# Darkling Beetle Issue



## Kaddock (May 4, 2011)

I just noticed many of my darkling beetles are on their backs and having intense seizures... I tried to right them, but it's literally like they are seizing. The only thing I can think of that may have done this is trace pesticides on the grape I just stuck in there an hour ago. The mealworms, however, are all over it and devouring it happily with no ill affect. Any idea what's going on here?


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 4, 2011)

No idea, did it stop?


----------



## nursemelody (May 4, 2011)

Are you keeping them to keep your mealworm colony going? I have had darkling beetles die for seemingly no reason on their back with their arms flailing....

I have only fed carrot or potato though....

I dont know but I had a HUGE grain mite problem, so now I dont try to reproduce them anymore! It was horrendous!


----------



## Kaddock (May 4, 2011)

hibiscusmile said:


> No idea, did it stop?


I believe so. Very strange!



nursemelody said:


> Are you keeping them to keep your mealworm colony going? I have had darkling beetles die for seemingly no reason on their back with their arms flailing....
> 
> I have only fed carrot or potato though....
> 
> I dont know but I had a HUGE grain mite problem, so now I dont try to reproduce them anymore! It was horrendous!


Yes and the flailing I can relate to, but they stopped overnight, so I'm not sure! I would bet anything it was that grape I added. It was not organic, and I didn't wash it. Since then I've added organic carrot, spinach, and orange and they are devouring it with no seizures! It pays to treat your pets to less chemically saturated food! As far as the mites... I hate those [email protected]#$%^&amp; things. I had them so badly in a cricket cage that I had to shower after cleaning it out. Hate them. Hate, hate! I occasionally see an increase of them in my roach cage or frog cage, but it seems like the isopods out compete them for food (maybe even eat them?)! If only the lack of humidity wasn't an issue, I'd add some to the mealworm enclosure.


----------



## nursemelody (May 7, 2011)

Yes and the flailing I can relate to, but they stopped overnight, so I'm not sure! I would bet anything it was that grape I added. It was not organic, and I didn't wash it. Since then I've added organic carrot, spinach, and orange and they are devouring it with no seizures! It pays to treat your pets to less chemically saturated food! As far as the mites... I hate those [email protected]#$%^&amp; things. I had them so badly in a cricket cage that I had to shower after cleaning it out. Hate them. Hate, hate! I occasionally see an increase of them in my roach cage or frog cage, but it seems like the isopods out compete them for food (maybe even eat them?)! If only the lack of humidity wasn't an issue, I'd add some to the mealworm enclosure.

My mealworms haven't been so sensitive, but who knows... Yeah the mites... oh man!!! Our air had gone out for 2 days last summer, and I had a culture with the beetles seperated from the worms, and of course with the beetles its harder to clean cause you are afraid you will accidently throw out some baby worms or eggs... so it was pretty moist in there, and the next morning of having the air out they just were on EVERYTHING in that room.... It was INSANE...... I moved out all of my creatures into another room, and dry iced the terrariums.... flea bombed the room... eventually put everything back in... and then after reading the recommendation of waiting 3 months before trying to start a new culture, I did.. They were back, but at least I recognized them and they were contained... I dumped my culture, and now I just buy mealworms for my frogs and newts and dont even try to breed them.... It seems hopeless, like they are in this room forever or something!


----------



## bling (May 11, 2011)

try putting more egg boxes on so they stop or something they can climb on


----------



## Kaddock (Apr 12, 2012)

> My mealworms haven't been so sensitive, but who knows... Yeah the mites... oh man!!! Our air had gone out for 2 days last summer, and I had a culture with the beetles seperated from the worms, and of course with the beetles its harder to clean cause you are afraid you will accidently throw out some baby worms or eggs... so it was pretty moist in there, and the next morning of having the air out they just were on EVERYTHING in that room.... It was INSANE...... I moved out all of my creatures into another room, and dry iced the terrariums.... flea bombed the room... eventually put everything back in... and then after reading the recommendation of waiting 3 months before trying to start a new culture, I did.. They were back, but at least I recognized them and they were contained... I dumped my culture, and now I just buy mealworms for my frogs and newts and dont even try to breed them.... It seems hopeless, like they are in this room forever or something!


I believe the mites are present in the form of dormant eggs in the bran we purchase for the culture. I have also seen similar mites in my sphagnum moss, powdered cricket food, etc. As with snails in an aquarium, there is a reason they're there. Something must be equalized to eliminate them. I guess the real reason it's so difficult is because we have controlled environments which can't equalize themselves. :-\


----------

