BSFL Question

[Zilla23]

does anyone know if the high calcium content transfers over to the flies once they pupate? I cannot get Ripley to eat the larva at all, he just looks at them and walks away. He LOVES the flies though, problem is that I just toss the larva in my bioactive enclosure, after he ignores them in his feeding cup, and then they eventually hatch into flies, I cannot dust these with his supplement because, well, they are flying around, can't even open his enclosure because they will all escape. They have been hatching regularly for a few weeks not so he has been without his calcium supplement, I want to be sure he is getting enough so I could risk opening the door and adding some dusted super worms or horn worms but I really don't relish the idea of having flies everywhere. any thoughts?

 

[RyanBRZ]

From what I read, they lose a lot of calcium once they become a fly. This is one of the verry few feeders my chameleon will actually eat.

 

[Multivitamins]

Unfortunately they don't have the same staple nutritional values after turning into the fly.

I save the old containers and separate some of the larvae that are closer to turning so I have more control on how many are released at any one point in time. I've seen some people have luck chilling them so they are stunned and a few can be put in and not fly away. Never tried this myself however.

 

[Ruthless]

does anyone know if the high calcium content transfers over to the flies once they pupate? I cannot get Ripley to eat the larva at all, he just looks at them and walks away. He LOVES the flies though, problem is that I just toss the larva in my bioactive enclosure, after he ignores them in his feeding cup, and then they eventually hatch into flies, I cannot dust these with his supplement because, well, they are flying around, can't even open his enclosure because they will all escape. They have been hatching regularly for a few weeks not so he has been without his calcium supplement, I want to be sure he is getting enough so I could risk opening the door and adding some dusted super worms or horn worms but I really don't relish the idea of having flies everywhere. any thoughts?

Head over here or even better just hit the play button and take listen for yourself

 

[snitz427]

From what I've read in the past, the darker BSFL (those closest to pupae form) have the highest calcium levels. Younger BSFL and flies themselves have lesser levels. I haven't found the nutritional values for the flies, yet, but this study comes close. They focused on the protein, fat, and mineral composition of all stages of a BSFL life cycle, including fly. It looks like the nutrional values are at their highest right around the prepupa stage, but the flies do seem to retain a fair amount of protein, fat, etc... so you can assume it retains higher mineral values as well. It looks like some vitamins and minerals diminish as the larva age, but some increase. Calcium and Phosphorus increase with age, where as Iron, Vitamin E, Sodium, and Zinc decrease with age.

Pretty interesting and easy to follow: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5552164/