THE BLACK SOLDIER FLY
In our fight for a cleaner and healthier future, the Black Soldier Fly stands out as a front-line solution for a significant number of issues we face today. These tough little guys transform organic waste into valuable feed products at an amazing rate.
BLACK SOLDIER FLY BLOG POSTS
It’s a Wasp against a Fly
It’s a Wasp against a Fly One of the many advantages of farming black soldier fly larvae is that, so far, they appear to have relatively few natural enemies. This is different, for example, from crickets, which are prone to be wiped out by viral diseases. Such a situation is not surprising because black soldier …Read More
Insecticide Residues Are Bad for Larvae
Insecicide Residues Are Bad for Larvae Since black soldier flies are insects, it is not much of a revelation that insecticides are not good for them. Insecticides are widely used in agriculture; therefore, their residues are often present in harvested commodities. Food safety regulations set residue levels that are supposedly safe for humans and other …Read More
Is That a Fly in My Feed?
Is That a Fly in My Feed? As products derived from black soldier flies become increasingly common, so will the situation when it is necessary to determine whether a powder or an oil in question is actually made of what a vendor claims it is made of. Some people are willing to pay extra for …Read More
Eat Your Fruit as Mother Says
Eat Your Fruit as Mother Says Female black soldier flies apparently prefer laying their eggs next to mixed fruit rather than next to manure or a couple other substrates because fruit smells better. Cannot really blame them, even though it is not yet clear if feeding on fruit will be better for the larvae. Zim, …Read More
Words of Caution
Words of Caution Black soldier flies can help with many different things, but they cannot do everything. One thing that they apparently cannot do is replace fish meal in the diet of pearl grouper. Huang, B., Zhang, Y., Zhang, S., Dong, X., Chi, S., Yang, Q., Liu, H., Deng, J., Tan, B. and Xie, S., …Read More
Another Potential Use for Black Soldier Flies
Another Potential Use for Black Soldier Flies Most focus in black soldier fly industry was on larvae, while adults were often treated as a waste byproduct. However, they can also be useful for various applications, possibly including making bioplastics.
You Are What You Eat
You Are What You Eat Although black soldier flies are generally omnivorous, not every food is equally suitable for them. There have been numerous studies documenting diet effects on larval growth, survivorship, fat and protein contents, etc. However, as the publication below indicates, larval diet may also affect their more complicated nutrient properties, such as …Read More
Bacteria Help Black Soldier Fly Larvae to Thrive
Bacteria Help Black Soldier Flies to Thrive While decaying junk may not look very welcoming for us as humans, it is a fabulous environment for numerous organisms, with black soldier flies being only one species of many. These organisms do not live in isolation but interact with each other in a variety of ways. Some …Read More
Black Soldier Fly News
New information on black soldier flies becomes available pretty much daily. Business deals are being struck, facilities are being built, original research publications appear in a wide variety of scientific journals, and news articles appear in popular mass media.
General Information on Black Soldier Flies
There's a reason that black soldier flies have created such a buzz recently. Everyone from big ag to backyard chicken farmers are realizing that black soldier flies are an innovative, inexpensive, green, and humane way to produce healthy, high-protein feed for livestock and even people. If your interest has been piqued, please explore.
Black Soldier Fly Myths and Misconceptions
As the idea of farming of black soldier flies gains track with agriculturalists, researchers, and general public, the amount of available information explodes. Much of it is valuable and contributes to further development of this technology. Some of it needs further verification. Some of it, however, is not entirely correct (or is entirely incorrect). We compiled a list of common misconceptions about this rather remarkable creature and its place in modern agriculture.
Feed Black Soldier Flies to Your Chickens
A chicken is not a penguin. Neither is it a pelican, nor a cormorant. It is not even a puffin. This does not seem like a particularly astute observation. Yet, fishmeal constitutes a considerable proportion of many commercially available chicken feeds. This creates a rather unnatural situation.
How About Green, Cruelty-Free, High Protein Food for Your Dogs and Cats?
Pets are family. There is little doubt about that. However, they belong to different biological species. Therefore, their physiology and, hence, nutritional requirements are different. They cannot have the same diet as humans do. At the same time, they should not eat garbage just because it is not fit for human consumption. Black soldier flies may help addressing this issue.
Black Soldier Flies are Reptilian Superfood
Not all pets are warm and fuzzy. Quite a few of them are on a cooler side and covered with scales. Among the insect species commonly used to feed pet reptiles, black soldier flies stand out because of their unique nutritional value. Making them a regular part of your scaly pets' diet will be highly beneficial for their health and well-being.
Black Soldier Fly Farming
So, you've decided to become a bug farmer. Friends and relatives are seriously concerned about your mental health, while the person you had been dating for a while left you for a financial industry executive. Still, this enterprise will be totally worth it in the end, as long as the right approach is taken.
No Small Potatoes. Part II
No Small Potatoes. Part II. Previous post on potato lessons for insectivores described a long road undertaken by indigenous people of South America towards making potatoes edible. Thanks to their efforts, the spuds could already be eaten without undergoing detoxification when the Europeans arrived in South America. Spaniards were the first Europeans who encountered potatoes …Read More