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Parrothead

Look at the time stamps on these images. 4 minutes apart.

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Parrothead

The little guys dig in pretty quick!

 

IMG_2748_r.jpg

 

IMG_2754_r.jpg

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syzmic

OK, so at what point in the cycle do they become fish food?

 

Seems like you would want them to drop into the fish tank rather than allow them to bury themselves.  Would simplify the process since it would be a way to feed the fish with zero extra effort.

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Parrothead

OK, so at what point in the cycle do they become fish food?

 

Seems like you would want them to drop into the fish tank rather than allow them to bury themselves.  Would simplify the process since it would be a way to feed the fish with zero extra effort.

 

This point is where they are fish / chicken food. But, I want to build the colony. That means some - most in this case, must reach adulthood so they can reproduce. Chan has been feeding some of the larvae to the fish. I don't mind a few here and there being sacrificed. But, for each pair of adult flies lost, that is between 500 and 900 eggs lost as well. I just want to make sure they are completing the life cycle and laying eggs first, before I just let them all be eaten.

 

Once they self-harvest (crawl up the ramp and become deposited into the plastic milk jugs), you have the choice to let them dig into dirt somewhere so they can mature into adult BSF, feed them to your fish, or feed them to your chickens.

 

If sparing them so they may mature into adult BSF, they have to bury themselves for about 14 days. Then, out come mature, full adult BSFs. Three days later they mate. Three days after that, the females lay their eggs and the cycle begins again. 

Edited by Paul

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mollydooker

So the fish eat them ....and we eat the fish ...yikes !!

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Parrothead

So the fish eat them ....and we eat the fish ...yikes !!

 

I have seen where people freeze and eat them too! Eeww!

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syzmic

So the fish eat them ....and we eat the fish ...yikes !!

 

So, what you are telling us is that you have no idea how nature works?   LOL

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syzmic

 But, I want to build the colony.

 

So, are you keeping all of them in a screened in enclosure?

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Parrothead

So, are you keeping all of them in a screened in enclosure?

 

No. Just keep them in the containers like the bucket below, with holes large enough in it for them to leave, once they emerge from their pupae stage. Unfortunately, like the compost bin, we have to keep them in water to stop the ants from eating the larvae while they are dormant. 

 

IMG_2739_r.jpg
 
The guy we got the first larvae from, Olivier Crusoe, does something like that, though. He raises them to pupae stage. Then, he lets them dig in into something similar to a bucket (I suppose), and puts a screen around it. I figure we can just let these fly up into the trees here so they can mate. 
 
They will find their way, due to the scent, back to the compost bin.
Edited by Paul

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      Reference Websites:
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