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Simple Summary: The black soldier fly is a tropical and subtropical fly that is increasingly used in animal feed worldwide. Its larvae develop in organic plant or animal matter and agro-industrial by-products. In Africa, they represent a source of protein that can help improve local poultry feed rations. The aim of this study was to improve the technique of black soldier fly larvae production by using local substrates (poultry droppings, cotton cake, brewery waste, and local beer waste) for animal feed in Burkina Faso. This study showed that the production of black soldier fly larvae by exposing substrates to naturally occurring flies is possible but that yields strongly vary according to the season and the substrates and types of containers used. These results provide important information for the development of sustainable insect-based poultry feed production methods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Larvae of Hermetia illucens are a valuable source of protein for animal feed that can be produced by exposing animal and agro-industrial wastes to naturally occurring flies. The objective of this study was to improve techniques for obtaining H. illucens larvae to feed livestock in Burkina Faso. An experiment was conducted to determine the most favourable substrates and seasons for larval production. The substrates used were poultry manure, local beer waste, local beer waste mixed with poultry manure, cottonseed cake, and industrial brewery waste mixed with poultry manure. The production of larvae was carried out in four different seasons. The effect of the container's oviposition area (0.07 m2, 0.09 m2, and 0.11 m2) and the type of container (terracotta, plastic, and iron) on larval production was also assessed. The produced larval biomass was high during, or just after, the rainy season but very low during the cool dry and hot dry seasons. Yields were higher with local beer waste mixed with poultry manure followed by local beer waste and cottonseed cake. The average mass of H. illucens larvae increased slightly with the oviposition area for the same amount of substrate. Iron and terracotta containers provided better results than plastic containers. The suitability of this production method for H. illucens larvae production is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In West Africa, termites are commonly used as protein feed for poultry by smallholder farmers who trap them by placing containers filled with organic matters on termite tracks. The objective of this study conducted in Burkina Faso was to test and improve the technique to increase the availability of termites for traditional poultry farmers. The study focused on termites of the genus Macrotermes and found that the quantity of termites trapped varied with the containers' types, substrates placed in the container, habitats, harvesting times, duration of trap deposition, and season. These results allow to provide information to farmers on how to optimize the trapping of Macrotermes species and increase the quantity of termites available as protein source for their poultry. This study aimed to promote the use of termites as feed in traditional poultry farming by developing sustainable and inexpensive termite trapping techniques. Various tests were carried out in Burkina Faso to improve the traditional technique of trapping termites of the genus Macrotermes using a reversed container filled with organic matters. We studied the effect of containers' types, substrates, habitats, harvesting times, duration of trap deposition, and season on the quantity of termites trapped. Calabashes and terra cotta pots trapped more termites than iron boxes, but calabashes were quickly destroyed by termites. The quantity of termites harvested increased proportionally with the volume of the pot and was higher in a cultivated habitat than in a forest, despite the higher number of termite mounds in the forest. The quantity of termites harvested was lowest in the cold-dry season and highest during the rainy season, however, sizeable amounts of termites were collected throughout the year. Among six substrates and mixtures of substrates tested, maize cobs trapped the highest number of termites and cow dung the lowest. The best time of harvest varied among seasons and, if substrates are abundant, it is more efficient to empty the containers on a daily basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]