My Goals for 2010 are as follows:
1-Make my new colony hit 100+.
2-Make use of my new setups[that i will be planning and making before 2010.]3-Split my colony into two seprate colonies.
I'll keep you updated on these in the future!
Dermestid Files!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My Dermestidarium Plan for 2010!
Well since i'm considering next year my first year with dermestids i thought i'd do a setup that is simple to make and yet will take a little longer then a day or two to finish.I have been reading on forums that they can and Will chew through soft plastics,wood and sometimes even tin.So i have decided to use something else.A kritter keeper.I'll just use a small one for now as it will be my first year with them.I hope to possibly make it easy to find them yet not so easy that i just throw them in and then feed them.I have not decided on what type of bedding i will be using.I do know what to feed them.I'll start out with cat chow but when the colony gets a couple beetles i'll supplement their diet with some hotdogs.I hope to maybe make it by January first or second.I'll then start looking for some larvae.I hope they do better then what has been happening in the past.I'll keep you updated and may add some pictures up when i'm done!-koolkid
Dermestes Lardarius New colony
December 30th-Well i lost Eves empire :( so i have to find more larvae all i have is one larvae that is really small.I have it in a large kritter keeper.For substrate i first put down tolite paper then some cardboard.One piece of cardboard from my old colony was then added.I then added two more layers of tolite paper.I moistened this layer and added yet another layer.I then added some shredded up paper and more toliet paper.I then added some paper tubes used for money.I then added a little bit more tolite paper to on side.I'll be making sure this stays dry as this is where the food is placed.I'll keep you updated.I lost Eve's colony because i read up on a taxidermy forum that dermestids need around 40-50% humidity in order to shed properly.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Eve colony update #5
December 24/2009-Well this is for sure the last update until after Christmas.I have remade their inclosure here is what i did:I used some papertowels and added them onto the bottom then i added some moistened toliet paper.Then i added some styrofoam as i have read from the experts that they seem to lay their eggs on it and moult/pupate within it.I have also added some carpet as they seem to like to hide in it.I have fed them some cat chow and will be trying out hotdogs as i have read they love those.I may also try other meats but not roadkill and stuff.I just thought i'd update on my dermestids one last time until after christmas Happy Holidays Everyone!-Koolkid
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Eve Colony Update IV
December 22/2009-Well i think this is the second[or the last] update on my Dermestid colony before christmas.Just a little offtopic Today was my last day at school!I don't go back till Jan 6/2010!
Anyway Eve's little empire is still going strong in the same setup.Although when they turn into adults and lay more eggs i may think about making them a new setup.It seems that two out of three larvae have moulted of course i missed this and they are back to their orignal color.Anyway just thought i'd update!
-koolkid!
http://thebugforum.freeforum.ca/index.php?sid=b2e968e8b4d3dc3f5a5179bb9ee51ebe
Anyway Eve's little empire is still going strong in the same setup.Although when they turn into adults and lay more eggs i may think about making them a new setup.It seems that two out of three larvae have moulted of course i missed this and they are back to their orignal color.Anyway just thought i'd update!
-koolkid!
http://thebugforum.freeforum.ca/index.php?sid=b2e968e8b4d3dc3f5a5179bb9ee51ebe
Forum Troubles
Well for some odd reason the other forum server failed to meet my standers so i have moved TBF to a new server.If you are intrested in joining this forum here is the link to the forum.
http://thebugforum.freeforum.ca/index.php?sid=b2e968e8b4d3dc3f5a5179bb9ee51ebe
Anyway i'll keep you updated!
-koolkid
http://thebugforum.freeforum.ca/index.php?sid=b2e968e8b4d3dc3f5a5179bb9ee51ebe
Anyway i'll keep you updated!
-koolkid
Monday, December 21, 2009
Eve Colony Update III
December 21/09-Well since i thought the colony was in too much of a small container i decided to let them have the new one i made for them.They love it so far and it has reduced humidity to like 0% as Dermestids do horrible with humidity[They begin to stink and mold grows which by the way can kill a whole colony of Dermestids.]As it seems to produce condensation which from my experince,the larvae fall onto the drops and drown.Anyway i have been feeding them the Dermestid chow and i have two small egg carton pieces in the inclosure so they have hides.They are always in the food most likely eating it and reducing it into frass[Which in my opinion is very good for them as i have seen that they seem to like to moult within the frass.]Anyway just thought i'd update for one of the last times before Xmaz.
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Dermestid Care:All In One Big Post!
