Another Attempt at Farming Black Soldier Fly Larvae - Will it work this time?

The last time I blogged about black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) was in 2015. At that time the system was producing great. I don't recall how long afterwards things began to deteriorate, again... I was unable to keep other insects and critters out of the bins, even with the lids. Several geckos took up residence along with tons of spiders and the cockroaches returned. I gave up on larvae farming and sometime that year I took a break from raising chickens.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Bin
The original "easy" set up that does not work in the tropics.

Several months ago, in an attempt to be less reliant on commercial chicken feed, I decided to try BSFL farming again. This time inside a large plastic bin where things can be more easily controlled. Initially, I set it up the easiest way that required drilling only one hole. I saw this setup in a video. The table is on a slight slope which allows liquid from the bin to drain into a bucket below. It didn't take too long to determine this will not work in the tropics. The lid had to be open to allow space for the larvae to migrate out. Because the larvae mostly migrate out at night, I had to leave it open all the time. Spiders and other insects made their way inside.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Bin

I had to close the lid at night so I modified the bin by cutting holes, and attaching tubes for the larvae to climb out of the bin and into plastic jugs. At night I place pieces of brick on the lid. The larvae have an amazing ability to squeeze through tight places. Without the bricks the larvae were exiting the bin via the lid cracks. The brick pieces help with this, but the larvae still try to get out underneath the lid.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Bin
The lid is partly open during the day to allow flies to lay eggs in the bin.

It took several weeks for the larvae to begin using the tubes. They eat fruit I collect from the orchard. Currently, several handfuls of larvae are harvested at a time. It seems the larvae migrate out of the bin with moon cycles. The full moon produces the most. The chickens absolutely love the treats and come running towards me when they see the feeding bowl. 

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Bin

If you would like to read about my prior BSFL farming experiences, click on the "black soldier fly larvae" label.