1. What are Black Soldier Fly Larvae?
Black Soldier Fly Larvae are the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens). They are also marketed as Calci-worms, Vitaworms, Phoenixworms, Soldier Grubs and BSFL.
2. How are they different to mealworms?
Mealworms are the larval stage of the Darkling Beetles (Tenebrio Molitor). Mealworms have similar protein and fat content as black soldier fly larvae but they are much lower in calcium.
3. What are the nutritional advantages of Black Soldier Fly Larvae over other live foods?
4. What can eat BSFL?
BSFL are great for most reptiles, frogs, turtles, chickens, ducks, rats, ferrets and some insectivorous birds and fish.
5. How often should I feed my pet BSFL?
Live BSFL should be fed as part of a balanced diet. Depending on the size of your reptile, 6-8 BSFL once or twice a week may be sufficient. Chickens will be happy to eat as much as you give them! Again, ensure BSFL are part of a balanced diet. As with any living creature, they will exhibit their preferences but we always encourage a variety of food as part of your pet's diet. Fresh water should always be available.
6. Can I overfeed by reptile on BSFL?
your reptile will usually eat until it is satiated or full. Being 100% natural, there is no harm to your reptile if they eat too many BSFL.
7. My BSFL have started to go brown/black? Are they dead?
Your larvae are just maturing. The rate of maturation is often influenced by their environmental conditions. If they are too hot or stressed, they may mature or darken sooner. The BSFL are still safe to feed out when they change colour. Your pet may have a personal preference for the lighter ones so use those up first.
8. Can I keep the live BSFL in the fridge?
BSFL can be kept in the fridge for short periods of time. Being a tropical species, long periods spent in cold conditions may kill the BSFL. To slow down the maturation of the BSFL you can simply keep them somewhere cool and dark. If feeding out over more than 10 days, the door of the refrigerator may be a way of storing the BSFL for longer. Allow your BSFL to warm up at room temperature prior to feeding to give them time to 're-activate'.
9. How do I keep my live BSFL fresh?
Fresh is best! BSF are happiest and healthiest when kept in a well ventilated container in a dark place. They can produce heat and humidity when kept in a closed container which will increase the risk of odour and death to the larvae. You can feed your BSFL soft, mushy fruit or bread to keep them healthy and active.
10. Do I need to dust my live BSFL with calci-dust or gut load them?
No and no. Save your money!! BSFL are just perfect a-la-natural!! They have over 50x the calcium of crickets and mealworms so no need to calci-dust.
11. How long will my BSFL last?
Your BSFL should last up to 2 weeks if kept in the right conditions. As mentioned, keeping them cool will slow down their maturation. We do recommend buying small amounts more frequently to ensure your live food is in the best condition.
12. What are the BSFL packed in?
Live BSFL are packaged in clean, dry bran. The larvae are sensitive to light so naturally like to bury down in a substrate. The bran may darken over time as the larvae perspire and poop in their container. The bran is safe for humans so should be safe for pets too. To clean off the bran, simply brush off, sift off or pop your larvae in a bowl of water for a quick rinse.
13. My BSFL turned into flies!!
No stress! The adult flies are non-invasive and not considered a pest or biohazard in Australia. They do not bite or sting. In fact, they don't have a chewing mouth part so don't eat or regurgitate food like a common house fly. Hence, they can't transfer diseases or pathogens! Adult flies typically only live for between 7-10 days. In colder weather their life span is significantly shorter. You can pick them up and put them outside or vacuum them up. Some reptiles might even enjoy hunting some live flies!!
14. Other reasons to choose BSFL for your live food
Black Soldier Fly Larvae are the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens). They are also marketed as Calci-worms, Vitaworms, Phoenixworms, Soldier Grubs and BSFL.
2. How are they different to mealworms?
Mealworms are the larval stage of the Darkling Beetles (Tenebrio Molitor). Mealworms have similar protein and fat content as black soldier fly larvae but they are much lower in calcium.