Okay so i thought i'd go into more detail on how to keep and raise Dermestids. Part 1-Making The Perfect Inclosure. Making The inclosure is often one of the most fun and injoyable things to do when raising dermestids.You will need some supplies though. Matierals Scissors Duct Tape Screen Container [Can be anything from a sandwhich container to a 20 gallon rubbermaid tub.I'll talk about this more in depth later.] Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls[Depending on what you perfer to use.] Steps Okay so first step is to cut a hole [depends on the size of the container but i'd suggest a hole the size of the middle and leave 1 inch on each side or so.] Now duct tape the screen over the hole[On Both Sides of the lid.] Next up is to add the Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls.I suggest added the Egg Cartons/Crates verticle [If you have the space.]If not just stacking on onto another works just as well.]If you stack them verticle the frass[Poop] falls to the floor of the inclosure. Now That you have Your inclosure made time to talk about what sizes fits how many dermestids. From a sandwhich container to a 10 by 10 cage:These will fit around 100-400 dermestids. 12 by 12 cage To a 10 gallon-These hold 500-1500 dermestids. 12 Gallon t0 a 20 gallon-This will hold 1600-3000+. 20+gallon-These hold about 5000-10 000 dermestids. I recomend starting small and working your way up seems way more injoyable then just getting 2000.I personally started my dermestid Colony from a single gravid female that i Called Eve. In the next Tutorial i will talk about food/water requirements for Dermestids Here is Part 2! BTW i actually make these posts on my blog i'm too lazy to repost them so i copy and paste them if your intreasted here is my blog: http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/ Part 2-Food And Water Requirments. Dermestids,like all living organisms must eat and drink to stay alive and healthy.Here is just a few of the things i have tried that seem to work out well: Cat food/Dog food Goldfish crackers[makes them go insane and grow rapidly.] Fish flakes/Fish pellets Reptile bites/pellets Amphipian Pellets I have also made a tuturial on how to make Dermestid Chow Which can be found here: http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-chow.html All i do is place a little bit of food on one side of the inclosure [Tips for making an inclosure can be found here:http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-carepart-1-making-perfect.html ] as then the larvae and adults [which can't climb food dishes] can get to the food and eat/lay eggs in it.When your colony gets so big they eat all their food in one day make a food dish.Here is how i made mine: Take one of those dishes that you get from take out at a pizza place.Clean it out with hot water and dry it.Cut to holes one on each side with a nife.I make it so some food falls out.Now the dermestids can just eat out of the food dish.If your colony gets to big for this method,do the same thing just with a bigger container with a lid. Now for water Requirements. If your scared of the babies dying in water then i suggest using water gel or cricket orange cub stuff.Don't worry if they dry out they stll eat them.If you don't have gel then a piece of papertowel that is moistened a bit but will go dry in about 10 hours or so.I've heard from others that you will never see your colony as active as after a light misting. Well there you have it thats Part 2 of Dermestid Care. In Part 3 We will talk about General Maintence Of Your Dermestid Colony! -koolkid Dermestid Care:Part 3 General Maintence Of Your Colony Once your dermestid colony is established you'll need to know about maintaining your colony.Usually maintence is only required once a week or so.Big maintence is only needed every 3-6 months.First we'll talk about Weekly Maintence. Weekly Maintence All you need to do weekly is check up on your colony and check on food/water.If you are on of the people who mists the papertowel you should do this once a week.If you use gel just check out the water gel and if it seems like it's lowering fast,add more.Now if the food is low add more food.If your one of those neat freaks[which is totally not needed!~] you can take out any of the dead beetles/larvae.If not forget about it they were ment to eat dead insects so if you leave on a trip and an hour later you think "damn i should have fed them!"no worries your covered!Next up is Big Maintence! Big Maintence This is only done 3-6 months but can be done every 9-12 months.I perfer every 3 months just to keep the inclosure a little bit clean.This comes in steps.I'll explain each step individually so it's easier to get it done! Cleaning out the Dermestidarium! The first step in Big Maintence!All you have to do is try to get all the beetles/larvae into a diffrent "holding container" then dump the frass into a ice cream pale and start sifting with the smallist sifter you have.You are likely to lost a few smallish larvae so do the sifting over the ice cream pail.Once you have most of the colony sifted add them into the holding container.Next take out the egg flats/crates/papertowel rolls and add them too into the holding container. Now take hot water and wash out the inclosure for 3-5 minutes.[DON'T USE SOAP!] if you use food dishes clean these out the same way. Drying the inclosure. I thought this diserved it's own part as there is many diffrent ways to dry your inclosure.The first is with papertowel.You want the inclosure as dry as possible.Same rules apply for the food dishes.Next method is use an old wash cloth that is dry and do the same thing for both the inclosure and the food dishes.Once dry it's now ready for the next step! Making the inclosure as good as new! Okay now that you have a clean inclosure add the hides and food into the food dish or how you had the food last time.Next add more water gel or a papertowel misted once.Wait for about 10 minutes before adding them back into their Dermestidarium.Then add them back to their home! Making multiple colonies! Now lets say you have about 100-1000 dermestids,You should think about setting up another inclosure. This is because setting up multi colonies can save your life in the long run.I'd suggest having 2-6 colonies going at once just in case one dies then you still have another one to replace it. Well that concludes part 3 of the Dermestid Care!If you have any more questions or think i left something out p.m me or add a comment on my forum!
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestid Care:Part 3 General Maintence Of Your Colony
Dermestid Care:Part 3 General Maintence Of Your Colony
Once your dermestid colony is established you'll need to know about maintaining your colony.Usually maintence is only required once a week or so.Big maintence is only needed every 3-6 months.First we'll talk about Weekly Maintence.
Weekly Maintence
All you need to do weekly is check up on your colony and check on food/water.If you are on of the people who mists the papertowel you should do this once a week.If you use gel just check out the water gel and if it seems like it's lowering fast,add more.Now if the food is low add more food.If your one of those neat freaks[which is totally not needed!~] you can take out any of the dead beetles/larvae.If not forget about it they were ment to eat dead insects so if you leave on a trip and an hour later you think "damn i should have fed them!"no worries your covered!Next up is Big Maintence!
Big Maintence
This is only done 3-6 months but can be done every 9-12 months.I perfer every 3 months just to keep the inclosure a little bit clean.This comes in steps.I'll explain each step individually so it's easier to get it done!
