My Millipede Substrate Mix

[mickiem]

@Andee i was thinking about your dehydrator. I was drying mushrooms in the oven and thought of this. If your dehydrator is big enough or you don't need a huge amount of substrate, maybe you could try some small batches. It would kill earthworms and the things you can't see. Just thought I'd share. Sounds like a project.

 

[Andee]

I think I figured out a good system... though I won't be posting it until I know for sure it does what I want XD.

 

[mickiem]

I think I figured out a good system... though I won't be posting it until I know for sure it does what I want XD.

I'm excited to see what you do!

 

[Andee]

Ok so the wood (which is all fallen dry and dead oak branches from my local nature paths, none were really rotting much on their own yet, but once I put them in the enclosure for a few weeks they will with the moisture)... I put on a large pot that is used for only for my animal stuff full of water and put heat on it until the bubbles started simmering, I then turned off the heat and put all my wood sticks in it. Let them sit in the really hot water until it cooled and I could touch it. I then turned the oven on to 200 F, and then spread them out, and baked them from about 2 hours or so. They now are super crumbly, I will be putting them in a super moist substrate in the beginning. After I finish pasteurizing. Currently I am not sure if I have to worry about mites or not if I don't put springtails in... Do you use springtails with you millis @mickiem ?

 

[mickiem]

I had springtails arrive on their own. I eventually bought some giants but they seem to be what I already had. They must have been hitchhiking with something I added. I am sure they do great work but two of my enclosures are wrought with them and I'd love to diminish their numbers. Both have tiny baby's and probably eggs so I am at a loss.

That's exciting about your wood. Are you going to let it "settle" without animals? That's what I started doing. Not sure if it helps. I stir through it to keep anaerobic bacteria from growing. But I try to make it ahead so it will start rotting real nice.

 

[Andee]

I will be, I have a month if not more to get the substrate sorted out. If I need to I will add a springtail colony (I have plenty of species of insects and reptiles who will eat excess), but I would enjoy being able to not have to rely on them because they do explode rather badly when happy XD. I figure a month or more would be good enough for the soil to kind... of... settle or whatever ? XD. I have several things going into it. So I kind of have to bake it at different times.

 

[mickiem]

Ok so the wood (which is all fallen dry and dead oak branches from my local nature paths, none were really rotting much on their own yet, but once I put them in the enclosure for a few weeks they will with the moisture)... I put on a large pot that is used for only for my animal stuff full of water and put heat on it until the bubbles started simmering, I then turned off the heat and put all my wood sticks in it. Let them sit in the really hot water until it cooled and I could touch it. I then turned the oven on to 200 F, and then spread them out, and baked them from about 2 hours or so. They now are super crumbly, I will be putting them in a super moist substrate in the beginning. After I finish pasteurizing. Currently I am not sure if I have to worry about mites or not if I don't put springtails in... Do you use springtails with you millis @mickiem ?

I'm pretty sure the only problem with springtails with millipedes is the population explosions. I have been trying to pull fresh food out after a day and hopefully lots of springtails go out with it. Maddening.

 

[Andee]

Lmao that's what I am worried most about, but if I can get away safely without having to use springtails that'd be wonderful. I currently don't have any at my disposal. I thought I had some since I thought I had seeded an enclosure with them but it seems they had gotten out competed by another group of cleaners?Not sure since I thought that group of cleaners was growing very slowly XD oh well. I will likely trade for them if it comes to that point. I have a few things that some people may want for a good group of springtails to seed.

 

[Andee]

@mickiem what type of mushrooms would you suggest drying for the millis?

 

[mickiem]

@mickiem what type of mushrooms would you suggest drying for the millis?

Whatever kind of organic mushroom is on sale! I have fed white button, shiitake and baby Bella and they eat them all. I dry them to a near brittle stage and then chop them into a coarse crumble. I use it to feed when I'm on a trip so I don't have to pay someone to come over and feed millipedes. The dry mushrooms have never molded on the surface and other dried food does mold. I also drip some pure, organic maple syrup and dried leaves into the enclosures.

