Could anyone ID this Fly? Friend or Foe?
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:17 pm
by PunkRotten
I saw this guy hanging out on one of my pots. Looks like some kind of Fly.
[img]https://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/punkrotten/942_2844.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c86/punkrotten/942_2842.jpg[/img]
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:27 pm
by PunkRotten
I think it is a Soldier Fly.
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:56 pm
by rainbowgardener
black soldier fly
[img]https://theaquaponicsource.com/aquaponicgardeningblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/689177.jpg[/img]
The fly is harmless. The BSF larvae are very common in compost piles and especially worm bins and are an important part of breaking down scraps into humus.
BSF larvae are beneficial in the following ways:
Prevent houseflies and blowflies from laying eggs in the material inhabited by BSFL. In a typical BSFL colony there will be no maggots from these species.
Black soldier flies don't fly around as much as houseflies. They are very easy to catch and relocate when they get inside a house, as they do not avoid being picked up, they are sanitary, and they do not bite or sting. ...
Significant reductions of E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella enterica were measured in hen manure.
Quickly reclaim would-be pollutants: Nine stinky organic chemicals were greatly reduced or eliminated from manure in 24 hours.
Quickly reduce the volume and weight of would-be waste: The BSFL colony breaks apart its food, churns it, and creates heat, increasing compost evaporation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetia_illucens