Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is one of the most widely farmed insect species. As insect farming scales up, understanding whether BSF can suffer and what conditions promote their welfare is increasingly important.
The welfare status of insects remains scientifically uncertain. The precautionary argument is that if there is meaningful probability that insects experience something, the sheer numbers farmed — potentially trillions annually — make this a morally significant question even if individual probability of sentience is low. For black soldier fly specifically, there are relatively few nociception studies compared to other insects. Good practice in insect farming should include minimizing stressful conditions during rearing, researching humane killing methods, and supporting the science needed to resolve the uncertainty about insect sentience.