= my vacation nanny!

 

[Andee]

Maple syrup? Does that give energy after or before molts?

I have tons of organic mushrooms near me, and wild ones that collected during mushroom season and brought to local markets or farmer's market. So I can find some interesting stuff.

 

[Andee]

Had to share, it is currently finished, it has no aspen shavings currently. But I am not too worried currently. The top is mostly sphagnum moss (that is annoyingly hard to mix in) that I wanted to mix some in, so it's now covered in dirt and some bits of wood, and oak leaves etc.


I have some oyster shell just sprinkled regularly through out here, everytime put in a new layer of dirt etc, I put like 1 teaspoon of oyster shell, currently do not have any bird grit so I plan to get a bit later on. It is a good amount of things in here that will make plenty of happy millis, but I thing adding a few beneficial extras would be good, for now this will sit on it's own. This is currently just the holding container. I will be putting the baby millis in something smaller, at least in the beginning, this would make me nervous. I have some crumbly large sticky logs that I will put in their container when it's time. But for now this is all good.

Oh I did organic shitake mushrooms in my dehydrator today 8D

 

[mickiem]

Had to share, it is currently finished, it has no aspen shavings currently. But I am not too worried currently. The top is mostly sphagnum moss (that is annoyingly hard to mix in) that I wanted to mix some in, so it's now covered in dirt and some bits of wood, and oak leaves etc.
View attachment 247355

I have some oyster shell just sprinkled regularly through out here, everytime put in a new layer of dirt etc, I put like 1 teaspoon of oyster shell, currently do not have any bird grit so I plan to get a bit later on. It is a good amount of things in here that will make plenty of happy millis, but I thing adding a few beneficial extras would be good, for now this will sit on it's own. This is currently just the holding container. I will be putting the baby millis in something smaller, at least in the beginning, this would make me nervous. I have some crumbly large sticky logs that I will put in their container when it's time. But for now this is all good.

Oh I did organic shitake mushrooms in my dehydrator today 8D

Looks great! Did you add coir? It isn't edible, but helps to hold tunnels together.

The maple syrup is just another supplemental food source. I guess it would provide energy, but I use it mainly if I am leaving town for a week or more. It doesn't attract any microfauna. Orin wrote about it in his books, suggesting to give it to pedelings for a constant food source, so I also put it in any enclosures with babies. You can watch the millipedes curl around a piece of substrate with maple syrup. They love it!

I always start baby millis in a deep container but with shallow substrate. That way I can add a handful or two as they grow without too much disturbance.

I spent all day Saturday in some woods collecting oak, maple walnut and birch. I didn't find hickory or beech, but I will get those this week.

 

[7Fin]

What's this about maple syrup? I'm leaving for a week on holidays soon, what maple syrup should I use and would it be safe for my Centrobolus Sp.?

 

[mickiem]

What's this about maple syrup? I'm leaving for a week on holidays soon, what maple syrup should I use and would it be safe for my Centrobolus Sp.?

I use PURE and organic. Maple syrup is often mixed with lots of sugary additives. PURE is what you should look for. You can feed it all of the time; I just feed to babies as a rule, then when I am on holiday, I use is then. I use a dropper and probably put 3-5 drops per pede. I also sprinkle crumbled, dried mushrooms. Neither of these two things mold or draw sub fauna to the surface in the time I use them. I would try it before you leave though; make sure you know the result first.

I think anything safe for other pedes would be fine for your Centrobolus.

 

[Andee]

I did add Coco Coir but only like... a maximum of 4 quarts, just to kind of fluff up the compost and make it easier to move in and hold tunnels etc. Otherwise EVERY thing else is composting soil, oak leaves, oak wood, spaghnum moss, and some sprinkles of the oyster shell. Idk how much of the soil there is over all... enough to make moving the bin in general a pain because it's so heavy. But the composting soil I got was completely organic after I read it aggressively online and on the label, and after I opened it up it had the dark nutrient rich look and smell I would expect.