Black soldier fly is a commonly found member of the fly family. What you may not know is that they have many different uses. While black soldier fly for fish feed was one of the initial discoveries, they can also be used for compost, exotic animal feed, and waste disposal. If you are wondering what is a black soldier fly, they are a two-winged fly that doesn’t have a stinger. They pose no danger to human beings. However, you may notice a loud buzzing sound as they travel past you. Today we’re going to discover the black soldier fly production methods that are used around the world and how black soldier fly fish feed and animal feed are becoming a more commonly used solution with farmers.
Black Soldier Fly Production | Black Soldier Fly Animal Feed
Black Soldier Fly Fish Feed | Black Soldier Fly Price
BSF Production
Bsf is one of the most common types of insect farming worldwide. This makes it ideal for food and feed production, as the production cycle is very quick. Moreover, the insects are an excellent source of protein for black soldier fly animal feed. There are a couple of phases that make up the production process, starting with the breeding phase. This is when the adult’s eggs are deposited into vertical racks filled with organic industrial food waste and other waste streams. The eggs are kept in climate-controlled rooms, which allows them to hatch into black soldier fly larvae quickly.
Heading into the production phase, the food supply, temperature, and humidity of the space are well controlled to help the black soldier fly larvae grow quickly. During the production process, the black soldier fly larvae continue to consume nutrients by way of the organic waste. This helps to prepare them for adult life. The bsf larvae production process is then complete, and the flies can be harvested to feed animals or fish. These insects are between 40 and 65% protein. The dried insects can be made into insect meal ready to feed fish and animals.
Black Soldier Fly Animal Feed
Black soldier fly production results in high-quality protein that’s ideal for both animals and humans. Dried black soldier flies contain roughly 50% protein, so they are a nutrient-rich option to help animals grow and develop. Due to the quick production process and the minimal space that’s needed even for large-scale black soldier fly production, you’ll find that this is a much more sustainable solution for the future. Animals, such as chickens, enjoy this feed option. It’s believed that the feeding experience is more stimulating for these types of animals than traditional feed. As well as being rich in protein, the dry weight of the black soldier fly larvae contains up to 35% lipids. These offer an excellent amino acid-rich feed solution, which is why they are often used to feed pigs and poultry.
Black Soldier Fly Fish Feed
For all of the same reasons we listed above for animal feed, black soldier fly for fish feed offers fish and shrimp a protein and amino acid-rich food solution. Black soldier fly fish feed is a high-quality alternative to other feed options on the market; many of which are very unsustainable for the future. As aquaculture production has doubled within the past 15 years; it’s essential that we continue to find new solutions to resolve this issue. Fish such as salmon and tuna are usually reliant on fishmeal and fish oil. The methods of farming these have a huge impact on our environment. However, black soldier fly can offer the same nutrients as these food sources. This is why it’s a sustainable alternative for the future.
When fish such as salmon and trout were raised on a black soldier fly larvae farming diet, they grew just as quickly as when they consumed their regular diet. There is still some development needed in this industry, and government approval and more research is needed in some countries. However, it’s certainly an exciting development for fish farmers across the world. Black soldier fly commercial production is continuing to be researched. One area that’s important to consider is the difference between harvesting the larvae and insects. The insect has a high level of chitin, which can be more challenging for fish to digest. By using the young larvae, fish will only absorb a minimal amount of chitin, which makes it a more suitable solution. However, these larvae avoid light, so they are quite challenging to harvest in the first place.
Black Soldier Fly Price
Having seen all of the benefits of black soldier flies, you are probably wondering if this sustainable solution is lower in cost than other feed options. It’s actually believed that the black soldier fly production cost is lower than traditional fishmeal production. It could be used as a solution to lower fish production costs. As you can see, the production process is much quicker than you would expect for other food production methods. This means the turnover in large-scale factories would be huge. Since a lot of research has been done in recent years around the black soldier fly production and its use, the current price is still a bit high. But this will change in the near future when companies start to scale up their production.
Black soldier fly production offers fish and animal farmers across the world another sustainable solution for the future. Thanks to the quick growth of these insects, in just a couple of weeks, farmers will be able to harvest huge quantities of black soldier flies. With their protein and amino acid-rich composition, it offers an excellent alternative for fish and animals, which is much more sustainable than typical animal and fish feed.
