FAQs

Obie’s BSFL are Atlantic Canada's premium quality black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illuciens) live feed for insectivore pets. Obie’s BSFL are naturally high in calcium, protein, iron, phosphorus, and the essential amino acids required for a healthy diet. Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Obie's BSFL are available for shipping Canada-wide, as well as in select stores nationwide.

These are trademarked products offering the same species of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). The difference between each is how the larvae are produced and what they are fed. Obie’s BSFL are a nutrient rich source of calcium, protein, and iron, produced ethically in Halifax, Nova Scotia, using safe, processed organic material as a feedstock.

Oberland Agriscience Inc. is an environmentally focussed company, aligning with several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We strive to be a zero waste facility, sourcing local pre-consumer organic material as our feed stock.

For example, we use spent grains from local breweries as the feed to raise our BSFL. The result is an environmentally consciously grown, highly nutritious staple for your insectivore pets.

Planet Earth is facing a critical protein shortage. At Oberland Agriscience Inc. we found ourselves looking for an opportunity to produce high quality protein at a lower impact to the world. The protein from our BSFL has applications in pet food, poultry feed, and aquaculture feed - markets which can greatly benefit from a sustainable, resilient protein, produced using less water, less land, and turning out lower carbon emissions that convential protein sources.

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is a common subtropical fly of the Stratiomyidae family. Adult flies are up to 18–20 mm in length.  The larvae (black soldier fly larvae or BSFL) are an excellent supplement for animal feeds; as feeders for owners of insectivores; or as compost boosting grubs. BSFL are high in protein (~50% dry weight) and contain high levels of calcium, making them beneficial to reptiles in particular.

The true power of this insect lies in the ability of the larvae to consume almost any kind of organic material — making them a great ally in confronting both the global food waste crisis and the world’s looming protein shortage.

You can store Obie’s BSFL at room temperature for up to two weeks with care to keep them moist and fed. To extend their shelf life, keep Obie’s BSFL slightly cool (10–12 ºC / 50–53ºF) and moisten frequently. DO NOT store your BSFL in the freezer or refrigerator.

Obie’s BSFL wiggle, but as long as you keep the permeable lid sealed, you won’t have any escapees! Motionless larvae may just need a warm water rinse or a little warming up - place them in your hand or under a heat source like a warm light bulb and you should see them spring back into action.

For more information about keeping your Obie’s BSFL active, click here.

Obie's BSFL come packed in a moist coconut coir.

Obie’s BSFL may have an earthy smell at first from being cooped up in their container for shipping. Our ventilated covers will allow the smell dissipate from the container.

BSFL can omit a smell of ammonia. This is a by-product of the BSFL processing the protein in their system. When you open your container of Obie's BSFL you may smell ammonia which is due to them processing remnants of feed during shipment. Make sure your larvae and their bedding are dry, and the smell will dissipate.

No, there is a natural variation in colour from light tan through to dark brown. Larger dark brown or black larvae may move more slowly as they’re transforming into their pre-pupae stage. These darker worms eventually turn into pupae and emerge as adult flies. BSFL are edible by your insectivore at all stages in their life cycle.

However, if your pet is not interested in BSF, don't worry. They are a non-invasive species with a two to three day lifespan once they have turned to flies.

Our live BSFL are naturally high in calcium at >3000 ppm, with a calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio of 1.25:1, making them an ideal food source for insectivores. Obie's BSFL are also 50% protein (dry weight) and contain the essential nutrients, vitamins, and amino acids your insectivore requires.

Our 100% BSFL dried product - Obie’s Boost - is an excellent topper to your insectivore’s feed, providing a nutrient, calcium, and protein boost to any meal.

Our insectivore friends need calcium for bone health, just like humans and other mammals. Insectivores typically have a high dietary calcium requirement, meaning supplements and calcium dusting are often needed when feeding other insects to keep your pet from suffering calcium deficiency. At >5500 ppm calcium, Obie’s BSFL provides all the staple calcium your pet needs from their food. 

It is also important that the calcium boost comes with phosphorus for proper absorption. With a Ca:P ratio of 1.25:1, Obie’s BSFL are a healthy source of absorbable calcium.

Yes! Obie’s BSFL are great for all small and large insectivores, whether they are reptiles, amphibians, birds or mammals. Lizards, frogs, spiders, and hedgehogs thrive on Obie’s BSFL as a staple food or as a daily treat.

It is important to note that a balanced and diverse diet is as important for your pet as it is for us humans. Obie's recommends that you consult you veterinary practicioner for recommendations on how to provide your pet a trulty balanced and healthy diet.

When it comes to dusting, no, that is not required for your Obie's BSFL prior to giving them to your pet. Obie's BSFL are naturally high in calcium.

While not necessary, it can be useful to gut-load your BSFL while they are in their larval stage. Over time, they will consume the protein in their system, which is where the ammonia smell comes from. If you want to continue feeding your BSFL to boost their nutritional value prior to feeding them to your pet, you can add organic matter such as banana peel, apple cores, or vegetable shavings to the container you keep them in.

