Dermestid infesting house?

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

for the tank i wanted to flood the soil

Things that kill the beetles are also going to kill the springtails. Your best bet is to remove some springtails and put them in a deli pot of fresh substrate. Then once the treatment or substrate changes are done, you add them back.

The easiest way to make sure you're only removing springtails is to add a water dish to the enclosure. Springtails will jump into it and you can just pour them off into the new deli pot. If you end up with some beetles in the water, use a teaspoon and scoop out the springtails instead of pouring them.

I guess it might be better to restart the whole process.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

Someone also mentioned diatomaceous earth. I love this stuff. I had a flea invasion a couple of years ago and I stuffed food-grade-diatomaceous-earth into every nook and cranny. It took care of the issue.
Spread it like carpet powder if you're desperate, leave it, then vacuum it, but, it is a powder, so cover your animal's tanks with a tarp or trash bags (while you're applying it and while your vacuuming), as airtight as you can. You wouldn't want it on an amphibian's delicate skin (or on anything with an exoskeleton).

Is diatomaceous earth the only solution for the carpet? My frogs are in my room and I wanted to weigh all options for treating the carpet.

 

[Smotzer]

Is diatomaceous earth the only solution for the carpet? My frogs are in my room and I wanted to weigh all options for treating the carpet.

Haven’t looked up anything specific, but have you thought about seeing if there are any pheromone traps that work on these beetles?

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

Haven’t looked up anything specific, but have you thought about seeing if there are any pheromone traps that work on these beetles?

would be nice but I guess i wanted to get rid of it all

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

If there were a quicker and easier way to get rid of dermestids without freezing, cleaning meticulously, and/or the use of toxic chemicals, entomological collections around the world wouldn't be regularly freezing collections, cleaning meticulously, and using highly toxic chemicals.

Okay so soon I am going to buy diatomaceous earth for the carpet- the food grade one. Then I need to launder all of my stuff and put it in a plastic trash bag sealed.

The stuff I cannot launder, like this one antique teddy bear that is only surface washable. Would taking it to a dry cleaners work? The dry ice concept is kind of scary so not sure if I should do it. The teddy bear is really really big, should not be washed that way.

I am thinking of dropping my whole roach collection. To be fair, someone mentioned buffalo beetles, I am not entirely sure if mine are because I looked through them and the lot looks identical. Still they jumped out and crawled out. I've seen them in 2 colors, black and rarely reddish brown.

I haven't seen any damage to any of my clothes or any garments. I even have paintings, no damage. So I may be overreacting, but they are everywhere in my room...


Asides from the stuff above is there any chemical I can drop on the carpet that wont evaporate and hurt my frogs? we used a pet safe chemical that contained citronella and it killed a bunch of them.... Pretty sure it was just concentratee citronella, it was really strong.

For the bedding, how do I make sure the beds dont have anything? any chemical that i can put on the box spring thats safe? atleast to kill the larvae or keep them away...

 

[lunarminx]

So I am just starting( due today) a Dubia colony and tomorrow the beetles are due. If I do a think line of Vaseline near the top of the container, will that help? It is a self cleaning system that has 1/8 inch holes drilled so the frass falls through to the bottom one. Would it be better to glue bug screen instead?

 

[lunarminx]

Okay so soon I am going to buy diatomaceous earth for the carpet- the food grade one. Then I need to launder all of my stuff and put it in a plastic trash bag sealed.

The stuff I cannot launder, like this one antique teddy bear that is only surface washable. Would taking it to a dry cleaners work? The dry ice concept is kind of scary so not sure if I should do it. The teddy bear is really really big, should not be washed that way.

I am thinking of dropping my whole roach collection. To be fair, someone mentioned buffalo beetles, I am not entirely sure if mine are because I looked through them and the lot looks identical. Still they jumped out and crawled out. I've seen them in 2 colors, black and rarely reddish brown.

I haven't seen any damage to any of my clothes or any garments. I even have paintings, no damage. So I may be overreacting, but they are everywhere in my room...


Asides from the stuff above is there any chemical I can drop on the carpet that wont evaporate and hurt my frogs? we used a pet safe chemical that contained citronella and it killed a bunch of them.... Pretty sure it was just concentratee citronella, it was really strong.

For the bedding, how do I make sure the beds dont have anything? any chemical that i can put on the box spring thats safe? atleast to kill the larvae or keep them away...

Just powder everything with the diatomaceous earth and brush in, let set and vacuum. This is a hint I read about bed bugs, use it a few times a week and a few weeks past the time you saw the last one.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

Just powder everything with the diatomaceous earth and brush in, let set and vacuum. This is a hint I read about bed bugs, use it a few times a week and a few weeks past the time you saw the last one.

Not quite sure but like is there a method to powder it?

 

[lunarminx]

Not quite sure but like is there a method to powder it?

It's already a powder.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

It's already a powder. View attachment 337168

What I meant was how to spread it efficiently

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

What I meant was how to spread it efficiently

Have you seriously not dealt with this yet? You just sprinkle it, it's not rocket surgery. Spread it around. Rub it in. Roll around it in. Do a rain dance on it. It doesn't matter.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

Have you seriously not dealt with this yet? You just sprinkle it, it's not rocket surgery. Spread it around. Rub it in. Roll around it in. Do a rain dance on it. It doesn't matter.

I have been. When I spread it I was short on it. Now I bought 2 more bags. I spread it ineffeftively. No need for a nasty attitude. I was asking jf there's something to spread it evenly. The funny thing is all the beetles seem to have died

 

[lunarminx]

I have been. When I spread it I was short on it. Now I bought 2 more bags. I spread it ineffeftively. No need for a nasty attitude. I was asking jf there's something to spread it evenly. The funny thing is all the beetles seem to have died

You can use a flour sifter or put some holes in a container with a lid and use that. Brush or rub in.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

You can use a flour sifter or put some holes in a container with a lid and use that. Brush or rub in.

thanks

 

[The Snark]

is there any other method? i heard that there was a way to preserve insects with this rock that removes the oxygen and you put them in airtight containers and it kills them?

Never worked in a winery I assume. Place materials in a tub, flood with nitrogen gas and give it a few days. Nitrogen is heavy and displaces oxygen. Get it from any welding supply shop. You can also use liquid nitrogen as a non residual contact pesticide. Just use proper protection to avoid getting burned. (Frostbite) Plays hell with flea eggs in carpets too.

 

[ReleaseTheQuacken]

Never worked in a winery I assume. Place materials in a tub, flood with nitrogen gas and give it a few days. Nitrogen is heavy and displaces oxygen. Get it from any welding supply shop. You can also use liquid nitrogen as a non residual contact pesticide. Just use proper protection to avoid getting burned. (Frostbite) Plays hell with flea eggs in carpets too.

Thank you. I have been keeping them bagged and going to leave them bagged for at least 3 more months in a spacebag.

 

[BepopCola]

Did everything work out?