Cleaning out the Dermestidarium!
The first step in Big Maintence!All you have to do is try to get all the beetles/larvae into a diffrent "holding container" then dump the frass into a ice cream pale and start sifting with the smallist sifter you have.You are likely to lost a few smallish larvae so do the sifting over the ice cream pail.Once you have most of the colony sifted add them into the holding container.Next take out the egg flats/crates/papertowel rolls and add them too into the holding container.
Now take hot water and wash out the inclosure for 3-5 minutes.[DON'T USE SOAP!] if you use food dishes clean these out the same way.
Drying the inclosure.
I thought this diserved it's own part as there is many diffrent ways to dry your inclosure.The first is with papertowel.You want the inclosure as dry as possible.Same rules apply for the food dishes.Next method is use an old wash cloth that is dry and do the same thing for both the inclosure and the food dishes.Once dry it's now ready for the next step!
Making the inclosure as good as new!
Okay now that you have a clean inclosure add the hides and food into the food dish or how you had the food last time.Next add more water gel or a papertowel misted once.Wait for about 10 minutes before adding them back into their Dermestidarium.Then add them back to their home!
Making multiple colonies!
Now lets say you have about 100-1000 dermestids,You should think about setting up another inclosure.[For more information on setting up an inclosure read this guide:http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-carepart-1-making-perfect.html ]
This is because setting up multi colonies can save your life in the long run.I'd suggest having 2-6 colonies going at once just in case one dies then you still have another one to replace it.
Well that concludes part 3 of the Dermestid Care!If you have any more questions or think i left something out p.m me on my forum or add a comment!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Once your dermestid colony is established you'll need to know about maintaining your colony.Usually maintence is only required once a week or so.Big maintence is only needed every 3-6 months.First we'll talk about Weekly Maintence.
Weekly Maintence
All you need to do weekly is check up on your colony and check on food/water.If you are on of the people who mists the papertowel you should do this once a week.If you use gel just check out the water gel and if it seems like it's lowering fast,add more.Now if the food is low add more food.If your one of those neat freaks[which is totally not needed!~] you can take out any of the dead beetles/larvae.If not forget about it they were ment to eat dead insects so if you leave on a trip and an hour later you think "damn i should have fed them!"no worries your covered!Next up is Big Maintence!
Big Maintence
This is only done 3-6 months but can be done every 9-12 months.I perfer every 3 months just to keep the inclosure a little bit clean.This comes in steps.I'll explain each step individually so it's easier to get it done!
Cleaning out the Dermestidarium!
The first step in Big Maintence!All you have to do is try to get all the beetles/larvae into a diffrent "holding container" then dump the frass into a ice cream pale and start sifting with the smallist sifter you have.You are likely to lost a few smallish larvae so do the sifting over the ice cream pail.Once you have most of the colony sifted add them into the holding container.Next take out the egg flats/crates/papertowel rolls and add them too into the holding container.
Now take hot water and wash out the inclosure for 3-5 minutes.[DON'T USE SOAP!] if you use food dishes clean these out the same way.
Drying the inclosure.
I thought this diserved it's own part as there is many diffrent ways to dry your inclosure.The first is with papertowel.You want the inclosure as dry as possible.Same rules apply for the food dishes.Next method is use an old wash cloth that is dry and do the same thing for both the inclosure and the food dishes.Once dry it's now ready for the next step!
Making the inclosure as good as new!
Okay now that you have a clean inclosure add the hides and food into the food dish or how you had the food last time.Next add more water gel or a papertowel misted once.Wait for about 10 minutes before adding them back into their Dermestidarium.Then add them back to their home!
Making multiple colonies!
Now lets say you have about 100-1000 dermestids,You should think about setting up another inclosure.[For more information on setting up an inclosure read this guide:http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-carepart-1-making-perfect.html ]
This is because setting up multi colonies can save your life in the long run.I'd suggest having 2-6 colonies going at once just in case one dies then you still have another one to replace it.
Well that concludes part 3 of the Dermestid Care!If you have any more questions or think i left something out p.m me on my forum or add a comment!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestid Care:Part 2-Food and Water Requirements
Part 2-Food And Water Requirments.
Dermestids,like all living organisms must eat and drink to stay alive and healthy.Here is just a few of the things i have tried that seem to work out well:
Cat food/Dog food
Goldfish crackers[makes them go insane and grow rapidly.]
Fish flakes/Fish pellets
Reptile bites/pellets
Amphipian Pellets
I have also made a tuturial on how to make Dermestid Chow Which can be found here:
http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-chow.html
All i do is place a little bit of food on one side of the inclosure
[Tips for making an inclosure can be found here:http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-carepart-1-making-perfect.html ]
as then the larvae and adults [which can't climb food dishes] can get to the food and eat/lay eggs in it.When your colony gets so big they eat all their food in one day make a food dish.Here is how i made mine:
Take one of those dishes that you get from take out at a pizza place.Clean it out with hot water and dry it.Cut to holes one on each side with a nife.I make it so some food falls out.Now the dermestids can just eat out of the food dish.If your colony gets to big for this method,do the same thing just with a bigger container with a lid.
Now for water Requirements.
If your scared of the babies dying in water then i suggest using water gel or cricket orange cub stuff.Don't worry if they dry out they stll eat them.If you don't have gel then a piece of papertowel that is moistened a bit but will go dry in about 10 hours or so.I've heard from others that you will never see your colony as active as after a light misting.
