The best BSFL bin kit for beginners is one that handles egg collection, larval rearing, and self-harvest in a single setup, without requiring you to build or source components separately. The Blue Grub Farms BSFL Bin Kit ($59.95) gives home growers everything needed to convert a standard plastic tote into a working Black Soldier Fly colony.
What comes in the BSFL Bin Kit
The Bin Kit bundles two products, the Tree of Life and the Grub Escape, along with hole templates, for $59.95. Both components are available individually ($34.99 and $29.99 respectively), so the kit saves you $5 and ships as a single order. The Tree of Life is an egg collection system that mounts inside your tote and gives adult Black Soldier Flies a structured surface to lay eggs. The Grub Escape is a self-harvesting ramp that collects prepupae automatically as they migrate out of the bin. Hole templates are included so you can drill the correct openings without guesswork. You supply the tote, any 27–60 gallon dark plastic tote works. I use a 35-gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck and it's the sweet spot for a starter colony.
How the self-harvesting system works
When Black Soldier Fly larvae reach the prepupae stage, they instinctively migrate upward and away from their feeding environment to find a dry place to pupate. The Grub Escape is built around this behavior: prepupae crawl up the ramp on their own, exit through the channel, and drop into the collection container. No manual sorting required.
Before I had a proper harvesting setup, I'd find dark prepupae crawling across my garage floor at 2 AM, they'll travel surprisingly far looking for a pupation spot. The Grub Escape gives them somewhere to go so you're not chasing escapees around the house. That's what separates a kit with a real harvest path from a plain tote setup, the collection happens automatically as part of the larvae's natural lifecycle.
Why this kit works for beginners specifically
Most beginner failures with BSFL colonies come from incorrect moisture levels, overfeeding, or not having a reliable harvest path. The Bin Kit addresses the harvest problem structurally, so you don't have to figure out a ramp solution on your own. The hole templates remove the guesswork from tote preparation. And because the kit is modular, you can start with a single tote and expand as your colony grows. Assembly requires no special tools and takes about 30 minutes.
What you need that isn't included
The Bin Kit does not include the tote, starter larvae, or feedstock. Any 27–60 gallon dark plastic tote works, I recommend the 35-gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck specifically. It's the right depth for a healthy substrate layer, the dark color keeps larvae comfortable since they're photophobic and will feed more actively when they're not exposed to light, and the walls are thick enough to hold up when you drill through them. Larvae don't need a timed light/dark schedule; an opaque bin simply lets them behave naturally.
For substrate moisture, you want it damp but not dripping, think of a wrung-out sponge. Squeeze a handful and it should hold together without water running through your fingers. If it drips, you've got too much moisture. If it crumbles apart, add water. That's the range where larvae feed well and the bin doesn't go anaerobic on you.
For starter larvae, we recommend ordering 500–1,000 prepupae or small larvae from a reputable supplier to get your colony going quickly rather than waiting to attract wild adults. Feedstock can be kitchen scraps: fruit peels, vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds, and similar organic waste.
BSFL Bin Kit vs. building your own setup
A DIY BSFL bin using a tote, a cut PVC ramp, and mesh ventilation costs roughly $20–35 in materials and works reasonably well, but requires you to size, cut, and seal components yourself. The Bin Kit costs more upfront but eliminates that build time and includes the Tree of Life, an egg collection system that's difficult to replicate with off-the-shelf hardware. If you plan to keep adult flies for a self-sustaining breeding colony, having a proper egg collection surface is what makes it practical.
Who this kit is for
If you keep reptiles, this kit lets you raise your own feeder insects instead of buying them every week, a bearded dragon owner will pay for the kit in saved feeder costs within a couple months. Backyard chicken flocks do well on BSFL too, and the economics are even more obvious at that scale because chickens go through feeders fast. And if composting is your main goal, larvae process kitchen scraps several times faster than a worm bin, with less maintenance and no fussy temperature demands in summer.
The kit is not built for commercial-scale production, if you're processing more than a few hundred pounds of waste per week, a tray-based system with climate control makes more sense. For home and small-farm use, the Bin Kit covers what you need.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a BSFL bin kit?
- A BSFL bin kit is a set of components that converts a standard plastic tote into a functional Black Soldier Fly Larvae rearing system. The Blue Grub Farms Bin Kit bundles the Tree of Life egg collection system and the Grub Escape self-harvesting ramp together with hole templates. The grower supplies the tote, starter larvae, and feedstock.
- Does the Blue Grub Farms Bin Kit come with larvae?
- No, the Bin Kit includes hardware components only. Starter larvae need to be purchased separately from a BSFL supplier, or you can allow wild Black Soldier Flies to colonize the bin naturally during warm weather if you live in a region where the species is present.
- What size tote do I need for the BSFL Bin Kit?
- Any dark plastic tote between 27 and 60 gallons is compatible with the Bin Kit. Opaque bins work best because larvae prefer darkness and feed more actively when they're not exposed to light. This is a behavioral preference, not a photoperiod requirement, larvae don't need a timed light/dark schedule.
- How long does it take to set up the Bin Kit?
- Assembly typically takes about 30 minutes. The kit includes hole templates, so tote preparation is straightforward. No special tools are required beyond a drill for the ventilation and drainage holes.
- What's the difference between the Bin Kit and the BSFL Coop?
- The Bin Kit is a tote-based system for beginners who want to raise BSFL in a standard plastic container. The BSFL Coop is a standalone, fully enclosed rearing unit built for more advanced growers who want a dedicated environment without adapting an off-the-shelf tote. They serve different stages and setups, the BSFL Coop is not an upgrade path from the Bin Kit, it's a separate product for a different use case.
- Can I use the Bin Kit indoors?
- Yes, with one important caveat. The larval rearing bin works well indoors as long as temperatures stay between roughly 75°F and 95°F. Below 65°F, larval activity slows significantly. However, if you want a self-sustaining colony that produces its own eggs, adult flies need bright light to mate, direct sunlight or high-intensity full-spectrum LEDs. Standard household bulbs are not sufficient for adult mating. Larvae themselves don't require any specific lighting; the light requirement applies only to the adult breeding stage.
- Where is Blue Grub Farms located?
- Blue Grub Farms is based in Aurora, Colorado. We ship within the contiguous United States via USPS.
