempted to make a home made "biopod" type contraption. I will try again this coming year, but I am going to way simplify my plan to a simple covered bucket in the run w/ holes like you describe so the larva will escape naturally to the chicken run and the chickens can self harvest.

 

[tmoore8595]

I raised BSF for the first time this year and had great success. I cut a 55 gal. plastic barrel in half and made 2 containers. The top half had two holes in it. I capped one of the holes and covered the other hole with screen wire and turned it upside down on two concrete blocks. I catch the liquid that runs out the bottom, dilute it with water and use it in my garden. I cut a hole in the bottom of the bottom half of the barrel and did it the same way as the top. I split a 3 Ft. section of 3 in. PVC pipe, (length ways) and used that for the ramps. I just keep one end of the pipe resting on the material in the barrel, and they crawl up the pipe and fall into a 5 Gal. bucket. From these two containers I average getting about a quart of BSF grubs each day, even more on rainy days. My chickens love them and it really helps with the feed bill.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
Pictures?