3. What are the nutritional advantages of Black Soldier Fly Larvae over other live foods?
- BSFL have an ideal calcium to phosphorous ratio for reptiles i.e.>2:1
- BSFL are high in protein (40% DM), fat (25% DM) and other important vitamins and minerals
- BSFL are a great addition to a balanced diet to help with general growth, gut health, bone and egg development. Great for putting weight on hatchling reptiles and poultry as well as help females recuperate during and after egg production.
- BSFL contain a generous amount of lauric acid which is a natural antibiotic known to manage bacteria such as e-coli and coccidian.
- BSFL may help prevent the development of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) due to its high calcium content
4. What can eat BSFL?
BSFL are great for most reptiles, frogs, turtles, chickens, ducks, rats, ferrets and some insectivorous birds and fish.
5. How often should I feed my pet BSFL?
Live BSFL should be fed as part of a balanced diet. Depending on the size of your reptile, 6-8 BSFL once or twice a week may be sufficient. Chickens will be happy to eat as much as you give them! Again, ensure BSFL are part of a balanced diet. As with any living creature, they will exhibit their preferences but we always encourage a variety of food as part of your pet's diet. Fresh water should always be available.
6. Can I overfeed by reptile on BSFL?
your reptile will usually eat until it is satiated or full. Being 100% natural, there is no harm to your reptile if they eat too many BSFL.
7. My BSFL have started to go brown/black? Are they dead?
Your larvae are just maturing. The rate of maturation is often influenced by their environmental conditions. If they are too hot or stressed, they may mature or darken sooner. The BSFL are still safe to feed out when they change colour. Your pet may have a personal preference for the lighter ones so use those up first.
8. Can I keep the live BSFL in the fridge?
BSFL can be kept in the fridge for short periods of time. Being a tropical species, long periods spent in cold conditions may kill the BSFL. To slow down the maturation of the BSFL you can simply keep them somewhere cool and dark. If feeding out over more than 10 days, the door of the refrigerator may be a way of storing the BSFL for longer. Allow your BSFL to warm up at room temperature prior to feeding to give them time to 're-activate'.
9. How do I keep my live BSFL fresh?
Fresh is best! BSF are happiest and healthiest when kept in a well ventilated container in a dark place. They can produce heat and humidity when kept in a closed container which will increase the risk of odour and death to the larvae. You can feed your BSFL soft, mushy fruit or bread to keep them healthy and active.
10. Do I need to dust my live BSFL with calci-dust or gut load them?
No and no. Save your money!! BSFL are just perfect a-la-natural!! They have over 50x the calcium of crickets and mealworms so no need to calci-dust.
11. How long will my BSFL last?
Your BSFL should last up to 2 weeks if kept in the right conditions. As mentioned, keeping them cool will slow down their maturation. We do recommend buying small amounts more frequently to ensure your live food is in the best condition.
12. What are the BSFL packed in?
Live BSFL are packaged in clean, dry bran. The larvae are sensitive to light so naturally like to bury down in a substrate. The bran may darken over time as the larvae perspire and poop in their container. The bran is safe for humans so should be safe for pets too. To clean off the bran, simply brush off, sift off or pop your larvae in a bowl of water for a quick rinse.
13. My BSFL turned into flies!!
No stress! The adult flies are non-invasive and not considered a pest or biohazard in Australia. They do not bite or sting. In fact, they don't have a chewing mouth part so don't eat or regurgitate food like a common house fly. Hence, they can't transfer diseases or pathogens! Adult flies typically only live for between 7-10 days. In colder weather their life span is significantly shorter. You can pick them up and put them outside or vacuum them up. Some reptiles might even enjoy hunting some live flies!!
14. Other reasons to choose BSFL for your live food
- BSFL don't escape like crickets and woodies sometimes do. This can definitely help reduce the loss of live food but also help you monitor how much food your reptiles are eating.
- BSFL are quiet!! No all-night chirping!!
- BSFL are easily digested by most animals. Soft and squishy. No hard exo-skeleton to digest.
- Available in a range of sizes and quantities
- Available from Mobius Farms all year round