The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia ilucens) has many remarkable characteristics that make it useful to human beings. In this episode, I am joined by Jerry of blacksoldierflyblog.com. Jerry and I discuss the lifecycle, morphological characteristics, and population dynamics of the Black Soldier Fly. We also discuss strategies for attracting and managing a healthy colony. This is Part I in a two part series.
Useful links below:
Phoenix Worms (via Google)
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Tags: black soldier fly, composting, entomology, Hermetia ilucens, insects
I was astonished when i tried to use a worm composter only to find it invaded by soldier fly larvae several years ago. The larvae were so voracious that they out-competed my red worms! Every year since, the worm composter has had a population of soldier fly larvae. Very easy to manage, at least where i live.
One question i didn’t hear addressed in the podcast: What is the range of soldier flies?
Thanks again for a great podcast.
Range is addressed, you might have missed it or it might be in part II. This insect is definitely a thermophile, but extreme heat and cold seems to kill it (see Part II).
Jerry mentions that most range maps show it being common up to hardiness zone 7, but has reports from the field of BSF being found as far North as Idaho. From his description, it seems you can get these colonies anywhere, so long as you are proactive about management, especially in regards to temperature.
It’s not a closed system, so you’re going to need some adults flying around, at least during the warm season. It seems you could keep them in their larval stage for extended periods (during winter at high latitudes) by judicious temperature management.
Hi, this is Jerry from the black soldier fly blog. Thanks again Frank, I enjoyed the interview very much. Next time I’m interviewed I think I’ll wait until I’m better rested…
The range of BSF will be a growing body of knowledge as more people get involved. I have had reports of BSF populations throughout the southeast west to Texas and up to northern West Virginia. They are fairly common in Kentucky and I received a photo of larvae from a central Illinois compost pile. I believe all of California has them all the way up the coast into the Vancouver area.
I started a thread at the BioPod forum for the purpose of confirming BSF populations. Of course the reports will be less than perfectly reliable, but it’s a beginning. You can find that thread here: http://thebiopod.com/forum/index.php?topic=30.0
Anyone have some he’d be willing to sell and ship to Denver?
We’re not ready yet, but next spring, we’ll have a fish pond under the rabbit hutches in our greenhouse. We have access to essentially unlimited coffee grounds and possibly restaurant wastes. The compost is not the goal, but a highly desirable by-product, so we want to optimize the output.
Hi Le,
I promote BSF starter kits on my blog and they are usually available sometime in May shortly after the mating season resumes. I’m not sure if BSF are naturally occurring in Denver but I’m skeptical due to the altitude. I’ve read that BSF don’t live above 5000 ft. Cold and/or dry climate is also limiting to a degree. It’s possible that you might be able to overcome these obstacles, but I can’t estimate your chances of success.