dermestid beetles are they more useful than they are bad?

[Demonjack123]

Was cleaning my cricket cage for the first time (after reading that you have too) and I noticed that a beetle I left in their with my crickets had multiplied into several worms. I originally had a colony of 50 crickets and only have 9 left (rage.) and I am wondering if these beetle larvae are more trouble than they are worth? Please leave your opinions below as I am kind of stuck in deciding whether or not to throw them all outside? Or most of them and only keep 1 or 2 for helping cage maintenance.

 

[BQC123]

In my experience dermestids only feed on dead animals, including crickets. If your crickets died from any cause, the beetles would feed on the carcasses. With my crappy luck keeping crickets, I would think it was something else that killed them.

 

[Necromion]

I agree with BQC that they typically only eat dead things. As for the dead crickets I honestly would be looking more at canabalism to blame .

 

[Demonjack123]

In my experience dermestids only feed on dead animals, including crickets. If your crickets died from any cause, the beetles would feed on the carcasses. With my crappy luck keeping crickets, I would think it was something else that killed them.

Mm, okay then.

---------- Post added 09-23-2011 at 02:54 PM ----------

I agree with BQC that they typically only eat dead things. As for the dead crickets I honestly would be looking more at canabalism to blame .

Yeah good point. I don't really got them in a large container. Maybe a 5-6 inch round container thing I used to use as a spare for my rosie when I did maintenance.

Anywho, cheers! I was just a bit worried since I have read on these forums that some people witnessed a beetle hanging onto a cricket and eating it alive slowly if it was low on food. I did find a dead cricket last night with its throat missing, but cannibalism could very well be the answer, thanks!

I also could use them as feeders for a small Trachelas tranquillus I found last night. That's if I can find a frikken container it cannot crawl out of! I really do not look forward to rotting necrosis from the little bugger, LOL. But he is soooo fun to see in a threat display.

 

[catfishrod69]

yeah dermestids are carrion beetles...they wont hurt anything...i usually wait until my cricket tubs have too many dead crickets in it, and then just toss the crickets and dermestids right in the trash can..theyll find there own way once they get to the landfill, and probably be much happier..

 

[Demonjack123]

yeah dermestids are carrion beetles...they wont hurt anything...i usually wait until my cricket tubs have too many dead crickets in it, and then just toss the crickets and dermestids right in the trash can..theyll find there own way once they get to the landfill, and probably be much happier..

Well I also heard they are a pest if they escape and reproduce. So that's a factor why I just keep them in. Also If I find a dead cricket I will probably throw it away if they are not eating it. A cricket I had in my T cage drowned and I put it back into the cricket cage for the beetles. But it was kinda stilll alive moving it's mandibles so I left it be till I saw it only twitching then threw it away (beetles didn't want it for some reason when put infront of em) Also my tarantula actually crapped on me last night 8D

 

[catfishrod69]

well i do find them flying around in my house sometimes, and akward since they eat dead meat, but i had one bite me on the leg twice....and actually today i was moving around some stored aquariums, and looking for something...and i found a mouse that had fallen into a aqaurium and died, then the dermested were on him so atleast they cleaned up most of that..

Well I also heard they are a pest if they escape and reproduce. So that's a factor why I just keep them in. Also If I find a dead cricket I will probably throw it away if they are not eating it. A cricket I had in my T cage drowned and I put it back into the cricket cage for the beetles. But it was kinda stilll alive moving it's mandibles so I left it be till I saw it only twitching then threw it away (beetles didn't want it for some reason when put infront of em) Also my tarantula actually crapped on me last night 8D

 

[Demonjack123]

well i do find them flying around in my house sometimes, and akward since they eat dead meat, but i had one bite me on the leg twice....and actually today i was moving around some stored aquariums, and looking for something...and i found a mouse that had fallen into a aqaurium and died, then the dermested were on him so atleast they cleaned up most of that..

Interesting. I was bitten on the throat by a japanese beetle when I was in grade school.

 

[Travis K]

They are fine, they wont eat other inverts till they are good and dead. BTW, that cricket that drown would probably have been fine once its spiracles dried out. I have them in all my roach bins as they are great and keeping any smells from dead roaches at bay.