Black Soldier Fly Homestead Guide: Raise larvae on kitchen scraps for chicken feed · Alt Ordo Systems Guide

Black soldier fly larvae eat food scraps, manure and spoiled produce fast, and grow into fat, protein-rich grubs that chickens love. When a grub is fully grown it stops eating and climbs out of its food to look for a dry place. Give it a ramp and a slot, and it drops into a bucket by itself. That is the whole trick: a tote, a ramp, a bucket and warm weather. The adult fly does not bite, sting or come into the house, and a working bin keeps houseflies down.

This guide helps you build a self-harvesting black soldier fly bin from a $10 tote, bring in wild flies or a starter culture, feed it your scraps, and turn the larvae into protein for hens, ducks and fish, with the frass for your garden.

What's inside. 19 pages in 9 chapters (At a glance, Where it works, How it works, Size it, Parts and cost, Build it, Run it, Rules and permits, How it connects), then the sources and a notes page. 7 numbered figures drawn for this guide. You also get a worked example with a fill-in worksheet, 8 numbered steps, a year-round calendar, and a troubleshooting table.

Sourced and fact-checked. Facts and figures are cited to the 16 sources listed at the back, and the whole guide was fact-checked before release. General guidance, not engineering advice: your county and a qualified pro have the last word on your site.

Pairs with other Alt Ordo Systems Guides: Backyard chickens; Composting; DIY Worm Tower Plans; Hoop greenhouses; Canning and food preservation. For your county's permits and rules, see our county and state guides.

Instant PDF download. After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.