Black Soldier Fly Larvea Q

[Desdemona]

So, I am thinking of maybe going with these guys instead. They don't cost that much more than the silkworms and seem a lot less trouble. I also don't have to buy special food which probably evens out the price if not making them a little cheaper. According to Mulberry Farms you don't even have to feed them. I am wondering if anyone has any experience on this. Feeding them seems like a good idea, but googling for their care is tricky.

Any input would be appreciated!

 

[ChickenChump]

I've heard that leos have trouble digesting these tough, leathery grubs. Although I've never fed these to leos, the ones I fed to my finches came out just like they came in. I culture these. As you know, these are the larvae of a fly, which is most often found at compost bins. It depends on the season and where you live, but for the most part these flies can be found anywhere in the US, more common down south. (Like here in Florida) I started with a 5 gallon bucket and 3 pounds of wet, fermented chicken feed. Make sure to add corrugated cardboard to the bin, since females will lay large batches of eggs in the holes. Within a week I had hundreds of BSF larvae, and thousands of pest flies. A month later, I had mature larvae and no pest flies. I had to make several upgrades to the bucket, like holes in the bottom to pass the sludge, and a crawl off system for slef-harvesting the larvae. Florida winters last about 2 months, and with no adult females, I just keep the bucket as is and the larvae stick to the bottom and 'hibernate' during cold weather.

 

[Desdemona]

Hmmm,, I will have to see how mine react to them. I liked the whole "extra calcium" promise they come with. They will still get Dubais and now Silkworms on top of those. I am not going to breed them though, I live in a townhouse complex and I don't think my neighbors would be impressed.

 

[ChickenChump]

Hmmm,, I will have to see how mine react to them. I liked the whole "extra calcium" promise they come with. They will still get Dubais and now Silkworms on top of those. I am not going to breed them though, I live in a townhouse complex and I don't think my neighbors would be impressed.

A mature bucket dosen't smell bad at all, just like dirt. I only see adult flies occasionally too. I have mine mainly for disposing the scraps and feeding the chickens. My friend's beardie loves them, he doesn't have trouble digesting them but he likes to chew on a single grub for 30 seconds.