Easy feeders to culture?

[petoly]

Patrick, be careful with the dermestid beetles in the roach bins. I also have them in mine, however you have to watch their population, and control it. Otherwise they will take over and eat everything. The beetles grow and reproduce much faster than the roaches, and when there's no carcases for them to eat they will eat the roach food. wouldn't want to be feeding dermestid beetles instead of roaches.

 

[patrickfraser]

As long as they don't start to eat the live roaches. :lol: I actually found a female dubia not dead, but the abdomen and contents eaten out. I think it was probably one that prolapsed and became susceptible to the "cleaning crew".

 

[garin33]

Nice Patrick. Nothing better than free feeders and a clean up crew and you didn't have to do anything. Too bad everything in life was as easy as that!

That's how I felt when I saw all those grain moths emerging in my roach bin. However, I fed them all off so they are gone now . However, it was fun while it lasted.

Be nice if they just kept reappearing every month. I never even saw the larvae or pupae.

 

[patrickfraser]

Mealworm beetles work, too.

 

[Malakyoma]

Mealworm beetles work, too.

Ever tried feeding one that was fully black and hard?

 

[patrickfraser]

I haven't tried the fully hardened ones. I leave them to breed and lay eggs. I have lots of beetles hatching.

 

[Malakyoma]

I haven't tried the fully hardened ones. I leave them to breed and lay eggs. I have lots of beetles hatching.

Same. there's probably 200 in my drawer now. more pupae as well. The thing I love about superworm beetles is the glossy raven-black they become. Its actually really pretty.

 

[Malakyoma]

Something I discovered in my Superworm drawer today: A Little while ago I put the top half of a sub sandwhich bun in there because I heard it gives them extra nutrition. Well today when I cracked open the old sub bun and put in a new one, pupae fell out. I think they burrowed their way inside, made their own rooms, and pupated inside the bread. But I've found 3 pupae now which pupated in the culture with the rest of the superworms (Not many left. Most pupated)

 

[patrickfraser]

Maybe I'll buy some rolls and throw them in. I also tried a fully hardened and black beetle with my stalli and it ate it right up. They are not really that hard.

 

[Malakyoma]

My adult female marbled ate a nearly hardened superworm beetle today. thought it might be a little big but guess not.

 

[patrickfraser]

I bought some pill sorters yesterday and have separated about 40 superworms. How long does it take for them to pupate? If these do pupate, it indicates that the rest of the colony will do so, as well. I have a lot of superworms and was wondering how long they will live before just dying off. Since they will not pupate in a colony, I am assuming they'd just die off if unable to pupate.

 

[Malakyoma]

I bought some pill sorters yesterday and have separated about 40 superworms. How long does it take for them to pupate? If these do pupate, it indicates that the rest of the colony will do so, as well. I have a lot of superworms and was wondering how long they will live before just dying off. Since they will not pupate in a colony, I am assuming they'd just die off if unable to pupate.

about a week or two. And they can pupate at almost any stage. I actually have a pupa waiting to hatch about half the size of other pupa. Mine live about a month to a month and a half so far, but some of them actually pupated in culture before dying as well.

 

[Malakyoma]

My Superworm beetles actually drink from a water dish... how about that.

 

[Malakyoma]

P.S... I don't recommend the water dish idea. made a little bit of a mess with the oats...

I was just wondering if anyone knew the differences in nutrition value between worm/pupa/beetle. I imagine pupa has the most readily accessible nutrition since its all goo on the inside that needs to rebuild itself. I also imagine the beetle has more complex sugars which I BELIEVE is what makes up the shell. Could be wrong though. Basically if you want to get the max nutrition from a meal/super, what stage should you feed it to your mantids? I fed pupae for the first time today. My Popa has a messy face now lol.

One of my griffins molted to L7 today too. Very big. I think tomorrow night I'm going to give her a super pupa and see how she likes it.

 

[patrickfraser]

I GOT PUPAE!​

​

 

[Malakyoma]

that looks really fresh. My second batch of pupae are almost ready. Got another 40 in the drawer, once they all turn I'll put them in the beetle drawer and throw another 40 worms in the drawer.

 

[patrickfraser]

It is poppin fresh. First one found today. I am just glad to know it's going right. First timer's syndrome, you know? :lol:

 

[Malakyoma]

I basically forget about mine for days. Woke up this morning and thought "Oh I haven't checked the supers in a while"... Theres one dead and ten pupae or so.

 

[sinensispsyched]

It doesn't get any easier than fruit flies IMO.

 

[patrickfraser]

It doesn't get any easier than fruit flies IMO.

Yeah, i got that one down pat.