We are getting the Black Soldier Fly Larvae project 2.0 off to a good start. We have dedicated little greenhouse where we plan to raise these bite sized wriggly nuggets of protein and fat. We purchased a Biopod from ProtaCulture and they were nice enough to send us some starter grubs.

The starter grubs are key to this project. We are also attempting to attract the native population to come join the party, but feel good that we have some coming anyway. The first attempt at raising BSFL proved unsuccessful as the adults never produced offspring. We bought them from a pet supply company and speculated that perhaps they were sterile. We have been told that they were indeed sterile and that’s why no sexy time for the flies.

I am thrilled to get this project going again as it is a critical component to making a fish food for the aquaponics system. Worms are much more difficult to harvest cleanly for protein than BSFL. A combo of worms, BSFL, and spirulina with a carbohydrate source like barley flour might be a good recipe for feed. It’s also what we have on site!

We will monitor and control the heat and humidity, but more importantly, we will be providing sunlight for the mating process. Apparently, there is specific wavelength of light on the spectrum that Black Soldier Flies require to reproduce. The ultimate goal is to figure what this wavelength is so that we can share it with other aspiring larvaculturists.

Here’s the BioPod:

It’s got a nifty drainage system to keep the grubs happy and grubbing.

The BioPod has these 30 degree ramps that the larvae crawl up to leave the colony to pupate. It also has a great little collection chamber to gather the grubs for feeding to your animals.