# Omg my mealworms are now beetles!



## Elixxur (Oct 21, 2007)

Ok so most of the mealworms ate each other, but there are two left. One is already in Pupae form and the other is already a beetle (became one just now) They were giant mealworms btw. My question is, 1. Can they fly and can they bite? 2. Will my Black Emp eat them? 3.If he won't eat them, what's the easiest way to get rid of them? They are darkish brown with black heads and legs. Ugh they look scary. I hate beetles!

Let me know thanks!


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## PhilK (Oct 21, 2007)

Throw them into the garden to get rid of them. Apparently they're poisonous or some crap


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## intrepidus6 (Oct 21, 2007)

Am emperor scorpion should eat them, however they are probably healthier for the scorp in larva form.  I've never touched one with my hands, I always used tweezers, so I don't know if they will bite, and no they cannot fly.  

Personaly I don't use mealworms anymore, crickets and roaches are so much easier and, personally I think mealworms are kind of gross lol.

Never heard anything about them being poisonous?


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## rosenkrieger (Oct 21, 2007)

They are Darkling Beetles. They aren't poisonous and they can't fly, but I think they do have a defensive smell, so your scorp may or may not eat it. if you want to get rid of it, just toss it outside. And if you have a T, I'm sure it will eat the one thats in a pupae form. Not sure if your scorp will, though.


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## TheDill (Oct 21, 2007)

yea i just use crickets for mine..they prolly the healthiest thing u can feeed your scorp..mealworms are gross


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## Elixxur (Oct 21, 2007)

It's a relief that they cannot fly. To be honest I really despise beetles! Ever since I had one almost go into my ear while sleeping, I've never liked em. I was hoping Malik would eat the mealworms, but he just ripped them in half. I think my Scorp is a evil psycho! I see another pupae so I'm going to wait till all of these hatch and then toss them outside. Ugh I hate beetles! Thanks guys for the input. They do have a cool name tho, Darkling Beetles.


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## Xaranx (Oct 21, 2007)

Yeah darkling beetles.  They are kinda cool, the mealworms will molt a few times til full size, then they will morph into the beetle, then they will molt again to full grown beetle.  Not poisonous, they are noxious.  Use defensive smells and such like some roaches do when disturbed or attacked.  They don't bite, fly, or jump.  
http://www.lawrencehallofscience.or...rs/materials/plantanimal/tenebriobeetles.html


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## Cyris69 (Oct 21, 2007)

Dill, I'd have to say roaches would be the healthiest due to they are very high in protein and have a very high meat to shell ration. Crix have a low meat to shell ratio

Then again no one wants roaches 

I have to use crix still waiting for my B. dubia colony to establish itself better before I can start feeding from them. I have 100 medium to large nymphs and 4 adult males and like 6 adult females so it should blow up here soon.

Also, I think crix cages smell like putrid rotting corpses and after a month my roach cage has no smell, or noise!

In the end I'd say for anyone with 6+ inverts I'd get a roach colony, dubia are pretty, colorful, and fun to play with.

My avatar is my lady Rose eating a large nymph


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## TheDill (Oct 21, 2007)

hmm maybe i will consider getting some roaches and feeding them instead


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## Cyris69 (Oct 21, 2007)

Oh, they can't climb smooth surfaces or jump. I use a 10gal tank others use a good 10-20gal sterilite container.

You have to keep them warm for them to mate.
I have mine 90F on the left where they use egg trays for home and 78-80F on the right of the tank. I just use a heat pad under glass and below the egg trays and 75watt IR on top of the topper above the egg trays to keep them nice and warm.

They or more effort than crix but they can live and average of 1-2 years unlike crix 8 weeks from birth. 
Then again for like $35 120 mixed dubia i think shipped you will soon have a unlimited food supply.


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## Kenobi (Oct 21, 2007)

My Scorp seems to like them as beetles more than when they were worms.
I wouldn't throw them away tbh, but that's just me. I guess it's a preferance thing. I keep all my beetles (I have about 6 left).
If you do plan on using them though, don't throw them in and leave them, 'cause they'll burrow like crazy and you'll never see them again (at least not until you clean out you're tank). I cut off some legs and lie them on their backs. Scorp takes them head-first, and leaves nothing but the wing cases.


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## signinsimple (Oct 22, 2007)

If you're not sure which species of Darkling beetle it is and you have more than one, it is not a good idea to let them go outside.  If they are a foreign species, they could multiply and compete with a native species.  From an ecological perspective, it's never really a good idea to introduce a foreign species into the wild.


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