Black Soldier Fly

Slow and dumb
Location: South Central VA
August 27, 2011 5:23 pm
We LOTS of these fly’s, bee’s or whatever they are. They don’t have stingers and fly really slow and are really easy to swat once they have landed…. I call them the B-52’s of flies (fly slow and low)…What are they? We have a small goat herd with a couple of cows and pigs and these are in the barn. Once they get inside they gravitate to the windows, or up into the lights.
Signature: Fed up with swatting bugs

Black Soldier Fly

Dear Fed up with swatting bugs,
If you are truly “Fed up with swatting bugs”, then just stop.  This is a harmless Black Soldier Fly.  They are often associated with compost piles and similar habitats because that is where the larvae live.  Black Soldier Fly Larvae are a positive contribution to a healthy compost pile.  As your letter indicates, they do not sting, nor to they bite.  We would urge you to learn to tolerate these harmless creatures.

2 thoughts on “Black Soldier Fly”

  1. Does the black soldier fly sting or bite? My wife just stepped on a black bug has wings, anten.. and it stung or something my wife described as hurting and feeling like a sting. Any ideas

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