BACHOK: Flies breeding may sound peculiar, but in aquaculture, black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are an alternative source of chicken and fish feed.
University Malaya (UM) Social Engineering Research Group senior lecturer Dr Norhidayah Mohd Taufek said based on her four-year research, BSF or its scientific name Hermetia Illucens, is able to save cost of buying livestock feed in the market.
The researcher from UM Biological Science Institute told Bernama that the larvae will be collected to feed chicken and fish and is also high in protein that is beneficial to the animals.
She said one gramme of the flies’ eggs costs only RM10 and the eggs can be recycled, to generate up to three kilogrammes of larvae.
Nor Norhidayah said BSF’s lifecycle is around 45 days and the larvae can already be harvested after 15 to 18 days.
“The breeding process depends on the area where there are suitable organic wastes and the process is very easy, for example, put about one gramme of BSF larvae inside a basin with food waste and let them grow into one-inch sized pre pupa.
“At this time, they can already be harvested to be made into feed. The larvae which are easy to breed and clean as they are not a disease-vector and are not dangerous to human,” she said.
She said BSF also decomposes organic waste that could be turned into fertilisers, while for fish food, BSF are made into flour and then pellets using a formula.
According to Norhidayah, BSF can be found almost all around the world and are easy to breed, especially in the tropical weather of Malaysia.
“BSF has been widely used for several years in Selangor, however in Kelantan it is just starting,” she said, adding that she is cooperating with Ain Aquaculture Sdn Bhd, a marine fish hatchling and breeding centre to conduct workshops for locals who are interested in the larvae breeding. – Bernama
