77 replies to this topic

[Crystals]

Check out any local reptile groups.

You would be amazed at what they sometimes keep as feeders.

[dermy]

Especially in the United Kingdom.

[dermy]

I'll be messing with my Attagenus unicolor colony, until I can get pics up later on here is a video slideshow I made of the colony:

Edited by dermy, October 30 2014 - 9:55 AM.

[dermy]

Hey guys, quicky for you, The colony is doing well and I've made a Secondary colony out of it to Test various Dermestidariums!

[dermy]

I'm going to be making them a new setup soon!

[kellakk]

Cool, let us see it!

[dermy]

Okay will do, it's not much bigger but I've found with my species they like a little crowdedness, they remind me of ants because if you give them a larger setup I've found they breed slower.

[kellakk]

I caught some beetles that I think are Orphilus subnitidus under a deer carcass today.  Do you think I can keep them the same way Dermestes are kept?

[Foogoo]

I caught some beetles that I think are Orphilus subnitidus under a deer carcass today.  Do you think I can keep them the same way Dermestes are kept?

I found a ~4" long centipede under a rock today and squeamishly backed away while here you are flipping deer carcasses...

[kellakk]

Haha I see those all the time.  Scolopendra polymorpha, they're quick and unpredictable, but can't seriously hurt you.  The bite does cause some pain though.

 

That deer smelled terrible, I don't think the 3 5-10 mm beetles I got from it were worth it. I would have gotten more but I was too disgusted to lift more than a leg.

[dermy]

If it was that disgusting dermestes would not have been there, they wait till the flies are all done getting the bulk of the meat out and then they go for it.

 

I don't know much about those beetles but if they eat meat in that state they might not be easy to keep. Imagine you'd have to feed them meat [not dry either] for them to survive.

 

If you really want some dermestids either wait till a carcass is 99% done [so there is no flies are anything] and catch as many of the fuzzy looking larvae and beetles that you can. The more the faster your colony will grow.

Just in case anyone wants to know, i still have my Attagenus unicolor colony and it's getting bigger now! I have over 280+ and i suspect a Population Boom over the next couple of weeks [because of emerging adults].

[LAnt]

Kinda curious, what about beetles do you like so much?

[kellakk]

If it was that disgusting dermestes would not have been there, they wait till the flies are all done getting the bulk of the meat out and then they go for it.

 

I don't know much about those beetles but if they eat meat in that state they might not be easy to keep. Imagine you'd have to feed them meat [not dry either] for them to survive.

 

If you really want some dermestids either wait till a carcass is 99% done [so there is no flies are anything] and catch as many of the fuzzy looking larvae and beetles that you can. The more the faster your colony will grow.

Just in case anyone wants to know, i still have my Attagenus unicolor colony and it's getting bigger now! I have over 280+ and i suspect a Population Boom over the next couple of weeks [because of emerging adults].

 

The part that I got the beetles from was in a further state of decay than the rest of the deer.  I think the fact that it was thin made it decay faster than the thicker body.  Hopefully they do well, I gave them some food but they decided to dive into the substrate instead.

 

Wow, 280+ is awesome!

[dermy]

Kinda curious, what about beetles do you like so much?

I assume you mean Dermestids? I like them for various reasons, they are really easy to maintain and they are fun to watch grow from a few adults to over 280+ [so far anyway!] I feel like they are mis-judged as "Bad" because they can become household pests [mainly because people don't store food properly or something else like that] 

 

I'm just into them now that it isn't a hobby anymore it's an obsession now

 

KellaKK: 280+ Is nothing this time of the year is the Calm Before the Storm because once May and April roll around I'm pretty sure my Colony will double in size at least, if not more. I've been counting 5-7 pupae every few weeks, and most this time are females  

 

I have started a different Colony with 2 Females and 1 Male [Lucky guy haha!] mainly because i was this hot one year and something tragic happened to my Colony and i had no Back-Up. This was a "Failure on my part" though not on the Dermestids. My brother flushed the whole colony [was over 200+ at the time] down the toliet. This colony i currently own is the Largest Attagenus unicolor colony I've ever had in my life and i hope it continues to breed and populate for a long time to come

[dermy]

If you ever need any more information just ask!

[Crystals]

Kinda curious, what about beetles do you like so much?

I get asked that about ants all the time.

Or what I get out of them.  I usually respond, "About as much as you get out of video games, I find them relaxing to watch and I enjoy them" 

[antmaniac]

Still better than dung beetles I suppose, but those would be even easier to maintain.

Edited by antmaniac, March 24 2015 - 7:01 PM.

[dermy]

Here is a picture of my colony a few days ago [there are tiny larvae you can't see under the larger larvae and such]

[dermy]

Just in case anyone wanted to know on March 25/2015 I found the First Dermestes lardarius beetle in my home [In my bath-tub of all places] it's a nice healthy looking female

[dermy]

Got a count of them the other day. Over 300+ In the Colony now, and I see a lot of females!