Well there you have it thats Part 2 of Dermestid Care.
In Part 3 We will talk about General Maintence Of Your Dermestid Colony!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestids,like all living organisms must eat and drink to stay alive and healthy.Here is just a few of the things i have tried that seem to work out well:
Cat food/Dog food
Goldfish crackers[makes them go insane and grow rapidly.]
Fish flakes/Fish pellets
Reptile bites/pellets
Amphipian Pellets
I have also made a tuturial on how to make Dermestid Chow Which can be found here:
http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-chow.html
All i do is place a little bit of food on one side of the inclosure
[Tips for making an inclosure can be found here:http://dermestidfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/dermestid-carepart-1-making-perfect.html ]
as then the larvae and adults [which can't climb food dishes] can get to the food and eat/lay eggs in it.When your colony gets so big they eat all their food in one day make a food dish.Here is how i made mine:
Take one of those dishes that you get from take out at a pizza place.Clean it out with hot water and dry it.Cut to holes one on each side with a nife.I make it so some food falls out.Now the dermestids can just eat out of the food dish.If your colony gets to big for this method,do the same thing just with a bigger container with a lid.
Now for water Requirements.
If your scared of the babies dying in water then i suggest using water gel or cricket orange cub stuff.Don't worry if they dry out they stll eat them.If you don't have gel then a piece of papertowel that is moistened a bit but will go dry in about 10 hours or so.I've heard from others that you will never see your colony as active as after a light misting.
Well there you have it thats Part 2 of Dermestid Care.
In Part 3 We will talk about General Maintence Of Your Dermestid Colony!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Eve Colony Update II Babies Take Over!
Well it's time to say Good-Bye to a old friend.Eve passed away yesterday.I only have 3 small larvae left i hope they can make a colony.They are small just barely visible.I have them in one of those screw dividing things.For food i feed them goldfish crackers which like roaches and oranges makes these guys grow like mad!I can't wait until these little monsters grow up into adults.They all seem the same size.There is one thats a tiny bit bigger then the rest.I have another setup ready for them to move into when the colony gets too big for their old home.I'll keep you all updated on them!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestid Care:Part 1-Making The Perfect Inclosure
Okay so i thought i'd go into more detail on how to keep and raise Dermestids.
Part 1-Making The Perfect Inclosure.
Making The inclosure is often one of the most fun and injoyable things to do when raising dermestids.You will need some supplies though.
Matierals
Scissors
Duct Tape
Screen
Container [Can be anything from a sandwhich container to a 20 gallon rubbermaid tub.I'll talk about this more in depth later.]
Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls[Depending on what you perfer to use.]
Steps
Okay so first step is to cut a hole [depends on the size of the container but i'd suggest a hole the size of the middle and leave 1 inch on each side or so.]
Now duct tape the screen over the hole[On Both Sides of the lid.]
Next up is to add the Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls.I suggest added the Egg Cartons/Crates verticle [If you have the space.]If not just stacking on onto another works just as well.]If you stack them verticle the frass[Poop] falls to the floor of the inclosure.
Now That you have Your inclosure made time to talk about what sizes fits how many dermestids.
From a sandwhich container to a 10 by 10 cage:These will fit around 100-400 dermestids.
12 by 12 cage To a 10 gallon-These hold 500-1500 dermestids.
12 Gallon t0 a 20 gallon-This will hold 1600-3000+.
20+gallon-These hold about 5000-10 000 dermestids.
I recomend starting small and working your way up seems way more injoyable then just getting 2000.I personally started my dermestid Colony from a single gravid female that i Called Eve.
In the next Tutorial i will talk about food/water requirements for Dermestids.
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Part 1-Making The Perfect Inclosure.
Making The inclosure is often one of the most fun and injoyable things to do when raising dermestids.You will need some supplies though.
Matierals
Scissors
Duct Tape
Screen
Container [Can be anything from a sandwhich container to a 20 gallon rubbermaid tub.I'll talk about this more in depth later.]
Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls[Depending on what you perfer to use.]
Steps
Okay so first step is to cut a hole [depends on the size of the container but i'd suggest a hole the size of the middle and leave 1 inch on each side or so.]
Now duct tape the screen over the hole[On Both Sides of the lid.]
Next up is to add the Egg Cartons/Crates/Papertowel rolls.I suggest added the Egg Cartons/Crates verticle [If you have the space.]If not just stacking on onto another works just as well.]If you stack them verticle the frass[Poop] falls to the floor of the inclosure.
Now That you have Your inclosure made time to talk about what sizes fits how many dermestids.
From a sandwhich container to a 10 by 10 cage:These will fit around 100-400 dermestids.
12 by 12 cage To a 10 gallon-These hold 500-1500 dermestids.
12 Gallon t0 a 20 gallon-This will hold 1600-3000+.
20+gallon-These hold about 5000-10 000 dermestids.
I recomend starting small and working your way up seems way more injoyable then just getting 2000.I personally started my dermestid Colony from a single gravid female that i Called Eve.
In the next Tutorial i will talk about food/water requirements for Dermestids.
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Blog Announcemnt!
Well this blog has already been online for a month!By next month i hope to get 30 articles onto this blog!All is well just wanted to update!
Eve Colony Update!
December 17/09-First off let me just say this:In Eve's old cage i found four very small larvae.
Colony Count
5 larvae
1 adult
Anyway i have moved them into a very small kritter keeper with some dermestid chow.Eve is still alive and i think in the next little while she should start laying again.Anyway that's just an update.
