Around the globe, there are roughly a hundred and twenty thousand species of fly. Pretty nasty, huh? You can even find them in Antarctica! As gross as they are, though, most flies are pretty neutral in the lives of humans. Sure, there are some that are annoying, but did you know that there are a few that can be used for composting or even food? That’s right, today we’ll be talking about the black soldier fly, especially its incredible larval stage.
Food of the future? Gardener’s best friend? The single most efficient method of composting on the planet? All of this and more in one tiny insect.
Black Soldier Fly: Overview?
The Black Soldier fly is a multi-tool of decomposition and composting. You can find them in bright, sunny areas resting on structures of vegetation. They are found mostly in tropical and subtropical climates, and mostly in the Western Hemisphere and Australia. And if you see them doing something other than resting, they’re probably breeding in compost, manure, or carrion. The adult form of this insect has no mouthparts and doesn’t feed on solid foods. Their lack of mouthparts also means that they cannot bite humans, and they also lack a stinger to sting with, making this a very peaceful insect.
The adults of this species are usually under an inch long and are weak fliers. They spend most of their time resting in and around areas where they feed and lay their eggs. Their bodies are solid black, with slightly lighter wings and a body shape similar to that of a wasp, despite their lack of a stinger. Their antennae are elongated and project forward from the head, which is tapered to a sort of point and large compared to the rest of their body.
They’re often mistaken for wasps due to the shape of their bodies and wings, but as I said above, they lack mouthparts for biting or a stinger to sting with, so they’re harmless. These flies aren’t a nuisance species either and tend to outcompete things like houseflies.
The larva of this species enjoy warm, moist conditions, and feed voraciously when they hatch. And when they eat and can be everything from kitchen scraps to rotten bees nests.
Food Of The Future?
In the past, I’ve touched on bugs as a source of food for human beings. And though it makes a lot of people squeamish, it’s quite possibly the only way we can sustain the massive number of people on the planet sustainably. I mentioned the adults above, but that’s not what we would be eating.
Black soldier fly adults mate in flight. The females deposit egg masses of about five hundred eggs strong near the edges of decaying organic matter. The eggs incubate for about roughly four days on the short end, and three weeks on the long end. They then hatch into tiny larva that is a pale, off-white color and hard to see at a glance. As it develops, the skin of the larva darkens, and due to their eating habits, they can grow to over an inch long and quite plump. At this stage of their life cycle, the larva is incredibly nutritious and are often used in animal feed due to their high protein content and easily farmed nature.
However, more and more people are looking into eating this creature themselves. And honestly, it’s a good idea. The only reason we don’t eat bugs is cultural. But not only is this larva good for you, but it’s good for the environment. Factory farming and raising cattle is an extremely dirty and cruel industry. However, keeping this insect clean and food-grade is incredibly cheap and green. To feed a single herd of cattle you need tons of land, or they live in horrific factory farming conditions. A barrel of this little bug, however, can be both ethical and good for the environment while being more than enough to meet your dietary needs.
How do they taste?
When it comes to consumption, most people seem to eat them whole. Like a snack, but much healthier than chips. They can also be eaten in pretty much any recipe where they can be sprinkled in. For example, a larva salad would be a good substitute for a chicken salad.
Compost Machines
Composting with the black soldier fly larva is way more efficient than many other methods of composting. For example, if you have a compost bin in your backyard, you probably can’t throw any meat in there. Don’t get me wrong, certain compost piles are more than hot enough for that. But, most aren’t. As such, rotten meat tends to simply get thrown away. Not so with these little composting machines. If you have a bin that you can dump excess kitchen scraps, garden waste, or basically any organic material in; all you have to do is drill a few holes in the side and you have a perfect soldier fly composting situation.
These guys can eat almost anything and love the darkness that a composting bin provides. They carry no transmutable diseases and even out-compete species of pest flies that do. And as they eat their way through that organic material, they create amazing frass and leachate that can be used directly in your garden as either a slow-release or liquid fertilizer.
They don’t do well in worm farms, however, as they tend to outcompete things like red wigglers. However, the black soldier fly larva is much easier than a worm farm or even a compost tumbler. I’ve had a bin for years and the amount of maintenance I’ve done on it is roughly…nothing. You just get these guys started and they do the rest themselves. Not only that, but it’s a self-sustaining system if you don’t harvest all of them. The larva simply climb out of the bin, turn into adults, and lay their eggs back in it!
If you ever need an all-in-one superbug for either food composting or consumption, this is really an underrated insect.
