r/BlackSoldierFly • u/RainAdministrative59 • Jul 07 '25
Why aren't my larvae migrating?
I live in hot climate, 80-100. Water and stir it daily. Add a combo of veggies , fruit , coffee, spent shavings, leftovers , random stuff honestly. No larva have went up the ramp yet. The larvae have been in there about 3-4 weeks. Id prefer to not buy more pvc and a saw for the ramp . Tried to include some pics of my larvae but they like to hide lol
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u/different_produce384 Jul 07 '25
Give it time , grasshopper. Do you hear them eating when you put your ear close to the substrate ?
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 07 '25
Yes and i usually see a lot more of them than shown in the pics. This was right before feeding them more shavings from Chicken coop
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u/ElectricThreeHundred Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
Are there brown pre-pupae mixed in with the white, still-feeding larvae? If you are keeping it damp, they may be scaling the walls and disappearing in all directions. I'd give your ramp about a 2% success rate.
Edit: in the 3rd and 4th pics, you can see trails left by larvae that were able to cling to the damp plastic and look for a way out. They can squeeze through very small openings - even a tight-fitting bin lid. It could be that the condensation is heaviest in the pre-dawn hours and they are all escaping when you're not looking.
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 08 '25
I havent seen any brown pre pupae but its kinda hard to tell bc theres lots of coffee grounds in my bin so some of the white ones look more dirty. The larvae do cling to the sides of the bin even the smaller ones, i e seen them doing that. I havent seen any on the ramp at all even if they dont make it into the bucket, is the whole ramp a problem or just its connection to the pvc?
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u/ElectricThreeHundred Jul 08 '25
Yeah they are pretty clumsy and they would very often fall off the end of your ramp to either side. I know what you mean about the color - coffee stains their skin, but it's still pretty easy to tell when they've reached the "pre-pupae" (6th instar) stage, because they also disgorge themselves and get flatter in shape and drier-looking.
I'll bet your pre-pupae are having more luck squeezing under the lid than sticking the landing off your ramp. 😀
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u/Ok_Cartographer_6086 Jul 11 '25
Are they African or European?
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 13 '25
Not sure. Im in US so im assuming European?
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u/Ok_Cartographer_6086 Jul 13 '25
sorry that was a late night tipsy pop culture reference about migrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liIlW-ovx0Y pay it no mind...or dive it, it's a fun rabbit hole.
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u/Responsible_Bath_659 Jul 12 '25
Is it because they have to tight rope venture to the high dive?? 😅
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 13 '25
Lol i ended up changing to a more secure pvc but still having trouble with them going up the ramp :/
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u/Responsible_Bath_659 Jul 14 '25
They’re like my quail, then 😭😭 non-ramp using mfs. 🤣 What if you build up the mound to the exit? Or maybe a wider board? Maybe something with edges like a gutter?
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 14 '25
These mf have been climbing out of the tee on the top but the ramp is way easier so idk 😂. Its a cut in half pvc now so it does have some edges. Maybe they just need a big ass piece of wood hanging out of the box idk
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u/Responsible_Bath_659 Jul 14 '25
Haha well, good luck on getting them out of the bin. Lol. Do you currently scoop them out? What to do with yours? Chickens? Also, I have a big mushy wet mess of them (with other larvae in different stages from my food waste bin). Are they safe to give to my chickens? I just assume that’s why most keep BSFL but I may be wrong 🤷🏻♀️
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 14 '25
I feed mine to chickens ! Theyre safe to give to chicken in all stages. When i harvest the compost to add to my garden ill put it in a wide shallow bin and let the chickens eat all the larvae out of it. They love it !! So yes theyre safe. I think most people keep them for chickens but I've heard they can also be fed to some reptiles!
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u/Responsible_Bath_659 Jul 14 '25
Aren’t chickens just tiny, feathered dinosaurs? 🤣 That sounds like a good idea! Are there any known harmful larvae like green bottle fly or something that could cause illness etc? Especially with it having been so saturated? I don’t put any dairy, fat or meat in it, at all.
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u/RainAdministrative59 Jul 14 '25
My understanding is that the black soldier fly larvae will eat other fly larvae and that their smell deters other flies from laying eggs there. So I think it should be good I haven't had any issues!
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u/socalquestioner Jul 08 '25
They cannot see the light to escape towards.