BSFL Poster
1
Black Soldier Fly Larvae Compos5ng Diver5ng food waste away from landfills by u5lizing natural processes Hunter Bradshaw [email protected]fford.edu Figure 3 External and internal view of the of BioPod™ Plus 3 All compost piles were located in the Wofford College greenhouse. Temperatures inside the greenhouse were recorded several 5mes throughout the span of the experiment. The first aNempt at seOng up a BSFL compost was unsuccessful in reducing the food waste. The compost bin was homemade and did not sustain a suitable moisture content for the larvae. The second aNempt implemented the used of BioPod™ Plus, a compost bin manufactured specifically for BSFL. However, the larvae in the compost had matured past the point of ea5ng and were preparing for pupa5on. On the third aNempt, the compost was inoculated with young BSFL bought from a thirdparty vendor. Wofford College Environmental Studies Program: Senior Capstone Project While BSFL are very hardy insects, several condi5ons must be met to ensure a successful compost. 1. Moisture content The larvae have a difficult 5me consuming dried food and can drown in the presence of too much liquid so be considerate of what goes into the compost. The BioPod™ Plus has a drainage basin to prevent drowning and occasional sprays of water will keep the food moist. Be sure to keep the compost out of direct sunlight, as this will speed up the dehydra5on process. 2. Temperature Black soldier flies are na5ve the southern United States and thrive best in temperatures ranging from 60100° F 7 . There typically three genera5ons per warm season in Georgia, with larvae becoming dormant during the colder months 13 . This project spanned from late January un5l late March, with atmospheric temperatures reaching as low as 9° F 27 . The greenhouse sustained temperatures high enough to support an ac5ve BSFL colony during this 5me. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Savage, Dr. Ferguson, Professor Lane, Dr. Rayner, Junk MaNers, LLC, Wallace Campbell, David Thornton, and Bruce Adams for their support guidance, thoughrout this project. References and addi7onal resources Abstract Consolida5ng trash in landfills is now a widespread sanitary prac5ce. Landfills are essen5ally a non renewable resource because of a limited holding capacity and restric5ons on building new ones. Therefore, landfills must be used as efficiently as possible through only receiving material that cannot be diverted elsewhere. Two landfilldiversion methods are recycling and compos5ng, with recovering recyclables being much more common. There is a substan5ally smaller percent of organic, compostable materials that is diverted away from the landfill, leaving much room for improvement. One method of compos5ng involves using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), a nonpest insect, to consume and minimize food waste. A colony of BSFL successfully composted food waste from Wofford College's cafeteria, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Experimental Methods Discussion and Recommenda7ons Results The young larvae successfully reduced the food waste in the compost and matured into adult flies. The 5meline of the third compost trial is denoted listed on Table 1 (above right). Figure 1 (On left) Appearance of black soldier 5ly in different life stages 1 1. Black Soldier Fly. Integrated Pest Management. NC Coopera5ve Extension. hNp://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/pics/black_soldier_fly.gif 2. Direct Compost Solu5ons. Life Cycle of a Black Soldier Fly. hNp:// directcompostsolu5ons.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/08/BSFcare card2inches.jpg 3. External BioPod. BioPod Plus. hNp://www.thebiopod.com/pages/ biopodplus_files/bp002b2010masked002btextx560.png Internal Aquabarrel. BioPod Plus, Soldier Grub Composter. hNp:// www.aquabarrel.com/media/images/products/ abpCbiopod_internalview_500w.png 4. Prota™Culture. BioPod™User’s Guide. hNp://www.thebiopod.com/pdf/BioPodPlusManual.pdf 5. Tomberlin JK, Sheppard DC, Joyce JA. 2002. Selected life history traits of black soldier flies (Diptera: Stra5omyidae) reared on three ar5ficial diets. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 95: 379386. 6. Weather Underground. Weather History for KGSP February hNp:// www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KGSP/2015/2/23/ MonthlyHistory.html?&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo= Table 1: Compost timeline 2/2/15 Inoculate compost with 600 small larvae and 743 g of food 2/4/15 Add 223 g of food 2/8/15 Add 851 g of food. 2/11/15 Add 537 g of food 2/15/15 Add 267 g of food 2/16/15 Add 188 g of food 2/18/15 First 6D instar larvae sighted climbing migration ramp 2/23/15 Add 416 g of food. Eight mature larvae in collection bin 2/24/15 About 30D40 larvae in collection bin 3/2/15 Majority of food gone. Around 50D70 larvae in collection bin. Bugs active because of warm weather (27.4° C at 2:30 pm) 3/9/15 100+ larvae in collection bin 3/11/15 150+ larvae in collection bin 3/12/15 Add 299 g of food for remaining larvae. 200+ larvae in collection bin 3/20/15 Add 367 g of food 3/25/15 First appearance of adult black soldier fly Figure 2 (On right) Life cycle, in days, of the black soldier 5ly 2 Conclusion This experiment was at a scale comparable to a home sized compost. With enough par5cipa5on, geographically suitable loca5ons could substan5ally reduce food waste coming from residen5al areas. Furthermore, this method of compos5ng can be scaled up to provide cafeterias and restaurants a free and easy to maintain food disposal service that requires liNle, to no, transporta5on of waste. Currently, there are only a few formal scien5sts exploring the black soldier flies’ compos5ng capabili5es. As informa5on increases, so will the ability to u5lize this insect for a beneficial and sustainable prac5ce.
