A reader recently sent us a photograph accompanied by two questions. She wants to know what the specimen in the photograph is, and how she can get rid of it. The creature is either dark brown or black, has a distinct segmented body, and has a tiny tail at its posterior end.

We are confident that this worm-like organism is a black soldier fly larva! Unlike most fly larvae, black soldier fly larvae, or BSFL for short, are rarely considered pests. These larvae are highly efficient at breaking down organic substrates and returning nutrients back to the soil, making them excellent additions to a compost pile. They can even convert waste into animal feed, and some raise them to feed to chickens because they are an excellent source of protein.

While we think black solider fly larvae are fascinating, we understand why our reader doesn’t want them in her house. In order to get rid of these larvae, she will need to find and eliminate their food. Since these larvae eat organic waste, they probably won’t hang out in the living room or bedroom. They are probably camping out in the kitchen. We recommend our reader investigate her trash can, under the sink, and any other areas that organic matter could be building up. She should scrub out these areas to eliminate any organic remains that are serving as a food source for the larvae. Finally, our reader can remove any food or other organic matter that is sitting on the counter unprotected that the BSFL might be eating.