Aussie Finch Forum

calci-gents are the larvae of the black Soldier fly(Hermetia Illucens). see web site http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/2011/05/ ... he-basics/

west finch wrote:calci-gents are the larvae of the black Soldier fly(Hermetia Illucens). see web site http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/2011/05/ ... he-basics/

Definitely not what I got of them, those were large hairy maggots that later turned into green Blow flies you often see outdoors. I breed these, "Soldier fly (Hermetia Illucens)" http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/tag/life-cycle/ but I'm not to sure about the name "Calci - gents". Non of these were any good to feed Wrens or any other Finches.

is it correct that black soldier fly is the best live food for Finches?
And does anyone use one of these fly buckets?
This is a youtube clip of one making them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kjNvE5 ... Ac73Zrkf6q
Or is a box with lamp and sugar etc preferable?
Cheers

We use house flies or bush flies. The contraption in that video looks highly complex compared to the fly boxes most use.
Have a read through this thread - http://www.aussiefinchforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=9844

You can buy house fly maggots ready to feed - http://frogs.org.au/arcade/index.php?cPath=27_71 - they call them "Gents"
Or you can get live house fly pupae to get your colony going - http://frogs.org.au/arcade/index.php?cPath=27_36
Or I'm sure someone with a fly box near you will give you some to get started.

Thanks samdavis, much appreciated.

The fly breeding box from Borgs looks a bit steep at $265 and I assume that every time you open front you lose a lot of flies.
I like the option with the woman's stocking better