Black Soldier Fly Starter Pack
Rear your own BSF eggs from freshly hatched neonates into larvae!
What is the Black Soldier Fly Starter Pack?
Reared to high zootechnical standards, but not put through our breeding programme, our Black Soldier Fly Starter Pack is designed for novices who have a keen interest in insect farming, allowing these market entrants the chance to rear their own Black Soldier Fly eggs into larvae. Market entrants may want to test out the rearing operation first before streamlining into their current processes, which will in turn, enable them to fast-track towards creating profitable and scalable impact.
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.
What's included:
BSF Starter Pack
- 200mg of eggs in clear egg pots
- Dry feed mix (150g of dry chick crumb + 4g sugar)
- 1x blue feeding tray with Velcro strip to stop escapees
- 1x hatchling feeding container with top cloth and lid
XL BSF Starter Pack
- 1200mg of eggs in clear egg pots (split in to 6 clear egg pots of 200mg)
- Dry feed mix (900g of dry chick crumb + 24g sugar)
- 6x blue feeding tray with Velcro strip to stop escapees
- 6x hatchling feeding container with top cloth and lid
Please note: if you would like to discuss other kit size options, please do get in touch with your query at sales@betabugs.uk
Optimal Rearing Environment
28 °C ±1°C
70% +-5% RH**Relative Humidity
24hr Darkness
Ventilated space/room with airflow
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
Desirable Equipment List
Small humidifier
Small heater
Timer Plug
Humidity/Temperature Controller (e.g. Ink Bird)
Water spray bottle with mist nozzle
Magnifying Glass
We hope that you have lots of fun exploring this revolutionary new industry with your very own Black Soldier Fly Starter Pack, please do tag us on Instagram @betabugsltd so we can share your journey with other BSF enthusiasts on the exciting world of insect farming!
Congratulations on taking the first step towards your own insect farming journey!
Our Products
Learn more about our other Black Soldier Fly products