Colony Count
5 larvae
1 adult
Anyway i have moved them into a very small kritter keeper with some dermestid chow.Eve is still alive and i think in the next little while she should start laying again.Anyway that's just an update.
Dermestid Chow!
I have come up with a new food source for dermestids!I call it dermestid Chow.Here is how i made it:
Materials
Cat food
Oat bran
Quick Oats
Fish food Pellets
Rice Crispies
All i do is crush the cat food up the best I can into small pieces and mix all the ingredients up into a small container.Then whenever they need more food i just add a pinch into the container and your done.It's very easy to do and very healthy for them!Eve's colony is really injoying it!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Materials
Cat food
Oat bran
Quick Oats
Fish food Pellets
Rice Crispies
All i do is crush the cat food up the best I can into small pieces and mix all the ingredients up into a small container.Then whenever they need more food i just add a pinch into the container and your done.It's very easy to do and very healthy for them!Eve's colony is really injoying it!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
New Look!
As you may have noticed,the blog has a new look.I didn't like the old one too much so i added a new tamplet and colors.I hope you like it!Injoy!
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Cage DownGrade
Now most people would do Cage upgrades not downgrades,but in this case my colony is so small they can't find their food in such a huge container.I have moved them into those screw seperater things.When they get a bit bigger in numbers i'll think about upgrading them to something else.All is well and i have decided to use a little bit of substrate to see if that speeds things up a bit.Anyway just thought i'd share that with Everyone!
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Monday, December 14, 2009
Dermestid Goal's For 2010!
Well i might as well make my goals now or never!'My first goal is very simple,Get my dermestid colony up to around 100+.Second Goal isn't so easy......I want to finally be able to feed them a cup of food a week and have it gone within that week.And last but not leastly i want Eve's empire to shine~!
My Dermestid Goal For 2009
Well i know 2009 is almost over but i still have one last goal before the year ends:I want my dermestid colony to reproduce More!!!!I have lost around 10-12 larvae which has dwindled my colony down to three,Eve and two of her babies[which are a good size now almost 3/4 of an inch!]I'd like to say that two more moults and i'll have some pupae,But lets just say it's a hypothisis ;)
Just wanted to say what my Dermestid Goal is for 2009!
Just wanted to say what my Dermestid Goal is for 2009!
How to make a Kritter Keeper Setup for Dermestids!
How to make a Kritter Keeper Setup For Dermestids!
In this guide i will be talking about how you can make the perfect cage for a dermestid colony out of a kritter keeper.
Materials Needed
1-5 Egg crates/cartons
Some cat food/Dog chow
Small cup with a hole cut in the bottom
Mister/Spray bottle
PaperTowel
Dermestids
Tolite Paper Roll
Procedure
Add the water dish with the papertowel moistened and placed into the cup.
On the same side add some cat chow/dog chow
Place the egg crates in and lean them to the side of the inclosure.
Place some tolite paper rolls where they will fit.
Conclusion
Well there you have it
Thats how you can make
The perfect dermestidarium
Out of a kritter Keeper
If you have any questions
Feel free to ask @http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-KoolKid
In this guide i will be talking about how you can make the perfect cage for a dermestid colony out of a kritter keeper.
Materials Needed
1-5 Egg crates/cartons
Some cat food/Dog chow
Small cup with a hole cut in the bottom
Mister/Spray bottle
PaperTowel
Dermestids
Tolite Paper Roll
Procedure
Add the water dish with the papertowel moistened and placed into the cup.
On the same side add some cat chow/dog chow
Place the egg crates in and lean them to the side of the inclosure.
Place some tolite paper rolls where they will fit.
Conclusion
Well there you have it
Thats how you can make
The perfect dermestidarium
Out of a kritter Keeper
If you have any questions
Feel free to ask @http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-KoolKidLarder beetle food habits:Part 1
I have found that for some reason Dermestes Lardarius doesn't seem to eat full pieces of cat food as well as when you break them up.I just broke one up yesterday and already i see major holes in them,there can only be on thing in the tube doing this....Dermestids!Anyway thats just what i have noticed.
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
-Koolkid
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Dermestes Project is a Success!
Well around November 22 [which was 21 days ago] i read here
http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/mammal/dermestid.html
That a single gravid female could/can start herself a colony,I decided to test that out and see if it was true.Well 21 days later and i have a small colony of about 4.I just started with one female and now i have 2 biggish larvae and one newish one plus the adult is still alive!So the project was a success!!!
http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/mammal/dermestid.html
That a single gravid female could/can start herself a colony,I decided to test that out and see if it was true.Well 21 days later and i have a small colony of about 4.I just started with one female and now i have 2 biggish larvae and one newish one plus the adult is still alive!So the project was a success!!!
Dermestid Colony Update #3
December 13th/09-I have moved them into a tube setup which looks like thisNumber 1 is the tolite paper that i used to give them moisture with.Number 2 is the food and 3 is the lid
--------------------------l 3
-1-----------------2-----l
I hope thats clear.Anyway they seem to like it and i have decided to only have one "queen" so when i get more females i'll choose one and take out the rest and place them into the other container and make that one a second colony.I'll keep you updated!
--------------------------l 3
-1-----------------2-----l
I hope thats clear.Anyway they seem to like it and i have decided to only have one "queen" so when i get more females i'll choose one and take out the rest and place them into the other container and make that one a second colony.I'll keep you updated!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Carpet Beetles
Well since they are related to Larder beetles i thought i would dedicate a infromative post about them.
