1. BLACK SOLDIER FLY (BSF)
BIOCONVERSION:
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Montaña de Luz
KEVIN EVERSON – Project Organizer
THOMAS GULLO – Construction Specialist
MARISSA LAUER – Design Coordinator
April 13, 2016

2. Overview of Presentation
 Problem Statement – Montaña de Luz (MdL) and Waste Management
 Background – Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Bioconversion
 Objectives
 Final Bin Design
 Deliverables
 Project Schedule
 Budget
 Limitations
 Sustainability
 Retrospective Thoughts
 Recommendations for MdL
 Acknowledgements

3. Problem Statement–
MdL and Waste Management
 Previously used a small-scale BSF system for some waste
 Unpleasant odors persisted
 Needed larger, improved system with proper drainage

4. A visual aid…

5. Background–
Black Soldier Fly Bioconversion

6. Black Soldier Flies
 Native to many places around the world and can adapt to
various climates
 Larval form eats food waste, consume ~95% of food waste
 Larvae live long, feed for ~2 weeks
 Great food source for livestock
 Adult form has no mouth
 Adults do not live long, about 5-8 days
 Main goal for adults is to reproduce

7. Applications
 Reduces food waste
 Reduces animal feed costs
 Improves fertilization

8. Bin Design
Pupae
Collector
Pupae
Collector
Liquid/Frass
Collector
Lid
Width – 5'
Height - 1'

9. 5’
1’
2.14’
Dimensions (Not to scale)
35˚
Note – 2’ depth

10. Drainage
component
Final Design
Waste bin
Pupae exit ramps
Fly entry hole
Egg traps
Pupae collection bins

11. Drainage Component
Consisted of:
 1 sheet of galvanized mesh
 2 sheets of fly screen
 1 sheet of heavy plastic

12. BSF Entry Holes and Egg Traps
 Incorporated entry holes
and egg traps to maintain
BSFL presence in system
 Designed to attract
female black soldier flies

13. Pros and Cons
Pros:
 Efficient larvae collection
 Large, robust size and
design
 Sustains ~37 lbs. of food
waste per day
 Proper drainage
 Odor-reducing (aerobic)
 Easy to clean
Cons:
 Wood may decompose
over time
 May attract other insects
 Larvae may fall through
system

14. Deliverables
 One full size BSF
composting
system
 Manual for
maintenance and
troubleshooting

15. Project Schedule
 Monday, 3/14
 Constructed the walls of the bin using wood panels and brackets
 Cut the lid of the bin from a wooden panel
 Tuesday, 3/15
 Continued construction, including the frame below the bin and
holes on each ramp
 Applied layers of Maderol and caulk to the walls, lid, and edges of
the bin
 Wednesday, 3/16
 Finalized construction, applied polyurethane, connected PVC pipes
and elbows, and connected the lid with hinges

16.  Thursday, 3/17
 Moved the system into the chicken coop, added food waste and larvae
 Checked on the system intermittently throughout the day
 Friday, 3/18
 Cleaned the system to rid it of the ant infestations
 Added another layer of fly screen to prevent larvae falling through the
system
 Created a system to prevent further ant infestations
 Saturday, 3/19 - Sunday, 3/20
 Observed system in action, ensured that bleach buckets still have water
Project Schedule, continued

17. Budget
Item Quantity Expected Price Actual Price
OSB Panels
(4’x8’ panels)
4 $32.45 $121.95
Weather treated
lumber (2’’x4’’
panels)
~ 16 feet $14.94 $18.97
Buckets 4 $11.88 $20.21
Wood Treatment 1 gallon N/A $14.80
Polyurethane 3 spray cans $38.84 $19.22
Other components - $149.05 $101.13
TOTAL - $247.16 $297.25

18. Design Limitations Pre-Trip
 Inability to transport certain items due to
plane restrictions
 Availability and compatibility of hardware
near MdL
 Budget necessitates compromise
 Labor intensive

19. Design Limitations During Construction
Problem Solution
Straight-edge cutting with power saw Steady hands, patience, and practice
Obtaining the correct size drill spade
and PVC elbow for pupae chutes
Trip to the hardware store
Attaching the PVC elbows to the bin Used drill spade, sand paper, and
silicone caulk
Obtaining BSFL Searched through waste using
trowels, collected larvae
Ant infestation Placed bleach buckets under each leg
with a brick and filled with water
BSFL falling through mesh Added additional fly screen to
bottom of bin

21. Eliminating Ants and Preventing Infestations
 Emptied and rinsed out bin
 Added bleach buckets
 Sprayed each leg with Raid

22. Sustainability
 Requires little maintenance
 Maderol and Polyurethane prevent the wood from rotting
 System does not require mixing
 Easy to clean
 Low budget (~$300)
 Diverts food waste back into orphanage production
 Animal feed
 Compost for fruit trees

23. Recommendations for MdL
 Add food waste daily, including meat (monitor waste
levels closely at first)
 Monitor larvae presence/absence
 Dump harvest buckets daily for animal feed
 Clean out unwanted trash as needed (bones, bags etc.)
 Fill bleach buckets with water to prevent ant infestations

24. Retrospective Thoughts
 More thorough research on food waste amounts
 Consideration of ants and other insects
 More precise calculations for sizes (too much material
purchased)
 More communication with MdL before trip

25. Summary–
Waste Management with Black Soldier Flies
Benefits:
 Lower feed cost
 Reduce food waste
 Reduce impact on
environment
 More compost available
 Endures for ~56 people
(~37 lbs. of food waste
per day)
Costs:
 Approximately $300

26. Acknowledgements
Thank you
Dr. Edgar Casale,
Isa Fernandez-Puentes,
Ruth DeYoe,
Dr. Chris Ratcliff,
Jorge Vallecillo,
OSU teams
and the entire staff
and children at
Montaña de Luz!