How do you store BSFL?

[Chameleon_mama]

Are the larvae ok to store in the container they came in?

Do you just put food in there?

Should I swap out the substrate?

Would it better to store them in my 5gal bucket with my dubias?

Also I really don’t want them to turn into flies lol. I read that you can store them in the door of the fridge to keep them larvae for longer?

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome!

Yes you can keep them in the same container (I recommend this and do the same)

You should feed them something, you’ll want to gut load them with veggies and fruits so they are nutritious for your chameleon.

I would not store them with your dubias. I’ve heard horror stories about bsfl eating other bugs

Not sure about the fridge situation, I’ll let someone else chime in on that one.

 

[SteveH]

If you're wanting to store the larvae keep them cool (not cold) in a cabinet on the wall for the outside of the house works for me. If you're hatching to feed as flies room temperature seems best.

 

[Steve A]

I leave them right in the container they come in and pull them out as needed. We typically keep our house at 70-73f. 67-70f at night. I stopped putting them in the refrigerator. They do just fine like this. However, in time they WILL hatch inside the container.

For me... this is ideal. Because I like to feed Spike some flies. So I just look in the container to see if there are any flies. They will be at the top of the container. If there are, I open the enclosure, then I open the container inside the enclosure and let them fly out. Sometimes you have to nudge them.

I also drop some BSFL (usually the ones that are already darker/pupating) in his pot plants at the bottom of the enclosure ONLY (so he's not hunting them and shooting his tongue at the dirt).

I actually buy the next package of BSFL very early just to give them time to begin pupating sooner than later so that I constantly have some flies going on in there. At least mostly.

 

[SteveH]

As I feed flies to multiple chameleons I put 10-20 larvae in condiment cups until they hatch for individual feedings.

 

[Steve A]

As I feed flies to multiple chameleons I put 10-20 larvae in condiment cups until they hatch for individual feedings.

That's awesome! Yours are so big. The ones I give to Spike are rather small. But he likes them lol I typically get medium from Joshs Frogs. I recently tried large from Dubia but they were really close, some slightly larger than the ones I get from Joshs. My next batch will be large from Joshs.

Spike hasn't really been eating the BSFL lately ever since I've been keeping actual flies in there so I am hoping the larger BSFL will encourage him to eat them again.

 

[Chameleon_mama]

As I feed flies to multiple chameleons I put 10-20 larvae in condiment cups until they hatch for individual feedings.

Oh this is a super smart setup, thanks!

 

[elizaann2]

Oh this is a super smart setup, thanks!

That is really smart. I love this forum because I get a lot of good ideas from other keepers.

 

[amf45005]

I leave them right in the container they come in and pull them out as needed. We typically keep our house at 70-73f. 67-70f at night. I stopped putting them in the refrigerator. They do just fine like this. However, in time they WILL hatch inside the container.

For me... this is ideal. Because I like to feed Spike some flies. So I just look in the container to see if there are any flies. They will be at the top of the container. If there are, I open the enclosure, then I open the container inside the enclosure and let them fly out. Sometimes you have to nudge them.

I also drop some BSFL (usually the ones that are already darker/pupating) in his pot plants at the bottom of the enclosure ONLY (so he's not hunting them and shooting his tongue at the dirt).

I actually buy the next package of BSFL very early just to give them time to begin pupating sooner than later so that I constantly have some flies going on in there. At least mostly.

How long does it take for them to turn to flies? I bought some from Dubia.com and my guy only eats them if I place it right in front of him. So I figured I’d let them all turn into flies and try that. Do I just leave them in the little container and wait?

 

[elizaann2]

How long does it take for them to turn to flies? I bought some from Dubia.com and my guy only eats them if I place it right in front of him. So I figured I’d let them all turn into flies and try that. Do I just leave them in the little container and wait?

They will turn black and 'hard'. I just place them in a different container when this happens and once they hatch usually in 2 weeks or so I feed them to my cham.

 

[Steve A]

How long does it take for them to turn to flies? I bought some from Dubia.com and my guy only eats them if I place it right in front of him. So I figured I’d let them all turn into flies and try that. Do I just leave them in the little container and wait?

It takes weeks. However it depends on the state they're in when you receive them. Sometimes some of them are already hard and ready to turn to flies. Sometimes none of them are even close.

I just throw some in the bottom plant pots of the enclosure. At first I take the ones that are closest to turning to flies. Then each day whatever BSFL are leftover get thrown into those plant pots. This way I keep a cycle going so he almost always has some flies to hunt.

Sometimes they even turn inside the containers. When this happens I open the enclosure and lift the lid. Usually I have to give them a nudge with my finger but they will fly towards the light or leafs of plants.