Black Soldier Fly Farming: From Manual to Scalable – The Bolt-On Off-the-Shelf Automation Approach
At Soldier Fly Technologies, we've reimagined the pathway to scalable insect farming through our innovative Bolt-On Off-the-Shelf (BOOTS) Automation strategy. Unlike many others who leap into fully automated systems right from the start, we've discovered that simplicity can prevail. By integrating tried-and-tested off-the-shelf solutions, we maintain low capital expenditures (CapEx) while providing modular systems that adapt effortlessly as your operations grow.
Our approach is centered around gradual automation enhancement, minimizing operational expenditures (OpEx) over time. With BOOTS Automation you can initially use manual forklifts to destack macro bins, and when the time is right, upgrade to a fully automated destacker and tilt/dump system—technology proven by farmers who use it every day. As your capacity needs increase and budget allows, consider investing in self-driving autonomous forklifts to boost labor efficiency. Maintain optimal hygiene and throughput with dedicated commercial BOOTS Automation washing lines for your larvae growing bins. This ensures a clean, efficient, and healthy environment for your Black Soldier Fly larvae. By partnering with a leading US seed counting company, we've adapted their BOOTS Automation technology to accurately count insect neonates—up to 4,000 larvae per second. This eliminates the need to create new systems from scratch, allowing you to focus on scaling your operations.
Our proprietary Entoware system ensures full traceability and accountability throughout the production cycle. With every container barcoded for efficient data recording, managing inputs and outputs becomes hassle-free.
While many companies initially focus on perfecting production unit economics, they often overlook the critical aspect of market demand. We believe in starting small, building your market, and scaling up to bring unit economics down as production expands. This is the cornerstone of the Soldier Fly Technologies model—beginning with as manual a system as funds and market size dictate, then progressively automating when it makes sense.
Explore how our modular systems and BOOTS Automation approach can revolutionize your Black Soldier Fly farming operations. Keep growing sustainably, efficiently, and profitably.