Larvae are 4-5mm in length.Adults are 1.7-3.5 mm in length.Larvae stay hidden while feeding.
Life Cycle-[From Wikipedia ;)]
A. verbasci has an unusual life cycle for an insect, developing from larvae to adult in 1-3 years, depending on the environmental conditions. Larvae hatch from eggs in the spring and early summer, often in the nests of birds (including those of the House Sparow and House Swift or around stored fabrics.Larvae feed on natural fibers throughout their development, eventually experiencing a dormancy period (also known as diapause prior to pupation into the adult stage. The length of the dormancy appears to depend on environmental factors, with the most likely zeitgeber being photoperiod.
Adults emerge between late May and early August, flying to and feeding on the pollen of flowering plants. During this period, mating occurs, eggs are laid, and the cycle begins anew.
Other Information[Again From Wikipedia ;) ]
The larval form of A. verbasci are roughly 4-5 mm in length. The body is covered in a pattern of alternating light- and dark-brown stripes. The body is usually wider at the back than at the front and also bears 3 pairs of hair tufts along its rear abdomen that can be used for self-defense. Adult A. verbasci range from 1.7 to 3.5 mm in length. Their dorsal surface has scales of two colours, whitish and yellowish-brown. White scales are condensed along the lateral margins of the pronotum. In addition, their antennae are 11-segmented with a club of 3 segments. Predators
Among the natural predators of A. verbasci, one of the most well-studied is the parasitoid wasp Laelus pedatus. Upon discovering an A. verbasci larva, a female wasp will land on the larva’s dorsal side and attempt to line up its long, stinger-like ovipositor for a paralyzing blow to the thorax. In response, the larva will erect long hairs on their abdomen and attempt to brush these hairs against the encroaching wasp. The hairs detach and stick to the wasp on contact, presumably causing some sort of irritation. Evidently, such irritation is not enough to deter an attack on A. verbasci larvae, as the vast majority of attacks are successful. Such a defense, however, has been shown to be effective for the closely related species Anthrenus flavipes, which has slightly longer hairs than A. verbasci
After a single successful sting, the beetle is permanently paralyzed. The entire process from landing to complete paralysis lasts approximately 40 seconds. Interestingly, L. pedatus does not lay eggs immediately after the beetle is paralyzed, waiting as long as 24 hours before oviposition. During this time, she grooms herself, removing any hairs that might have stuck to her during the attack. During this lengthy process she appears to monitor the larva’s state of paralysis by repeatedly biting it and monitoring its reaction. Once sufficiently clear of hairs, the wasp creates a bare patch on the larva’s abdomen and lays 2-4 eggs. Eggs hatch in 3-4 days and the larvae feed on the beetle for 3-7 days, eventually killing the host. They then spin cocoons near the empty shell of the host, emerging some time later as an adult wasp.
There you go!Information was from Wikipedia ;) .
Larvae are 4-5mm in length.Adults are 1.7-3.5 mm in length.Larvae stay hidden while feeding.
Life Cycle-[From Wikipedia ;)]
A. verbasci has an unusual life cycle for an insect, developing from larvae to adult in 1-3 years, depending on the environmental conditions. Larvae hatch from eggs in the spring and early summer, often in the nests of birds (including those of the House Sparow and House Swift or around stored fabrics.Larvae feed on natural fibers throughout their development, eventually experiencing a dormancy period (also known as diapause prior to pupation into the adult stage. The length of the dormancy appears to depend on environmental factors, with the most likely zeitgeber being photoperiod.
Adults emerge between late May and early August, flying to and feeding on the pollen of flowering plants. During this period, mating occurs, eggs are laid, and the cycle begins anew.
Other Information[Again From Wikipedia ;) ]
The larval form of A. verbasci are roughly 4-5 mm in length. The body is covered in a pattern of alternating light- and dark-brown stripes. The body is usually wider at the back than at the front and also bears 3 pairs of hair tufts along its rear abdomen that can be used for self-defense. Adult A. verbasci range from 1.7 to 3.5 mm in length. Their dorsal surface has scales of two colours, whitish and yellowish-brown. White scales are condensed along the lateral margins of the pronotum. In addition, their antennae are 11-segmented with a club of 3 segments. Predators
Among the natural predators of A. verbasci, one of the most well-studied is the parasitoid wasp Laelus pedatus. Upon discovering an A. verbasci larva, a female wasp will land on the larva’s dorsal side and attempt to line up its long, stinger-like ovipositor for a paralyzing blow to the thorax. In response, the larva will erect long hairs on their abdomen and attempt to brush these hairs against the encroaching wasp. The hairs detach and stick to the wasp on contact, presumably causing some sort of irritation. Evidently, such irritation is not enough to deter an attack on A. verbasci larvae, as the vast majority of attacks are successful. Such a defense, however, has been shown to be effective for the closely related species Anthrenus flavipes, which has slightly longer hairs than A. verbasci
After a single successful sting, the beetle is permanently paralyzed. The entire process from landing to complete paralysis lasts approximately 40 seconds. Interestingly, L. pedatus does not lay eggs immediately after the beetle is paralyzed, waiting as long as 24 hours before oviposition. During this time, she grooms herself, removing any hairs that might have stuck to her during the attack. During this lengthy process she appears to monitor the larva’s state of paralysis by repeatedly biting it and monitoring its reaction. Once sufficiently clear of hairs, the wasp creates a bare patch on the larva’s abdomen and lays 2-4 eggs. Eggs hatch in 3-4 days and the larvae feed on the beetle for 3-7 days, eventually killing the host. They then spin cocoons near the empty shell of the host, emerging some time later as an adult wasp.
