Looking to introduce Black Soldier Fly Larvae

[jjainseattle]

Queso has been on a steady diet of crickets and the occasional mealworm treat. Would like to add Black Soldier Fly Larvae to his regular feedings.

I've found mulberry farms and also symtombsf.com via a google search but both seem to require too large of an order for me to try this new delicacy for Queso.

Any other sources for BSF out there in smaller quantities?

Would be great to find a place locally (Seattle, WA) but have not had any luck with that.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[IHaveNoIdea]

Just add dubia or turkestan roaches. BSF larvae are an awful pain in the ass. They need moisture to survive and when you do add it, they smell horribly. Their lifespan is about two weeks, then you have flies everywhere. Some leopards don't even like them. Just one of my 3 geckos would eat them and the one who would, barfed them twice, so I stopped giving them to him.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Have you tried Petco? I know my Petco sells them.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL -- Hermetia illucens) are also known as Phoenix worms, reptiworms, calciworms, and NutriGrubs. They are naturally calcium-rich. Get the LARGE ones.

Phoenix Worms can tolerate high temperatures and will survive short exposure to freezing temperatures, but will have the best shelf life when stored between 50-60*F (10-15.6*C). I've never had mine morph into flies.


Keep BSFL in a picnic cooler @ 55*F or in a basement. A wine cooler works too. Change out a solid ice pack about every 12 hours to maintain that temperature.

The secret is to rinse off the medium they are packed in. Click this link to see how I've done that.

• Click and scroll to BSFL: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ica-dubia-hornworms-silkworms.html#post417745

 

[jjainseattle]

How many of these little guys would you suggest feeding a juvenile Leopard Gecko?

Any dusting required? some of the posts re these say no dusting is required.

 

[Aimless]

I'd definitely dust every 3rd feeding with a mineral supplement. I feed these worms. I get mine from Fluker's farms and unfortunately it's a bit expensive if you're only feeding one critter, but I can tell you they're good in the fridge out 2-2 1/2 weeks. I've found more convenient sizes at petco but they don't last as long.

where in Seattle? Place for Pets in Burien often has them in smaller sizes.

 

[Aimless]

oh, and the inevitable escapee that goes through metamorphosis is a cool looking fly

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

How many of these little guys would you suggest feeding a juvenile Leopard Gecko?

Any dusting required? some of the posts re these say no dusting is required.

Phoenix worms are quite small. I'd buy 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch for your leo. Be sure to rinse them in a fine mesh colander. Only your leo knows for sure how many he will eat. I'd not dust them, at least initially.

I'm not sure whether you scrolled through the link to see the BSFL details direct from the Phoenix Worm Company. They know their stuff. Here they are:

Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Care
Phoenix/calci/repti worms & NutriGrubs

View attachment 29840
Click to enlarge
(quoted from the Phoenix Worm website)​

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL -- Hermetia illucens) are also known as Phoenix worms, reptiworms, calciworms, and NutriGrubs. They are naturally calcium-rich.

Phoenix worms, calciworms, reptiworms, and NutriGrubs have been fed differently.

Genuine Phoenix worms retain all their nutritional values and must NOT be fed. Feeding PWs would restart their digestive system; they would defecate in the cup; and soon you would have bacteria growing and dead stinky worms. Simply keep the worms in the closed cup, store in a cool location (~55*F, ~12.8*C), and feed off as needed. Keep them in a picnic cooler with a solid ice pack changed out every 12 hours.

For many geckos order the largest size: 3/4 inch (2 cm).

• Rinse the medium off. A fine mesh sieve works great.
• Let them crawl around on a paper towel to dry, then feed. If they are dry, they will not climb.
• Even some of the black ones "rejuvenate" when rinsed if they are not too far gone.
• The darker ones are higher in calcium.
• Save the dead ones. They may morph into flies, which your gecko may eat.

Click: The Phoenix Worm Store Home Page

Click: Frequently Asked Questions – Phoenix Worm Store

Phoenix worm feedback:
The Phoenix worms I received 4 Nov 2015 from the online Phoenix Worm store seem to last forever! I ordered 100 Ls and 150 XSs. I fed off the Ls quite soon to several geckos, but the XS were much too small for the geckos who approved. I still have a handful of the XSs 3.5 months later! All I've done is keep them in a cool room (62-67*F, 16.7-19.4*C) and add a little water occasionally.

