multi-stage bsf starter kit update

Jun 202010
 

We have discontinued starter kits for the foreseeable future. I’ll keep this post available for any information that might be useful

 

This year our starter kit contains 3000 black soldier fly eggs in the hatchery pictured above, and 1000 larvae of various sizes. For the price we’re asking, that represents an excellent value in terms of the number of BSF. I also believe that combining eggs, juvenile larvae, and mature larvae is a more effective strategy for jump starting a BSF unit than a juvenile larvae-only kit. We have a page with a full description of the kit including pricing and shipping options which you can navigate to from the right sidebar or by clicking HERE.

Black solidier fly larvae-variation in growth rate

Sep 242008
 

I recently collected a newly laid clutch of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)eggs for a photographic study of their development and I isolated three of them for the photos. I placed the three individuals and the remaining few hundred BSF from that clutch into identical containers. I didn’t keep detailed records, but there is an interesting comparison that I believe illustrates the flexibility of BSF development.

larval-growth-variance-w

Temperature and humidity were approximately the same for both batches of larvae. The large larvae is one of the three that was separated for the photos and all three are similar in size. The small larvae is from the more crowded container which held the bulk of the larvae. The same type of food was available to both groups, but I can’t attest to the quality of the food in the more crowded environment that produced the smaller larvae. From casual observation it appeared that there was always food available to both groups. The most obvious difference between the two containers was the density of larvae. The small larvae where moved into a larger container six days after hatching and seem to be healthy and growing, but are still relatively small.

I imagine any properly educated researcher would not be surprised by this difference in development, but to this layman it’s very interesting.

solider

getting started – Attracting the BSF

May 282008
 

To establish black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) you first need to attract the adult (winged) females so they can lay their eggs. To do this you need to bait them with some type of food.

black soldier fly bait box

Types of food for baiting BSF

You may use almost any food scraps, but I’m experimenting with different types to see which are the best. To find the bait the flies will need to be able to follow a scent trail, so items like vegetable peels or bread might not be the best choice. You may not attract the BSF right away so choosing a type of bait that won’t spoil too quickly may be a good idea. When I started a new colony this year I put out dry dog food (slightly moistened), used tea bags, refried beans, cottage cheese and coffee grounds. The teabags helped hold in moisture and the BSF like to lay their eggs on paper. I’ve noticed that the larvae seem to like coffee grounds so I thought they might be good for attracting adults. I kept this bait outside in fairly warm weather for two weeks and it never did get too nasty and it worked pretty well also. I think it’s a good idea to keep the bait moist for two reasons; the smell will be a little stronger (better attractant) and any eggs may develop more effectively.

Bait boxes

This year instead of putting my BSF bait directly into the BioComposter I tried putting out four individual bait boxes (see photo above). I made them by cutting the ends off of 12 pack soda cartons. Since I added water to the bait everyday it would have been a good idea to reinforce the bottoms with tape, but they held up just long enough. One reason I tried these boxes was to make it easier to swap out the bait if it spoiled too much. The main reason I tried it was so that I could easily move the bait to different areas. I think one of the best places I found was near a garbage can that was a little past the point when it should have been picked up. I moved the boxes into a closed container at night because the BSF aren’t out then. In fact, I’ve rarely seen one laying eggs before noon, they seem to be active during the hottest part of the day. Maybe that will change as we move into summer.

Once you have established a balanced colony of BSF larvae the number of houseflies near your colony will be dramatically reduced. Most likely you will have to put up with them until then. Either way it’s wise to wear latex gloves when handling the boxes. With an established BSF colony I usually just wash my hands immediately after working with them. Unlike houseflies, black soldier flies aren’t associated with the transmission of disease.

bsf-bait-near-garbage-can

After about a week I was seeing a good number of BSF laying eggs in the bait boxes so I moved them all into my BioComposting unit. Two weeks after setting out the bait I removed the bait boxes. The photo below shows my progress at that point.

bsfl-two-weeks-after-beginning

Trial and Error – Starting My First BSF Colony

May 242008
 

I put out my first bucket of food scraps to attract black soldier flies in the spring of 2007. I soon observed the adult flies laying eggs in my bucket so I assumed that in a few days I would see larvae.

The literature I’ve read states that BSF eggs will hatch in roughly 100 hours.

After six days of seeing BSF in my bucket I had observed what I correctly assumed were BSF eggs, but still no larvae. The evenings had been cool and I imagined that temperature was the limiting factor. I took this photo on the sixth day and you can see a group (clutch?) of eggs which are about 1/2 inch (12 mm) across:

bsf eggs on cabbage

More than two weeks after observing BSF all I had to show was a few fruit flies and some dehydrated food scraps. I wasn’t even seeing BSF anymore. At that point I began to lose interest in the project and I stopped checking the bucket on a daily basis. We were experiencing drought conditions then and the last time I had checked the bucket I didn’t even replace the lid. We finally got a good rain but since I had lost interest I didn’t bother checking the bucket. A few days after the rain I passed by the bucket and noticed some flies buzzing around. I took a closer look and saw that they were black soldier flies. I looked inside the bucket to see some sloppy food scraps, and finally, BSF larvae.

first batch of black soldier fly larvae

black soldier fly larva and a penny

The fact that some of the larvae were almost full size seems to indicate that they had hatched even before the rain. Maybe the dry conditions didn’t stop the development of the eggs but instead just slowed it down and possibly limited the number of survivors. I think it may be best to keep the food scraps shaded and moist to help the eggs develop. Also, when the larvae first hatch they’re very small and it won’t be easy to see them for several days.