There you go!Information was from Wikipedia ;) .
Long Over Due Updates!
First off i'm sorry i haven't been posting much but i sorta forgot about this blog!Anyway onto the updates!
First one is on My Forum The Bug Forum:
23 Members
1746 Posts!
Why not join today!
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Second update is on my dermestids.
I have moved both colonies together and have since moved them into a large Kritter Keeper with some stryofoam egg crates/cartens.For food dishes i used half a paper cup for each with a hole cut in so they can get in and out.I feed them cheerios and cat chow.For water i use a moist papertowel and some cricket orange cube water stuff.
First one is on My Forum The Bug Forum:
23 Members
1746 Posts!
Why not join today!
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Second update is on my dermestids.
I have moved both colonies together and have since moved them into a large Kritter Keeper with some stryofoam egg crates/cartens.For food dishes i used half a paper cup for each with a hole cut in so they can get in and out.I feed them cheerios and cat chow.For water i use a moist papertowel and some cricket orange cube water stuff.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Larder Beetle Colony#2[Update#1]
Updates:I have added two more beetles to the colony and have fed them some fish flakes.I hopefully will get some babies in around 2-3 weeks!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Bug Forum
I have made a forum [way before this blog] about bugs/insects/arachnids and other inverts.If you have any questions at all join up and ask away our members of staff should answer all questions big or small.
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestes Lardarius CareSheet!
Introduction-Dermestes Lardarius[commonly called the larder beetle] is found all over canada and North America excluding the Polar Regions.Larder beetles are small 8mm beetles that are often found on carrion like road kill.Larder beetles are often considered pests as they can infest stored foodstuffs.This guide will walk you through the Life Cycle of these amazing beetles and how to keep and maintain a colony of them!'
LifeCycle-Larder Beetles go through Complete Metemorphisis.Complete Metemorphisis has four life stages,egg,larvae,pupae and adult beetles.Eggs are laid near or on a food source.If no food source is found they will lay their eggs in nooks and crannies,under baseboards,in dirty clothes,drier lint and sometimes under the stove.The eggs are tiny and can't be seen without using a magnifying glass.The eggs take 5-14 days to hatch into tiny pinhead larvae.The larvae are small when they hatch barely visible with the naked eye.They grow to around 3/4 of an inch.The larvae do most of the eating.The larvae moult several times 6-7[6 for males,7 for females].If however the larvae can't find food it will still moult,however with each successful moult the larvae grows smaller instead of larger.The larvae stage lasts around 30-60 days depending on tempature and food.When the larvae are mature they look for a place to pupuate.They often burrow through wood and lead to avoid cannablization.The Pupae stage lasts around 7-15 days depending on tempature.When the adults hatch they mate and in around 3-5 days the females lay 3-5 eggs a day for around a month.Adults live around 1-1 1/2 half months.
Diet/Nutrition-Larder beetles will eat a vieriaty of foods.They commonly eat meats,cheese,dog/cat food,hides,stored food products[such as bran] and keritien[a hard substance that only a few animals are able to digest ex:Nails and Hair.]For moisture I use Cricket Orange Cubes.You'll wanna avoid adding water directly as it fouls easily and can stink really bad.
Making The Inclosure-The inclosure for larder beetles must have/do the following:Escape proof,Allow ventalation,Have a lid and most importantly have enough floor space for your colony.Suitable containers are:Rubbermaid containers,sweater containers and old aquariums.WARNING:THE INCLOSURE CAN NOT BE MADE OUT OF WOOD AS BEETLES AND LARVAE CAN CHEW THROUGH WOOD!!!!!!!!
Once you have the container you'll need some sort of substrate.I use oat bran as it is easy to sift and the beetles can eat it.Suitable substrate is:Papertowels,cardboard,oats,bran or nothing at all.
Once you are done that add the food ontop and Cricket water[Note:If your using papertowels you can just moisten them once every week or so!]
Maintence-Larder beetles require little attention just keep them fed and have a constent water supply.Once every few months when the substrate is all dusty stuff sift it out and put the sifted frass in a ice cream pale.Place some cat food and Cricket water in their for the babies.For the colony add more substrate and some cricket water and add them back to it.
Conclusion-Well there you have it that's how to start your own beetle colony.You can find them in your house look in old clothes and under carpets.
Have a Good One!
LifeCycle-Larder Beetles go through Complete Metemorphisis.Complete Metemorphisis has four life stages,egg,larvae,pupae and adult beetles.Eggs are laid near or on a food source.If no food source is found they will lay their eggs in nooks and crannies,under baseboards,in dirty clothes,drier lint and sometimes under the stove.The eggs are tiny and can't be seen without using a magnifying glass.The eggs take 5-14 days to hatch into tiny pinhead larvae.The larvae are small when they hatch barely visible with the naked eye.They grow to around 3/4 of an inch.The larvae do most of the eating.The larvae moult several times 6-7[6 for males,7 for females].If however the larvae can't find food it will still moult,however with each successful moult the larvae grows smaller instead of larger.The larvae stage lasts around 30-60 days depending on tempature and food.When the larvae are mature they look for a place to pupuate.They often burrow through wood and lead to avoid cannablization.The Pupae stage lasts around 7-15 days depending on tempature.When the adults hatch they mate and in around 3-5 days the females lay 3-5 eggs a day for around a month.Adults live around 1-1 1/2 half months.
