Q&A: Do I need climate control if I have the ideal outside weather?
An engineer would answer this question with a solid yes. Because the outside weather never is 100% consistent with the requirements of the larvae and flies at the different growing stages. At the same time, you can grow black soldier flies when you have year-round a warm humid climate matching the natural conditions of a black soldier fly.
In all cases you can only speak of a controlled environment when you have a climate unit with cooling and heating capacities and a controller to regulate it.
Proper air flow is essential when farming BSF. Rooms need sufficient air changes per hour, even without cooling or heating systems.
During the production cycle, BSF activity generates significant heat. This heat builds up inside the room. CO₂ and ammonia levels also increase during production.
Because of these conditions, fresh air must continuously enter the system. Adequate ventilation ensures stable temperature, safe gas levels, and healthy larval growth.
On a side note, to avoid misinterpretation. Yes, it is possible based on the feed of the larvae that ammonia is produced. This can be cleaned from the air with, for example, an ammonia scrubber or a bio bed. So, there is no smell for the surroundings of the BSF farm. Most likely we will devote a separate article to the subject of possible smells and the related solutions.
