BSFL Care Guide
Beginners Guide to BSFL!
Welcome to the world of BSFL care! Here’s a simple guide to help you store them for longer life and feed your pets with ease. Let's make it easy for your pets to enjoy their nutritious treat!
What Are BSFL?
BSFL are an amazing superfood! An all-natural, high-protein treat for your reptiles. Packed full of calcium and nutrients, they help your critters stay healthy and happy.
As they get older, they go through different stages of growth. If you didn't already know - BSFL are the younger stages of Black Soldier Flies!
When receiving your larvae, they only 15 days old!
And,
If you're receiving Teenies, they are just 9 days old!
Storing Your BSFL
Ideal Temperature
Keep your BSFL cool but not freezing! Store them in the fridge at 8–12 °C. This will help them live longer, up to 2 weeks.
In temperatures cooler than this, they may go into shock and pupate faster. This means they will turn dark (we have supplied an image below) - which is typically seen in their next growth stage.
They are still edible for your pets at this stage, as long as they are not "soggy" or have a bad smell; this will indicate they have passed.
Typically pupation occurs closer to 20 days old. Cold storing can help extend this!
Keeping them at room temperature is okay, although you will find they gradually lean towards pupation with time.
If you are hoping to grow them into flies - they will take approximately 2 weeks from pupation and will emerge on their own. We have found some reptiles thoroughly enjoy them as flies!
Container and Substrate
Use a breathable plastic container (you can make a few small holes for ventilation).
We'd recommend a container with a mesh lid! This prevents any possibility of larvae crawling out of ventilation holes on the sides of the container.
This can be as simple as cutting a section of the lid out and replacing with mesh! If you do not have access to this, putting plenty of holes in the lid will do!
Substrate tips:
We recommend wheat bran or oats! A 2–3 cm layer will keep them comfy.
Keep the substrate dry but not too dry. Add fresh substrate every 5–7 days to keep it fresh and clean!
You may find the larvae will slowly eat at the substrate once or if damp. They will have difficulty eating anything that is not soft or too dry - adding veggies/fruit or dampening some oats will help them eat.
Once pupation begins, they will not need anymore food.
Moisture and Cleanliness
Give your BSFL a little treat of moisture with damp oats or veggies but be sure to remove them after 12–24 hours to prevent mold.
Regular cleaning:
Spot clean every 2–3 days by removing any soiled substrate.
Harvesting and Rotation
If your larvae are getting too crowded, use a mesh or sifter to harvest some for feeding - if need be! In most cases, you will be able to grab a small handful directly.
You can rotate containers: one for storage and another for harvesting to keep them from overcrowding.
Overcrowding takes place when the storage container is too small - upsizing the container or splitting into 2 containers helps prevent this.
They will often "sweat" if overcrowded, this will lead to some unpleasant scent, quite similar to how we would sweat and smell. You may also find the substrate become moist (outside of feeding). If they are not overcrowded, they should not have any off smell or excess moisture.
Feeding Your Reptiles
The feeding amounts here are just rough guidelines. Feel free to adjust depending on your pet’s appetite!
Reptile Stage Quantity of BSFL per Feeding Feeding Frequency Hatchlings/Neonates 5–10 "teeny" larvae 2× per day Juveniles 10–20 "teeny" larvae 1–2× per day Sub-Adults 20–30 larvae 1× per day Adults 30–50 larvae Every other day (or daily as treat)
Remove leftovers:
Don’t leave uneaten larvae in their dish too long! Pick up any leftovers after 15-20 minutes to keep their enclosure nice and clean.
Helpful Tips
Dealing with smell?
Check airflow, keep your substrate dry, and clean regularly to keep your BSFL from getting stinky.
It is fairly common for larvae to have a bit of a smell upon arrival! This is due to them being in a small package for a few days - place them into their storage container with substrate and the smell should go!
Avoid mold:
Don't over-moisten the substrate—remove damp scraps quickly to avoid mold build-up.
FAQs
How long can I store BSFL?
With proper care in the fridge, they can last up to 2 weeks! Sometimes longer!
Can my pet eat spoiled BSFL?
No! If BSFL are discolored or smell off, it’s time to toss them out.
Can my pet eat BSFL once they're flies?
Yes! They make a perfect treat - you may find your pet to have a bit of a workout chasing after them!
What do BSFL eat?
If you're looking to feed your BSFL, they will eat soft fruits and veggies - even moist oats!
They may slowly eat harder veggies like carrots, although you will find they take a little longer to get through them.
Can I put BSFL in my compost?
Yes! BSFL make excellent composters. They are perfect for biowaste conversion.
If your compost bin currently as worms, they may overrule the worms as BSFL are heat conductors. The worms may not enjoy this.
There are many DIY compost bins online for BSFL! It's definitely something worth looking into.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us! :)
