Description Live Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Larvae Species; Hermetia Illucens BSF Larvae Size: large <20mm, small <10mm Small BSFL are great for restocking compost heaps, or if you want smaller larvae for pets, or to make them last longer (before they turn into pupae/flies) by feeding them. Black Soldier Fly Larvae, also called Vita Worms, Calci Worms, or Phoenix Worms, are a highly nutritious feeder insect, which have become hugely popular worldwide as food for captive animals. As larvae (whitish) they wriggle and reptiles love them. If they pupate (black colour) they are still fine to feed out, they just have a bit more fibre and don’t wriggle as much. If they hatch to flies, Bearded Dragons & some other reptiles love chasing the flies around the cage and plucking them out of the air. So BSFL are great for stimulating natural athletic behaviours. ~20 times more calcium than crickets High in protein (>41% DM) and lysine (an essential amino acid). Fat (~30%) content varies on diet. Large BSF Larvae Pack Sizes: 100, 200, 500, and 5,000. Small BSF Larvae: x500 Nutritional Benefits of BSF Larvae: They’re high in calcium, so don’t need dusting with calcium supplements. BSF Larvae can prevent, stop, and reverse the Metabolic Bone Disease caused by calcium deficiency. The larvae are white and the pupae dark brown – Both are very healthy for your pets, with the pupae having slightly higher chitin levels. Recommended by veterinarians, BSF Larvae have a naturally balanced Calcium : Phosphorus ratio and are the only calcium-rich feeder that can be safely fed as a staple diet. The high calcium level is due to an abundance of calcium carbonate impregnated within the exoskeleton. Feeding them to your animals can improve the animal’s natural colouring. BSF Larvae are also a natural weapon against coccidia, and contain high levels of natural lauric acid. Lauric acid has excellent antimicrobial properties, including potent activity against lipid coated viruses, clostridium, and pathogenic protozoa – including coccidia. Which animals eat BSF Larvae? They wriggle, making them great for picky eaters and irresistible to reptiles, birds and fish. They can be fed live, frozen (after warming to ambient temperatures) or dried. BSF LARVAE CARE: Storing them in a cool environment will slow development, so they don’t turn into flies. The BSF Flies are also great nutritional snacks, which bring diversity to natural hunting behaviours. Adult flies do NOT eat, so do NOT transmit disease, unlike the house fly. BSF Larvae are relatively new to Australian markets, as they’re difficult to breed. Bugs Alive has refined the process and regularly has stock available. BSF Larvae are packed with coconut husk, as they like to bury and hide. *See our BSF Care Sheet for more information.
