Description
Congratulations on taking the first step towards your own insect farming journey!
Who it’s for:
The team at Beta Bugs have created a Black Soldier Fly Starter Pack for market entrants who are interested in ‘having a go’ at rearing their own Black Soldier Fly.
This kit is designed for novices who have a keen interest in insect farming, giving market entrants the chance to rear their own Black Soldier Fly eggs into larvae. Rearing your own Black Soldier Fly at home for example, has many benefits such as household waste management and a sustainable protein nutrient for pets such as birds and reptiles.
The BSF Starter Pack also gives new market entrants the ability to test out the rearing operation, environmental conditions, and food source for BSF before streamlining into their current processes.
What you’ll need:
The first thing when considering raising BSF eggs is the environment you will house them in.
You will need a room or space with 24 hours of darkness, good ventilation, and electricity. Access to a fresh water supply is recommended for the feed preparation and filling of a humidifier. A water spray bottle with mist nozzle can also be useful if you expect to have a drier environment as the first meal can lose moisture faster. It is also a good idea to have a sturdy surface for your tray to be placed on in the space of choice.
On receiving your BSF Starter Pack, unwrap and check all contents are present. Keep the eggs in your chosen environment and do not let them get too cold. Keep them above 22°C.
Non-optimal environments could delay growth by a few days and affect overall larval performance and life history traits (e.g growth rate, larval size and mass). Temperatures above 35 °C and below 22 °C could have a negative impact on the survival of eggs. Humidity below 60% can be fatal for the eggs and/or newly hatched neonates as they are very susceptible to dehydration (Having a humid environment for the egg stage is VITAL). However, allowing the eggs to get too wet before hatching is also detrimental to their development and hatch rate.
Typically, temperatures can be maintained between 25 °C and 35 °C (±~2 °C of selected temperature) but 28 °C will suit most commercially reared strains. It is widely accepted that a relative humidity content of between 60-80% is suitable for all stages of the BSF life cycle and is reasonably efficient. Good constant ventilation is important and increases in necessity as you increase the volume of larvae you want to produce. The larvae will produce ammonia, which is a natural waste product of BSF larvae. If you plan to scale up production this is something that will need consideration, including adequate ventilation.
Non-optimal environments could delay growth by a few days and affect overall larval performance and life history traits (e.g growth rate, larval size and mass). Temperatures above 35 °C and below 22 °C could have a negative impact on the survival of eggs. Humidity below 60% can be fatal for the eggs and/or newly hatched neonates as they are very susceptible to dehydration (Having a humid environment for the egg stage is VITAL). However, allowing the eggs to get too wet before hatching is also detrimental to their development and hatch rate.
Typically, temperatures can be maintained between 25 °C and 35 °C (±~2 °C of selected temperature) but 28 °C will suit most commercially reared strains. It is widely accepted that a relative humidity content of between 60-80% is suitable for all stages of the BSF life cycle and is reasonably efficient. Good constant ventilation is important and increases in necessity as you increase the volume of larvae you want to produce. The larvae will produce ammonia, which is a natural waste product of BSF larvae. If you plan to scale up production this is something that will need consideration, including adequate ventilation.
Desirable Equipment:
Various equipment can be bought ‘off the shelf’ to help set up of your larvae house:
- Air fan – this keeps the air circulating around the room if airflow is minimal
- Fan heater – this will help raise the temperature within your space
- Humidifier – will guarantee the eggs/larvae have the optimal humidity consistently
- Temperature + Humidity controller – these will be required to keep the environment stable and consistent when using a fan heater and/or humidifier
- Magnifying hand lens – this is useful when examining your eggs. It will allow you to see if your eggs are developing and if they have started to hatch. A simple 10x magnification is suitable
- Small light – this is only necessary if you do not have the option of built-in lights in your designated space for examining your eggs as the room should remain dark at all times
- Mesh cover – to protect your feeding trays from other insects laying eggs or other contaminants
- Large pot – for boiling water to kill the larvae
