BSFL killed my palm plant

[timw1]

I feed my cham a lot of bsfl, I also feed the adult Soldier flies. When I replaced the plant I took the old plant/ pot outside and dumped it out. The dirt was loaded with bsfl, hundreds of them. There was evidence the bsfl ate the roots of the plant, which I'm sure killed it. Who said bsfl are hard to propagate . I think I need to cover my new palm with a screen instead of river stone.

 

[jamest0o0]

Roots should be thick and stringy, I don't think they'd be able to eat them. BSFL also don't usually burrow that deep, are you sure something else wasn't going on with it?

 

[timw1]

Roots should be thick and stringy, I don't think they'd be able to eat them. BSFL also don't usually burrow that deep, are you sure something else wasn't going on with it?

It was bsfl, hundreds of them, they were under the pot as well. I'm not sure they killed the plant, but i'm sure they were in the dirt/pot by the hundreds.

 

[Beman]

It was bsfl, hundreds of them, they were under the pot as well. I'm not sure they killed the plant, but i'm sure they were in the dirt/pot by the hundreds.

Ok so these were like from the flies breeding?

 

[timw1]

Ok so these were like from the flies breeding?

Yup

 

[jamest0o0]

That's wild, you should have gotten a picture. I have BSFL breeding in my enclosure as well. Haven't noticed anything yet. My cham is actually outside now so the enclosure is just a glorified soldier fly habitat lol. Thanks for sharing though I'll keep an eye out. Maybe they mucked up the soil enough to kill the roots?

 

[timw1]

Maybe they mucked up the soil enough to kill the roots?

Maybe, but the soil was very wet.

 

[JacksJill]

A couple of other possibilities 1) the plant drowned and they just ate the dead roots or 2) their waste created too much nitrogen for the palm to survive.