Feeding guidelines vary depending  on the type and age of your  insectivore. Examples of recommended feeding guidelines are below. Tailor them to your individual pet’s appetite and size.

Bearded Dragon
A healthy adult bearded dragon may eat around 10 worms per day. 20 worms every other day is also a great way to feed them Obie’s BSFL.

Hedgehog
Your hedgehog will enjoy the hunt and can have five to six Obie’s BSFL per day.

Crested Gecko
Size your Obie’s BSFL to the width of your crestie’s head (small larvae when they are young, medium when adult). Feed three to four worms every three days.

Leopard Gecko
Adult leopard geckos may eat up to six larvae every second day, though appetites vary greatly depending on how they were introduced to live feeders.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is to feed a larve no larger than the distance between your lizard's eyes.

Rinse your Obie’s BSFL in warm water and place them in your pet's feeder bowl or let them loose in your pet’s tank. They’re wiggly, and Hermie tells us they taste great! Obie's BSFL quick movement will stimulate the appetites of even the finickiest eaters.

Obie’s BSFL come in three convenient sizes. 

The small larvae, weighing 4-6 mg on average, are best for hatchlings, small frogs, spiders, and other small species.

The medium larvae, weighing approximately 7-12 mg each, are ideal for newts, medium frogs and toads, adolescent lizards, small chameleons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, axolotls, and young hedgehogs. 

Obie's large larvae, weighing approximately 13-25 mg each, are best suited to bearded, frilled, and water dragons, skinks, large chameleons, any larger lizard species, and adult hedgehogs.

Some insectivores are finicky eaters. Most will swallow their prey whole and tend to ignore anything that doesn’t move. At room temperature, Obie’s BSFL are the perfect wiggly staple to catch your pet’s attention.

Obie’s BSFL are ideal for lizards, frogs, spiders, birds, and hedgehogs. If you or your pet are unsatisfied with your purchase, please let us know. We want your pet to be happy and healthy, and we appreciate your feedback.

None. Our dried ground BSFL products are made from 100% dried black soldier fly larvae. Obie's dried products are another variation to provide the protein, calcium and phosphorus in your pet’s diet.

All Obie's products contain the same ingredient - 100% BSFL. Obie's Boost is a fine grind of our premium quality, whole dried 100% BSFL, making it ideally suited to dusting greens, adding as a supplement to pangea, or simply as your pet's favourite treat food.

This depends on the nutrient profile of your main food. Obie’s BSFL and Boost products are nutritionally complete. If your main food is also nutritionally complete, swap out equal volumes of feed for the dried alternative, enusring the overall amount consumed stays the same.

Yes! Fish love dried BSFL! Simply add Obie's Nibbles, or Boost for smaller fish, to your aquarium as you would any other fish food.

If you have any questions before you order, please feel free to send us an email and a member of our Customer Service team will help you out.

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Yes we do! Simply register for an Obie's account, and you can choose between a subscription or one-time order when submitting your order.

Please contact our Customer Care team for support.

We exclusively ship Obie’s BSFL products within Canada only. 

We offer flat rate shipping within Canada, as follows:

$15 - Maritime provinces

$25 - the rest of Canada

We fulfill and ship orders Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday each week to ensure your Obie’s BSFL arrive alive and fresh.

We do not ship orders on Thursdays or Fridays to avoid packages getting delayed over the weekend. We want your BSFL to arrive to you as fresh as possible.

To ensure an order is shipped on Wednesday, at the latest each week, the order cutoff time is 4pm AST on Tuesday each week.

Orders placed between 4pm on Tuesday and 4pm on Friday will ship the following week. Orders placed over the weekend will ship the following Monday - Wednesday.

We guarantee live delivery of our products and we always ship a little extra! You will receive a tracking number when we ship your order so you can keep an eye on your delivery. 

Obie’s BSFL can survive up to two to three weeks at room temperature, and longer in cooler temperatures. Shipping delays should not present a problem, but they are largely out of our control.

No, unfortunately we cannot make any changes or cancel orders after they have shipped.

If you need to cancel an order before it has shipped, please email or call our Customer Service team.

We offer a free pick-up option at our Oberland Agriscience location in Halifax (10 Ragged Lake Blvd, Unit 9). Select the free pick-up option at checkout and we will get your order ready as soon as possible during our Monday-Wednesday shipping hours. Please wait for a confirmation that your order is ready for pickup before arriving. Orders will be in the fridge on the shelving unit inside our main entrance.

Obie’s BSFL are also available at the following pet stores in Nova Scotia:

- PetValu Bridgewater

- PetValu Yarmouth

- T&M Pet Supplies, Berwick

- PetValu New Minas

- PetValu Sydney

- Walker's Feed & Supplies, Dartmouth (whole dried only)

See our store locator for more stores carrying Obie's BSFL across Canada.

We do our best to ensure your Obie’s BSFL arrive safely. We will add extra insulation and a heat pack to your order (free of charge) during colder months. However, we cannot guarantee your order will not freeze during transit.

We currently offer all our products for wholesale. If you are interested in carrying our products in your store, please contact us for a current price list and samples.