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Organic
waste generation is a major concern in the war on waste movement. These organic
wastes are produced from households or industrial activities. The two common
methods for reducing these wastes are incineration or sanitary landfills.
However, these methods produce greenhouse gases that have a significant impact
on climate change.
Fortunately,
the war on waste advocacy has found an ally in the Black Soldier Fly, which is
considered a biological scavenger of organic waste. The Black Soldier Fly has
the ability to break down organic waste during its larval stage. These small
flying organisms are actually considered beneficial rather than pests.
The
common question that often arises is, "How does the Black Soldier Fly
become beneficial when it's similar to houseflies?"
In
reality, the BSF is quite distinct from houseflies. They are not associated
with disease or pathogen transmission. Adult BSFs do not feed during their very
short lifespan. They lack mouthparts, stingers, or digestive organs and rely
only on water and stored fats during their larval stage.
Several
facilities are already growing and propagating Black Soldier Flies in the
Philippines and other parts of the world due to their various benefits.
How
do Black Soldier Flies grow? This is the first thing we should understand if we
want to propagate these beneficial insects.
Similar
to other insects, the Black Soldier Fly undergoes complete metamorphosis from
eggs to adults.
A single adult fly can lay up to 500-900 eggs during its very
short lifespan, which will hatch in 4-5 days.
The
larval stage follows, consisting of 5 stages called instars. During these
stages, the larvae are voracious eaters that tend to increase their feeding
after the 3rd instar. The larval stage usually lasts from 13 to 18 days.
Next
in the life cycle of the Black Soldier Fly is the 6th instar or the pre-pupa
stage. During this stage, the larvae cease eating, move away from food, and
seek out dark places. Their skin undergoes melanization, resulting in a darker
cuticle. The pre-pupa stage takes 7-10 days.
After
finding the right spot, the larva hibernates as it enters the pupa stage, which
lasts for at least 8 days before a new adult emerges.
Besides
consuming organic waste and reducing the amount of rubbish going to sanitary
landfills, there are more benefits that we can derive from the Black Soldier
Fly, including fertilizer, protein sources, medicinal properties, and
antibacterial benefits. I will create a separate post about this.
That's what I have to share for now. If you happen to spot a Black
Soldier Fly, remember that they are beneficial and not pests.
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