I started gutloading the bsfl and this happened

[Pickle-cham]

One good thing with bsfl i have found when i add food to their container's is that it doesn't go mouldy compared to other feeders if left food in until consumed. I have since read but not sure of reliability of source (could be a marketing ploy) that they secrete or produce some sort of anti fungal.
But the occasional spikes in humidity is annoying they always seem to do it before pupation too and get out on the loose, good job they easy to catch

 

[Lindasjackson]

I keep mine in a bowl with a lid with lots of tiny air hole in it. No escapees! The bowl is clear so I check for flies before opening it and then I will open it in the cage if there are flies!

 

[Mendez]

I'm sure they are healthy. It's probably not a big deal to miss feeding a few. More about the habit of feeding everything to give it optimal nutrition. I'm not worried about you in the slightest, but I've seen many people on the forums and social media go ahead and only feed BSFL, or feed them as a large staple, because they think they're some kind of superfood that doesn't need any dusting or food. Mostly due to the marketing on them.

Well, jeez, you are absolutely right. I never thought about the people who exclusively feed bsfl--but you are right. There's loads of them on FB--not that FB is bad or anything...

Anyways, I thought gutloading them wasn't necessary, but I was wrong.

The funny thing about all of this is that I do gutload them. I was mainly curious about whether it's necessary. I gutload bsfl in small amounts and then leave the lid open to let the substrate dry out a bit which can be impractical at times. But I'm happy I brought it up, and then got your feedback @jamest0o0 because I now realize that telling people that they don't need to gutload bsfl can be problematic in more ways than one. Plus, I'm glad to get any old, inaccurate information removed/dispelled from this site in a healthy discussion.

Not to mention that it's weirdly satisfying, but also gross, watching bsfl wriggle around in decomposed porous fruit.

Welp, good discussion everyone.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I think I need to cut the circle out of the lid to the bowl I keep them in and hot glue in a piece of screen. That way they can dry out if they get too wet from the food but I won’t be feeding them as much as I was either.

 

[PistachioG]

I feed my bsfl a little bit and keep them in coco coir. I give the larvae only to my leopard geckos and beardie and save the flies for my chams for their treats.

We also have a beardie and a leopard gecko. I might go with this plan too. How many flies do you feed on a given day?

 

[MissSkittles]

We also have a beardie and a leopard gecko. I might go with this plan too. How many flies do you feed on a given day?

It depends on how many flies I have on a daily basis. I just open my container in each enclosure and aim for at least 2-3 for each cham. If there’s a lot of flies, each will get 4-5. Those that escape I try to hunt down (thankfully they’re slow) and then beardie gets them. Often it’s easier to just carry beardie around to where the flies have landed and let him get them. It’s a small closed room, so the flies can’t go far.

 

[jamest0o0]

Well, jeez, you are absolutely right. I never thought about the people who exclusively feed bsfl--but you are right. There's loads of them on FB--not that FB is bad or anything...

Anyways, I thought gutloading them wasn't necessary, but I was wrong.

The funny thing about all of this is that I do gutload them. I was mainly curious about whether it's necessary. I gutload bsfl in small amounts and then leave the lid open to let the substrate dry out a bit which can be impractical at times. But I'm happy I brought it up, and then got your feedback @jamest0o0 because I now realize that telling people that they don't need to gutload bsfl can be problematic in more ways than one. Plus, I'm glad to get any old, inaccurate information removed/dispelled from this site in a healthy discussion.

Not to mention that it's weirdly satisfying, but also gross, watching bsfl wriggle around in decomposed porous fruit.

Welp, good discussion everyone.

Lol so humble! You're good, I didn't mean to call you out. Just that it seems to be an ongoing thing that people think they shouldn't be gutloaded, so for any newbs reading this I want to give my 2 cents.

And I agree on it being satisfying watching bugs eat haha. I have my roaches trained to the point they will run around chasing my hand because they know I have food. I want to make a video of it some day

 

[Mendez]

Lol so humble! You're good, I didn't mean to call you out. Just that it seems to be an ongoing thing that people think they shouldn't be gutloaded, so for any newbs reading this I want to give my 2 cents.

And I agree on it being satisfying watching bugs eat haha. I have my roaches trained to the point they will run around chasing my hand because they know I have food. I want to make a video of it some day

Make that video sooner rather than later; I'd love to watch it!

 

[Mendez]

Lol so humble!

Thanks man, I try.

Nah, it's all good. I thought about changing my words up but then realized I already wasted too much time, so I just sent it.

 

[Lindasjackson]

@jamest0o0 you mentioned that I could keep my bsfl in a drier substrate so they don’t get as muddy right? So what would that be?

 

[jamest0o0]

Just anything, like some cocofiber or whatever. I wouldn't keep it bone dry, but they're pretty hardy

 

[Lindasjackson]

Just anything, like some cocofiber or whatever. I wouldn't keep it bone dry, but they're pretty hardy

They come in some sort of flaky brown stuff. Not sure what it is. So I should add coco fiber to that?

 

[Flick boy]

Probably just bran that they come in

 

[MissSkittles]

They come in some sort of flaky brown stuff. Not sure what it is. So I should add coco fiber to that?

I have wayyy too much time on my hands. I separate the larva from the substrate they come in (no idea what it is…looks like ground cork) and then dump them in my super duper container of moist coco coir. Every now & then I spray it with water to keep at least parts of it moist.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I see you put a screen in your lid. I was planning on doing that to. It looks like you have them in a bigger bowl to. When I order my next batch I’ll go to the pet store ( I hate going in there!) and get some coco fiber. I’m assuming coco coir is the same thing.

 

[MissSkittles]

I see you put a screen in your lid. I was planning on doing that to. It looks like you have them in a bigger bowl to. When I order my next batch I’ll go to the pet store ( I hate going in there!) and get some coco fiber. I’m assuming coco coir is the same thing.

Yes, coco coir and fiber are the same I think. My container is about as large as a salad plate and only a few inches tall.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Ok, thanks for the advice!

 

[snitz427]

I tend to pull them out and gutload what im going yo feed off, separately. I buy bulk bsfl from Symton and they use a corn meal-like substrate. I pull them out to shift out the substrate and feed them gut load + sprinkle bee pollen on em. The pollen tends to liquify so they just get a light coating (or ingest some).

this keeps the substrate clean but also helps keep them from growing too quickly (which also makes for messy substrate as they shed).

 

[Lindasjackson]

That’s an idea

 

[snitz427]

Just as a totally random warning - bsfl will eat silkworms and hornworms alive - pretty quickly! I made the mistake of gutloading them in the same feeding cup and came back to find the silkworms eaten alive. Gross.