• HOWEVER: The Phoenix Worm company suggests only ordering a 3 week supply.
• Q: Should I refrigerate Phoenix Worms?
  A: NO. Phoenix Worms can tolerate high temperatures and will survive short exposure to freezing temperatures, but will have the best shelf life when stored at 50-60*F (10-15.6*C). A wine cooler or basement are great storage places, but setting the cups near an A/C vent will work just fine in the summer. Although it's possible to keep these worms alive for months when stored at 50*F (10*C), you should only order the number of worms that will be fed off within 3 weeks so your animal will have fresh food.

 

[jjainseattle]

I'd definitely dust every 3rd feeding with a mineral supplement. I feed these worms. I get mine from Fluker's farms and unfortunately it's a bit expensive if you're only feeding one critter, but I can tell you they're good in the fridge out 2-2 1/2 weeks. I've found more convenient sizes at petco but they don't last as long.

where in Seattle? Place for Pets in Burien often has them in smaller sizes.

Burien is not too far...I'll pop in there tomorrow! Thanks for the tip!

 

[jjainseattle]

Phoenix worms are quite small. I'd buy 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch for your leo. Be sure to rinse them in a fine mesh colander. Only your leo knows for sure how many he will eat. I'd not dust them, at least initially.

I'm not sure whether you scrolled through the link to see the BSFL details direct from the Phoenix Worm Company. They know their stuff. Here they are:

Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Care
Phoenix/calci/repti worms & NutriGrubs

View attachment 29840
Click to enlarge
(quoted from the Phoenix Worm website)​

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL -- Hermetia illucens) are also known as Phoenix worms, reptiworms, calciworms, and NutriGrubs. They are naturally calcium-rich.

Phoenix worms, calciworms, reptiworms, and NutriGrubs have been fed differently.

Genuine Phoenix worms retain all their nutritional values and must NOT be fed. Feeding PWs would restart their digestive system; they would defecate in the cup; and soon you would have bacteria growing and dead stinky worms. Simply keep the worms in the closed cup, store in a cool location (~55*F, ~12.8*C), and feed off as needed. Keep them in a picnic cooler with a solid ice pack changed out every 12 hours.

For many geckos order the largest size: 3/4 inch (2 cm).

• Rinse the medium off. A fine mesh sieve works great.
• Let them crawl around on a paper towel to dry, then feed. If they are dry, they will not climb.
• Even some of the black ones "rejuvenate" when rinsed if they are not too far gone.
• The darker ones are higher in calcium.
• Save the dead ones. They may morph into flies, which your gecko may eat.

Click: The Phoenix Worm Store Home Page

Click: Frequently Asked Questions – Phoenix Worm Store

Phoenix worm feedback:
The Phoenix worms I received 4 Nov 2015 from the online Phoenix Worm store seem to last forever! I ordered 100 Ls and 150 XSs. I fed off the Ls quite soon to several geckos, but the XS were much too small for the geckos who approved. I still have a handful of the XSs 3.5 months later! All I've done is keep them in a cool room (62-67*F, 16.7-19.4*C) and add a little water occasionally.

• HOWEVER: The Phoenix Worm company suggests only ordering a 3 week supply.
• Q: Should I refrigerate Phoenix Worms?
  A: NO. Phoenix Worms can tolerate high temperatures and will survive short exposure to freezing temperatures, but will have the best shelf life when stored at 50-60*F (10-15.6*C). A wine cooler or basement are great storage places, but setting the cups near an A/C vent will work just fine in the summer. Although it's possible to keep these worms alive for months when stored at 50*F (10*C), you should only order the number of worms that will be fed off within 3 weeks so your animal will have fresh food.

I did read your post - Very informative info - I'll be purchasing from them directly once I see if Queso is a fan!

 

[Cacadogg]

I can do a tcup of bsfl (measured w/o any bedding, of course) which has approx. 1000++ full sized grubs and weighs around a third (⅓) of a pound for $7 + whatever it costs for USPS shipping.

Not sure what the rules are here for leaving my contact info so if interested, check out San Diego craigslist under SALE and search for "bsfl" where you'll hopefully find my current price + contact info.

Cheers.
Janice