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Black Soldier Fly Larvae as protein source
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 10:53 am
by Johnfer
Hello everyone,
I bought some BSF (black soldier fly) larvae (Hermetia illucens) by mistake thinking it was mealworm (beginner mistake), and I was wondering if I can give them to my ants.
According to Wikipedia they have a high amount of protein and they really look like (sort of) mealworms.
Has anybody tried this?
Thanks for the help
Re: Black Soldier Fly Larvae as protein source
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 2:27 pm
by MaxGen
I think they would be fine. They are also very high in calcium. An excellent feeder for reptiles. I'm sure ants will appreciate both the larva, and the adult fly.
Re: Inquiry
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:19 pm
by Phoenix
They'll Probably Accept It.
Re: Black Soldier Fly Larvae as protein source
Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 5:17 pm
by Johnfer
Thank you for the help!
I offered some pieces of a frozen larvae and the ants did not accept, but I think it is because the colony is very young (~20 workers).
Once the larvae is in ambient temperature, it darkens very very fast. After 15 minutes it is completely black and after 1 hour it starts to shrink and melt, very weird. I don't know if it is completely rotten or still good. Any toughs?
Re: Black Soldier Fly Larvae as protein source
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:06 pm
by Johnfer
Just an update:
I tried offering some larvae again, but instead of giving them right away I boiled the larvae for a few minutes.
Using this technique, it took a lot more to start turning black and I saw some ants feeding on it.
So, for someone facing the same problems, an advice is to boil the larvae before. Interesting to note that its insides still remain liquid/soft.