SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROPAGATING DIPTERAN LARVAE
A method is provided for mass-rearing black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to the mature larval stage just prior to the pre-pupal developmental stage. The BSFL biomass produced by the mass-rearing methods can be used for processing decayable biological or organic waste and converting it into protein meal for animal feeds and melanin or melanin-associated proteins.
1 . A method for mass-rearing dipteran flies comprising:
providing:
a larval incubation container,
inert substrate material,
a larval feed,
dipteran fly larvae, and
water;
grinding and/or sieving the inert substrate material to obtain substrate material particles having largest diameters of ≤3.2 mm;
grinding and/or sieving the larval feed to obtain larval feed particles having largest diameters of ≤3.2 mm;
drying the inert substrate material;
adding dry inert substrate material to the larval incubation container;
adding the larval feed to the larval incubation container;
mixing the larval feed and the dry inert substrate material in the larval incubation container;
adding the dipteran fly larvae to the larval incubation container;
adding water to the dipteran fly larvae, the larval feed and dry inert substrate material in the larval incubation container to obtain a ratio, wherein the ratio ranges by weight from 1.5 parts water:1 part dry inert substrate material plus the larval feed to 2.5 parts water:1 part dry inert substrate material plus the larval feed;
incubating the dipteran larvae in the larval incubation container; and
harvesting the dipteran flies produced in the larval incubation container.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the largest diameters of the substrate material particles and/or the larval feed particles are between 2 mm and 3.2 mm.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dipteran flies are black soldier flies (BSF).
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvested dipteran flies are larvae.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvested dipteran flies are pre-pupae.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvested dipteran flies are pupae.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvested dipteran flies are adults.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert substrate material is a ligno-cellulosic material.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dipteran larvae added to the larval incubation container are black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) that are 2-4 days old and weigh about 5-30 mg wet weight per larva.
10 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising, before the harvesting, starving the dipteran fly larvae for 2-4 days prior to the harvesting.
11 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising, after the harvesting, placing the harvested larvae in water and starving the harvested larvae for approximately 24-48 hours.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the larval feed is a low-fat larval feed having a fat content of 5-15%.
13 . A system for mass-rearing dipteran flies comprising:
a larval incubation container,
dry inert substrate material, wherein the dry inert substrate material comprises particles, wherein the largest diameters of the substrate material particles are ≤3.2 mm,
a larval feed, wherein the largest diameters of the larval feed particles are ≤3.2 mm,
dipteran fly larvae, and
means for separating the dipteran fly larvae from the substrate material.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the largest diameters of the substrate material particles and/or the larval feed particles are between 2 mm and 3.2 mm.