The black soldier fly, short BSF, is an amazingly useful insect that plays an important role on our farm. Kitchen waste and rotten fruit from the farm are turned into valuable protein by the BSF, which the chickens and fish enjoy. When you hear the word fly, pictures of annoying house flies that are attracted leftovers and feces quickly come to mind. But the soldier fly is fundamentally different. It only eats as a larva, does not eat anything as an adult and is therefore not a disease carrier. In addition, despite its threatening name, it poses no danger to humans. The larvae are omnivores and are very hungry for anything except grass, leaves and wood. When they have eaten enough, the maggots look for a dry place where they can pupate. They crawl up the provided ramp, fall into a bucket and harvest themselves. If you want to learn more about keeping the black soldier fly, visit us on our farm in Dodoma!
