|
 | Beautiful Gardens Begin With
Great Compost... And Great Compost Starts With Our
Vermicomposter's Specials Check our our First Time Vermicomposter's Specials. We provide EVERYTHING you need to turn your organic garbage into the best compost on earth! |
| Order online or by phone. Call toll free... (888) 989-1558 |
Soldier Fly
Soldier Fly Larvae and Soldier Fly Adults pictures by Dorie Rose
Soldier flies (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) are true flies that resemble wasps in their appearance and behavior. These flies do not bite or sting. Adult flies are often found on flowers and vary in color from black, metallic blue, green or purple, to brightly colored black and yellow patterns. You can tell that they are flies and not wasps because flies have just two wings, unlike wasps that have four wings. When at rest, the wings are folded scissor-like across their abdomens.
The larvae are very aggressive consumers in the worm bin. So much so that the
passive worms may temporarily retreat to the lower parts of the bin until the soldier fly
larvae have grown into adults and flown away. If your worms do retreat be sure you
have food in the lower parts of your bin so they don’t starve. The larvae change in color
from off white, to light brown, to gray. Some describe them as big, ugly, segmented
maggots. They have about 10 segments and are somewhat flat on the underside. One
end is round and the other end comes to a slight point.
The larvae are found in large groups in the organic material, and can tolerate very hot
conditions. When disturbed, they will retreat from the light, just as worms do.
Some folks raise these in the bins and use them as fishing bait. Others remove them by
hand and feed them to the birds. We have heard of one worm farmer who placed their
chicken in the bin to dine upon the tasty morsels and found this to be a very effective
method of soldier fly larvae control. My concern is that the bird might find the worms
and eat them as well.
Soldier fly larvae are harmless to you, your worms and your plants. They are very good
decomposers and, if allowed to stay in you vermicomposting system, will help to recycle
your waste. Just be sure that your worms get plenty to eat as well.
There are approximately 1,500 species of soldier flies worldwide.
Back To Top