Wintering Black Soldier Flies?

[PioneerChicks]

Wild Black Soldier Flies aren't common in my area so I will have to buy some next spring. I plan to raise them for the chickens.

The only part of this deal I'm not pleased with is that from everything I can find you have to buy new soldier flies every spring.

Has anybody successfully overwintered them in below freezing temps? It's not super cold here but it does go below freezing.

Thanks in advance!

 

[casportpony]

@Nabiki, can you help?

 

[Nabiki]

I haven't had to yet, but I've read that if you keep them sheltered, they dig down into your compost/soil and over winter nicely.

I plan my next colony to be in a greenhouse, so the temperatures won't get that low.

 

[PioneerChicks]

I haven't had to yet, but I've read that if you keep them sheltered, they dig down into your compost/soil and over winter nicely.

I plan my next colony to be in a greenhouse, so the temperatures won't get that low.

Okay thank you! Good to hear!

 

[seuferer]

I am wondering about this/looking into this, too. I live in North Central Iowa, we get very cold here in the winter! I have seen documented wild black soldier fly sightings as far north as Canada, so I know there must be a way to help them overwinter. I am continuing to search online, and so far one suggestion was that a person uses a heat pad beneath their plastic black solider fly bin - one of the ones like greenhouses use beneath early spring planting trays - and that they said it kept the substrate just warm enough to keep the larvae alive but dormant during the winter. This sounds hopeful - but I cannot find the temperatures/area this test/article was written in. How 'dry' or 'moist' does the substrate need to be, etc.

Another thought I've had/wondered about is whether I could collect the corrigated cardboard/plastic that I will be using for them to lay eggs, and keep the eggs in some type of container in my refrigerator in my house during the winter? Would they survive? At what temperature should I then return the egg trays outside again?

I really want to do this as part of my composting system, but the "how-to" information is extremely - surprisingly -difficult to find.

Other questions I have include:

How much attention does do the bins need when full of grubs? If we go on vacation, do I need to add 'feeding' my bins to the tasks I hire done while we are gone?

How much heat can they tolerate? As cold as we get in the winter, it is also quite hot and humid in the summers - 90-100 degrees for several weeks in July/August - should I keep the bin in the shade?

I am really hoping someone 'out there' will write a "how-to" book! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to add this process to my chicken-keeping and gardening.

 

[seuferer]

Ah, and I was searching more this morning and found this 12-page 'how-to' guide! Haven't read through it yet, but this may be exactly what I was looking for!

https://ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2016/03/bsfl_how-to_guide.pdf

 

[PioneerChicks]

Ah, and I was searching more this morning and found this 12-page 'how-to' guide! Haven't read through it yet, but this may be exactly what I was looking for!

https://ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2016/03/bsfl_how-to_guide.pdf

Thank you for finding this! I'll look through it! This is the year!!!

 

[OurWeeTennesseeHomestead]

Wild Black Soldier Flies aren't common in my area so I will have to buy some next spring. I plan to raise them for the chickens.

The only part of this deal I'm not pleased with is that from everything I can find you have to buy new soldier flies every spring.

Has anybody successfully overwintered them in below freezing temps? It's not super cold here but it does go below freezing.

Thanks in advance!

I'm new here and am looking at raising BSF. How has your experience gone so far?

 

[PioneerChicks]

I'm new here and am looking at raising BSF. How has your experience gone so far?

Sorry for the late reply, I have not been active on here lately.
Welcome to the flock! It's good to have you!
We ended up moving and are currently living on the road. I didn't get BSF before we left, though I would like to get them once we settle down again. You could try making a post to see what others are thinking though, most chicken keepers seem to appreciate them!

 

[NonnieNonna]

Ah, and I was searching more this morning and found this 12-page 'how-to' guide! Haven't read through it yet, but this may be exactly what I was looking for!

https://ie.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2016/03/bsfl_how-to_guide.pdf

This page is saying it cant be loaded. Anyone have any luck? Or have other info on overwintering BSF? Thanks!