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Transcript of BSFL Poster
Black Soldier Fly Larvae Compos5ng Diver5ng food waste away from landfills by u5lizing natural processes
Hunter Bradshaw [email protected]
Figure 3-‐ External and internal view of the of BioPod™ Plus3
All compost piles were located in the Wofford College greenhouse. Temperatures inside the greenhouse were recorded several 5mes throughout the span of the experiment. The first aNempt at seOng up a BSFL compost was unsuccessful in reducing the food waste. The compost bin was home-‐made and did not sustain a suitable moisture content for the larvae. The second aNempt implemented the used of BioPod™ Plus, a compost bin manufactured specifically for BSFL. However, the larvae in the compost had matured past the point of ea5ng and were preparing for pupa5on. On the third aNempt, the compost was inoculated with young BSFL bought from a third-‐party vendor.
Wofford College Environmental Studies Program: Senior Capstone Project
While BSFL are very hardy insects, several condi5ons must be met to ensure a successful compost. 1. Moisture content-‐ The larvae have a difficult 5me
consuming dried food and can drown in the presence of too much liquid so be considerate of what goes into the compost. The BioPod™ Plus has a drainage basin to prevent drowning and occasional sprays of water will keep the food moist. Be sure to keep the compost out of direct sunlight, as this will speed up the dehydra5on process.
2. Temperature-‐ Black soldier flies are na5ve the southern United States and thrive best in temperatures ranging from 60-‐100° F7. There typically three genera5ons per warm season in Georgia, with larvae becoming dormant during the colder months13. This project spanned from late January un5l late March, with atmospheric temperatures reaching as low as 9° F27. The greenhouse sustained temperatures high enough to support an ac5ve BSFL colony during this 5me.
Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Savage, Dr. Ferguson, Professor Lane, Dr. Rayner, Junk MaNers, LLC, Wallace Campbell, David Thornton, and Bruce Adams for their support guidance, thoughrout this project.
References and addi7onal resources
Abstract Consolida5ng trash in landfills is now a widespread sanitary prac5ce. Landfills are essen5ally a non-‐renewable resource because of a limited holding capacity and restric5ons on building new ones. Therefore, landfills must be used as efficiently as possible through only receiving material that cannot be diverted elsewhere. Two landfill-‐diversion methods are recycling and compos5ng, with recovering recyclables being much more common. There is a substan5ally smaller percent of organic, compostable materials that is diverted away from the landfill, leaving much room for improvement. One method of compos5ng involves using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), a non-‐pest insect, to consume and minimize food waste. A colony of BSFL successfully composted food waste from Wofford College's cafeteria, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Experimental Methods Discussion and Recommenda7ons
Results The young larvae successfully reduced the food waste in the compost and matured into adult flies. The 5meline of the third compost trial is denoted listed on Table 1 (above right).
Figure 1-‐ (On left)
Appearance of black soldier 5ly in different life
stages 1
1. Black Soldier Fly. Integrated Pest Management. NC Coopera5ve Extension. hNp://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/pics/black_soldier_fly.gif 2. Direct Compost Solu5ons. Life Cycle of a Black Soldier Fly. hNp://directcompostsolu5ons.com/wp-‐content/uploads/2014/08/BSF-‐care-‐card-‐2-‐inches.jpg 3. External-‐ BioPod. BioPod Plus. hNp://www.thebiopod.com/pages/biopod-‐plus_files/bp002b2010-‐masked002btextx560.png Internal-‐ Aquabarrel. BioPod Plus, Soldier Grub Composter. hNp://www.aquabarrel.com/media/images/products/abpCbiopod_internalview_500w.png 4. Prota™Culture. BioPod™-‐User’s Guide. hNp://www.thebiopod.com/pdf/BioPod-‐Plus-‐Manual.pdf 5. Tomberlin JK, Sheppard DC, Joyce JA. 2002. Selected life history traits of black soldier flies (Diptera: Stra5omyidae) reared on three ar5ficial diets. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 95: 379-‐386. 6. Weather Underground. Weather History for KGSP-‐ February hNp://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KGSP/2015/2/23/MonthlyHistory.html?&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=
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Table&1:&Compost!timeline&2/2/15& Inoculate!compost!with!600!small!larvae!and!743!g!of!food&2/4/15& Add!223!g!of!food&2/8/15& Add!851!g!of!food.&2/11/15& Add!537!g!of!food&2/15/15& Add!267!g!of!food&2/16/15& Add!188!g!of!food&2/18/15& First!6D!instar!larvae!sighted!climbing!migration!ramp&2/23/15& Add!416!g!of!food.!Eight!mature!larvae!in!collection!bin&2/24/15& About!30D40!larvae!in!collection!bin&3/2/15! Majority!of!food!gone.!Around!50D70!larvae!in!collection!bin.!Bugs!active!
because!of!warm!weather!(27.4°!C!at!2:30!pm)!3/9/15! 100+!larvae!in!collection!bin!3/11/15! 150+!larvae!in!collection!bin!3/12/15! Add!299!g!of!food!for!remaining!larvae.!200+!larvae!in!collection!bin!3/20/15! Add!367!g!of!food!3/25/15! First!appearance!of!adult!black!soldier!fly!
Figure 2-‐ (On right) Life cycle, in days, of the black soldier
5ly2
Conclusion This experiment was at a scale comparable to a home sized compost. With enough par5cipa5on, geographically suitable loca5ons could substan5ally reduce food waste coming from residen5al areas. Furthermore, this method of compos5ng can be scaled up to provide cafeterias and restaurants a free and easy to maintain food disposal service that requires liNle, to no, transporta5on of waste. Currently, there are only a few formal scien5sts exploring the black soldier flies’ compos5ng capabili5es. As informa5on increases, so will the ability to u5lize this insect for a beneficial and sustainable prac5ce.
