We now have Black Soldier Fly Larvae or BSFL. The future of composting is here. It's called Grub Composting. Composting with soldier fly grubs couldn't be any easier. The grubs eat almost EVERYTHING. Don't want to wait 6 months to a year for compost? Have the red wigglers pretty much wiggled out? Tired of dealing with acidic beds/bins? The soldier fly larvae will digest anything within 24 to 48 hours. Here is a picture of a female I took.
Here is a photo of the soldier fly larvae I took also.
The larvae are 42% protein, 34% lipids(fats), contain amino acids, minerals, and high in calcium making them excellent feed for chickens, frogs, geckos, snakes, lizards, fish, etc. The fly larvae have roughly the same value as Menhaden fish meal valued at over $1,200 per ton.The fly larvae go through 5 instars or stages. It takes 102 - 105 hours for the eggs to hatch. It will only take 2 weeks for the soldier grubs to reach maturity under ideal conditions. The larvae are so tough, it takes 2 hours for them to die when submerged in rubbing alcohol. If food is slack, the larvae will hibernate whereas worms will simply die. Here's my latest video of the grubs actively feeding:
If you like to fish, you'll love black soldier fly larvae. Fish love the soldier grubs. Grubs are the only bait I use these days. A good day at the pond.
If you want to try Grub Composting, here's a link to the website: Black Soldier Fly Larvae. Next time we'll talk about making egg strips for the females to lay eggs on.
