Feed Your Fish For FREE!

All You Need to Know to Produce Your Own Fish Feed from
Black Soldier Flies

NOURISH THE PLANET

Raising Black Soldier Flies
Black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) are a sub tropical species of fly that is common in warmer southern
states whose larvae are super composters. Black soldier fly larvae can be raised on many different kinds
of organic waste and be fed to fish, chickens, reptiles, etc. Raising black soldier fly larvae is a great way
to reduce farm waste and replace costly animal feed.

Life Cycle
Adult black soldier flies will lay eggs on decaying
organic matter. When the grubs hatch they
feed ravenously until they reach a ¾ inch in
length. When they are ready to transform into
adults they will instinctively crawl up and away
from whatever they are eating and find a nice
hiding spot to transform into a fly. Adults only
live for a couple of days, just long enough to
mate and lay eggs. In takes approximately four
days for eggs to hatch and they cycle to start all
over. from a housefly or other pests. They avoid
humans and would only end up in your house
Will raising black soldier flies just create on accident.
more pests?
Even though Black Soldier Flies (BSF) seem like a Is it disgusting to raise black soldier fly
bothersome insect, they typically avoid humans
larva?
and actually control other pests like houseflies.
They make a pheromone that discourages other In reality they are much cleaner than you would
pest species from sharing the same habitat. expect. Because BSF feed at such rapid rates,
The grubs are extremely rapid feeders and out- anything you give them will be devoured before
compete other insects so this chemical signal it has a chance to rot. Anybody with a proper
asi ally tells other pests do ’t other, BSF live functioning container will agree that there is a
here. Black soldier flies do all of their eating in pleasant earthy aroma emanating from the bin
the larval stage, so when they become adults and it never worsens. They will also shed the
they do not even have mouthparts. Because of lining of their gut before turning into adults and
this, their behavior is dramatically different modify the bacterial communities in such a way
that the risk of introducing pathogens is
225 SW 42nd St minimized.
Suite C
Loveland CO 80537
www.nourishtheplanet.com

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303-495-3705
Also, a ell desig ed o tai er ill allo the lar ae to self
har est. This ea s that when they are ready to become
adults they climb the sides of the container trying to find a good
place to change. Once they climb up the ramps they fall into a
collection bucket below where they are unable to escape. This
means that harvesting the larvae is as easy as picking up the
bucket and giving it to your animals.
Uses for Black Soldier Flies
Black soldier flies can be fed to fish and replace up to 25 percent
(some research says up to 50 percent and more) of commercial
fish feed. People also feed the grubs to chickens and other
poultry as a source of protein and good fat. Black solider flies
are also popular with people that raise various types of reptiles;
they are called Phoenix Worms in this market.
What can you feed BSFs?
This is where Black Soldier Fly Larvae truly shine. They will
compost virtually any organic material except things that are
high in cellulose. You can feed larvae any kind of kitchen or
restaurant scraps and they can even be a vital part of farm
manure management.
Why do we need to find alternative
fish feed?
Fish feed is the dirty secret of the
aquaculture industry. Though farmed
fish is touted as being more sustainable
than wild caught fish, many people
do ’t realize that the food we give to
the fish in our farms is made from fish
that are caught in the wild. Even the
most sustainable fish feed made from
by-catch (fish caught by mistake)
requires more pounds of wild fish than
pounds of fish produced. This is an
issue because, globally speaking, our
wild fish populations are in trouble.
Though it is a controversial issue,
commercial fishing has become so
efficient that most people agree that
virtually all wild fish stocks are now in a
state of crisis. The problem is not being
properly addressed if we are still taking
fish out of the wild to feed fish on land.
In addition to this practice being
unsustainable, the cost of fish food is
dramatically increasing and now
fishmeal is one of the most expensive
components in any aquaculture system.
So in order to truly be sustainable we
need an alternative source of fish feed.
Building a BSF Larvae Container

Materials:

2 4 ft X 8ft sheets of plywood

4 16 inch pieces of 2 X 2 lumber (or any other piece of lumber that can be used to guide the larva
to the self-harvest hole)
2 12 in piece of 2 inch (or bigger) pvc pipe
2 5 gallon buckets
Scrap wood
Screw gun and screws
Saw

Directions:
1) Make sides for you BSFL container by cutting a 4 X 8 piece of plywood in half. For each piece
make a diagonal cut from 33 inches on the long side to the opposite corner (see picture)

2) Cut two pieces from your second piece of plywood that are 2 ft wide by the length of your
diagonal cut.
3) Drill holes a couple inches from the top of each of these pieces that your pvc pipe will fit
through
4) Fashion a box like the picture below out of your four pieces, leaving the bottom and the top
open.
 5) Attach 2 X 2’s diago ally to guide the larvae to the holes.
6) Fit PVC pipes through the holes, leading to the 5 gallon buckets.
7) Fill container part way with food for your black soldier flies.

Maintenance:
Temperature - Grubs will survive within a range of 32-114 degrees F. However, to ensure that the grubs
are active and eating at a good rate, the temperature should be higher than 60 degrees at all times. In
colder climates, proper insulation on top of the compost can keep the colony warm if there is enough
grub activity to produce heat.

Humidity - Conditions inside the bin should be humid. Moisture levels below 70% can result in larvae
loss. To keep humidity up, add water to the food material.

Food - Grubs will feast on any type of vegetable or fruit matter more readily than they will consume
meat. Any animal product that goes more than a day or two without noticeable feeding should be
removed from the bin.

225 SW 42nd St
Suite C
Loveland CO 80537
www.nourishtheplanet.com

nouishtheplanet@gmail.com
303-495-3705