Diet/Nutrition-Larder beetles will eat a vieriaty of foods.They commonly eat meats,cheese,dog/cat food,hides,stored food products[such as bran] and keritien[a hard substance that only a few animals are able to digest ex:Nails and Hair.]For moisture I use Cricket Orange Cubes.You'll wanna avoid adding water directly as it fouls easily and can stink really bad.
Making The Inclosure-The inclosure for larder beetles must have/do the following:Escape proof,Allow ventalation,Have a lid and most importantly have enough floor space for your colony.Suitable containers are:Rubbermaid containers,sweater containers and old aquariums.WARNING:THE INCLOSURE CAN NOT BE MADE OUT OF WOOD AS BEETLES AND LARVAE CAN CHEW THROUGH WOOD!!!!!!!!
Once you have the container you'll need some sort of substrate.I use oat bran as it is easy to sift and the beetles can eat it.Suitable substrate is:Papertowels,cardboard,oats,bran or nothing at all.
Once you are done that add the food ontop and Cricket water[Note:If your using papertowels you can just moisten them once every week or so!]
Maintence-Larder beetles require little attention just keep them fed and have a constent water supply.Once every few months when the substrate is all dusty stuff sift it out and put the sifted frass in a ice cream pale.Place some cat food and Cricket water in their for the babies.For the colony add more substrate and some cricket water and add them back to it.
Conclusion-Well there you have it that's how to start your own beetle colony.You can find them in your house look in old clothes and under carpets.
Have a Good One!
My Larder Beetle Colony #2
November 24th/09-Day#1-I have made a new colony of larder beetles.I have them in a small container with 6 small chambers.I have also put in oat bran and have seprated the larvae and the beetle by putting the beetle in one chamber and larvae in another.I will put the pupae into a diffrent one without bran in it.I'll keep you updated!
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Pictures Of Dermestes Lardarius[Not mine i found them on google]
Here are a few pictures of Dermestes Lardarius,this is the type of Dermestid that i keep.
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
My Larder Beetle Colony #1
November 23/2009 Day#3-I have had this very small colony going for around 3 days or so,i have only one "queen"beetle.Her name Is Eve.I have her in a 12 by 6 inch container.For Substrate i have quick oats and some fish flakes.For food [besides the substrate] i have some cat food.For moisture i use orange cube cricket stuff as if you add moist carrot or paper towel it can mould the substrate and kill the colony.I have also added a small toliet paper roll as the beetle will like to hide in it and maybe lay her eggs on it or under it.I'll keep you updated on this small colony.
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
So what are Dermestes?
Dermestes are beetles in the family Dermestidae.There is two main species,Dermestes Maculatus [The Hide Beetle] and Dermestes Lardarius [Larder beetles] Dermestes go through complete metemorphisis which has four life stages:Egg,Larvae,Pupae and Adult.The Adult beetles mate and in about 3 days begin laying 4-5 eggs a day for around a month or more depending on food and tempatures.The eggs take any where from 3-14 days to hatch.Once they hatch the larvae eat the food and moult 6-7 times[6 for males and 7 for females] Once the larvae are at 3/4 of an inch long the larvae start to wounder around for a place to pupate they have been known to burrow through wood and lead.The pupae stage lasts 7-15 days depending on tempature.Once the pupae hatches the beetes mate and the whole proccess again and again.The total lifecycle lasts around 35-50 days depending on tempature and food. When food is scarce the larvae can still moult but instead of growing bigger they actually shrink!The larvae also are the main eaters in other words the larvae eat more then beetles.
Thats some information about Dermestes.I'll post more when i learn more.
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Dermestes are beetles in the family Dermestidae.There is two main species,Dermestes Maculatus [The Hide Beetle] and Dermestes Lardarius [Larder beetles] Dermestes go through complete metemorphisis which has four life stages:Egg,Larvae,Pupae and Adult.The Adult beetles mate and in about 3 days begin laying 4-5 eggs a day for around a month or more depending on food and tempatures.The eggs take any where from 3-14 days to hatch.Once they hatch the larvae eat the food and moult 6-7 times[6 for males and 7 for females] Once the larvae are at 3/4 of an inch long the larvae start to wounder around for a place to pupate they have been known to burrow through wood and lead.The pupae stage lasts 7-15 days depending on tempature.Once the pupae hatches the beetes mate and the whole proccess again and again.The total lifecycle lasts around 35-50 days depending on tempature and food. When food is scarce the larvae can still moult but instead of growing bigger they actually shrink!The larvae also are the main eaters in other words the larvae eat more then beetles.
Thats some information about Dermestes.I'll post more when i learn more.
If you have any questions ask me on my forum
http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
Introyucktion!
This is my dermestid blog.I will be posting everything i know/learn about dermestids here.If I find any photos on them on google i will show them here.I hope to make this blog a wounderful place for people to learn about dermestids and my experinces with them!If you want to ask me something join my forum and ask away we will help you out with any dermestid/insect/arachnid questions! http://bugsnstuff.myfineforum.org/index.php
I'll keep you updated on Dermestids and maybe post a few journals about them!
Take Care!
I'll keep you updated on Dermestids and maybe post a few journals about them!
Take Care!
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