Flake Soil

[MasterOogway]

I tried searching through the forums a bit and didn't see a thread dedicated to this; apologies if I missed it though!
Been reading through Orin's superb book on beetles and trying to grab the occasional youtube instructional, but am curious as to you all's personal preferences regarding flake soil. I just put together 2 bins (about 40 lbs, dry) of the stuff. I was curious what everyone's favorite flake soil recipe was, and what their results have been. What kind of wood did you use, supplements (wheat bran, flour, etc), aging durations, when/how often you all mix, etc etc. Beetle enthusiasts everywhere enlighten me!

 

[mantisfan101]

Orin’s book is the best, saved me more than once! Also on the flake substrate I would suggest checkingg out beetleforum.net, there seems to be some good info on there.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Traeger oak pellets, water, wheat bran, active yeast. Mix all of these in a large plastic tub. Transport them to breathable bags, set outside when temps are warm. Within a few months you will have a working substrate.

 

[MasterOogway]

Thoughts on flour vs wheat bran?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Wheat bran seems to work better and acts faster. In my experience flour takes a bit longer.

I made this video a while back on how to make substrate. However it does need an updated version. It will work like this but use breathable bags. If you use buckets you will be stuck mixing the substrate daily.

 

[ccb]

Traeger oak pellets, water, wheat bran, active yeast. Mix all of these in a large plastic tub. Transport them to breathable bags, set outside when temps are warm. Within a few months you will have a working substrate.

What type of breathable bags? Plastic? Can garbage bags be used, if I put slits in them? What's the best solution? Thanks!

 

[Ratmosphere]

I have everything linked in the video description below.

 

[ccb]

Thanks!

What type of breathable bags? Plastic? Can garbage bags be used, if I put slits in them? What's the best solution? Thanks!

I just watched your video. How tightly do you seal the bags? I'm guessing not air tight. And if it's not airtight, do you ever find bugs in there, just from the bags sitting outside? I plan to put them on the side of the house.

And how often do you check on it? 3 weeks to a month is pretty darn fast, when the timeframe around the internet is 6 months.

I cannot find Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran anywhere. Will any wheat bran do? High fiber or otherwise?

Thanks again.

 

[antinous]

I made this video a while back on how to make substrate. However it does need an updated version. It will work like this but use breathable bags. If you use buckets you will be stuck mixing the substrate daily.

Would it be wise to make this in an apartment setting (using buckets/bins)? Or do you think it smell too much?

 

[DSmith11]

Would it be wise to make this in an apartment setting (using buckets/bins)? Or do you think it smell too much?

Did you ever try it in your apartment??