Has anyone had success keeping "cleaner" beetles with feeder insects? Are they worth the hype?

[Wayfarin]

Hey folks!
I'm sure that many of the people on this forum are used to keeping and breeding feeder insects, like crickets, roaches, and mealworms.
I've heard that some people have an issue with flies and mites when keeping and breeding insects.
I've also heard that keeping other insects in with the feeders is an effective way to reduce the chances of an infestation taking place.

The insects that people normally seem to keep are either dermestid beetles (Dermestes) or buffalo beetles (Alphitobius diaperinus).
The claim is that they eat the dead crickets and waste enough to significantly reduce the chances of attracting flies and mites.
I also believe that they keep the feeders alive by consuming excess moisture.

Has anyone tried keeping "cleaner" beetles in with feeder insects? If so, does it help to prevent pests?
Also, are there any other ways to prevent mites and flies that have worked for any of you? Are mites and flies just to be expected?
And in addition, are crickets better than mealworms in terms of mite infestations?

(By mites, I'm referring to grain mites. I know that beetles can do nothing to stop parasitic mites.)
(I'm mostly interested in breeding crickets rather than roaches due to their lack of demand for high temperatures.)

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks! God bless!

 

[worldsparadox]

I keep darkling beetles in my roach containers to help cleanup uneaten food, and I would have dermestid beetles in there but I haven't found any to add yet. But, if you really want to combat flies and mites you just have to keep things clean, and be mindful of what you use a food. By using a dry roach food and water crystals I have been successful in irradicating my fly problems (they were attracted to the fruits and veggies I had been leaving in the roach boxes for too long).

 

[Wayfarin]

I keep darkling beetles in my roach containers to help cleanup uneaten food, and I would have dermestid beetles in there but I haven't found any to add yet. But, if you really want to combat flies and mites you just have to keep things clean, and be mindful of what you use a food. By using a dry roach food and water crystals I have been successful in irradicating my fly problems (they were attracted to the fruits and veggies I had been leaving in the roach boxes for too long).

Darkling beetles? You mean Tenebrio molitor?
They certainly don't combat mites, as I've had a horrid mite infestation in my mealworm culture back at our old house, and we ended up throwing the whole thing out.
Just this week, what appear to be the same mites have infested two of my other projects. They are only barely visible to the naked eye, but they are not quite microscopic.
It's a strong word, but I'm really starting to hate them. Apparently, they are lying dormant in our coconut fiber substrate bag, which we may have brought with us when we moved, but I really don't know where they come from, or if they can be stopped.

 

[worldsparadox]

I don't know the species because I don't even know where they came from - but I didn't say they help with mites, I said they help eat leftover food. I'm sorry to hear about your current mite problem, it is no fun - I have lost many projects myself to mites. I hope you are successful in your fight, perhaps look into some predatory mites to fight with you? After a thorough cleaning and removal of infected media.

 

[DaveM]

Yes, buffalo beetles. Somewhat good. Reduce colony maintenance work somewhat.

 

[bjjpokemon910]

Beetles are a great way to clean up after feeders in my opinion. though I keep my Dubia roaches on substrate with some extra springtails and isopods I got because it made it just one less thing I gotta clean. but darkling beetles, can work. unfortunately mites are really hard to beat. I live in a humid climate myself, and I get soil mites, but I now put springtails inside of things proactively to at least compete with the mites so they don't explode in populations. While this wont keep them out completely it will at least reduce their numbers if done properly. since I cleaned out my Dubia colony and made their new bin with substrate with springtails and isopods I have yet to have a mite outbreak in years. But just so you know mites are not always bad. Most Acrariformes that show up in your feeder enclosures are doing exactly what the beetles, springtails and isopods are doing and that's cleaning up after your feeders, they are just unsightly to look at.

 

[Wayfarin]

Beetles are a great way to clean up after feeders in my opinion. though I keep my Dubia roaches on substrate with some extra springtails and isopods I got because it made it just one less thing I gotta clean. but darkling beetles, can work. unfortunately mites are really hard to beat. I live in a humid climate myself, and I get soil mites, but I now put springtails inside of things proactively to at least compete with the mites so they don't explode in populations. While this wont keep them out completely it will at least reduce their numbers if done properly. since I cleaned out my Dubia colony and made their new bin with substrate with springtails and isopods I have yet to have a mite outbreak in years. But just so you know mites are not always bad. Most Acrariformes that show up in your feeder enclosures are doing exactly what the beetles, springtails and isopods are doing and that's cleaning up after your feeders, they are just unsightly to look at.

I know that the mites are just cleaning up and are not parasites. I would like them a whole lot more if they couldn't climb smooth surfaces and stayed in the bin.
That's what copepods and other aquarium "hitchhikers" do. They stay in the water and never leave the habitat of the aquarium.
I like beetles because they only rarely escape the bins. The mites can easily climb smooth plastic, so if it's a humid year, they could take over our food stores and pet enclosures.

Fortunately, we don't live in the most humid region, and feeder crickets don't generally require humid habitats.
I'm sure the beetles must combat the mites at least by drinking the excess moisture in the habitats.
The most effective means to combat mites is probably dryness.

 

[bjjpokemon910]

I know that the mites are just cleaning up and are not parasites. I would like them a whole lot more if they couldn't climb smooth surfaces and stayed in the bin.
That's what copepods and other aquarium "hitchhikers" do. They stay in the water and never leave the habitat of the aquarium.
I like beetles because they only rarely escape the bins. The mites can easily climb smooth plastic, so if it's a humid year, they could take over our food stores and pet enclosures.

Fortunately, we don't live in the most humid region, and feeder crickets don't generally require humid habitats.
I'm sure the beetles must combat the mites at least by drinking the excess moisture in the habitats.
The most effective means to combat mites is probably dryness.

Yeah I got you. I didn’t think about them possibly swarming your food because the will in fact do that.

 

[Wayfarin]

I know that the mites are just cleaning up and are not parasites. I would like them a whole lot more if they couldn't climb smooth surfaces and stayed in the bin.
That's what copepods and other aquarium "hitchhikers" do. They stay in the water and never leave the habitat of the aquarium.
I like beetles because they only rarely escape the bins. The mites can easily climb smooth plastic, so if it's a humid year, they could take over our food stores and pet enclosures.

Fortunately, we don't live in the most humid region, and feeder crickets don't generally require humid habitats.

Yeah I got you. I didn’t think about them possibly swarming your food because the will in fact do that.

Yeah, they would be much better if they didn't crawl all over the outside of the bin. I don't even know why they do it. I guess they know during an infestation that they are overpopulated and that some need to leave and find food elsewhere.

 

[Skwairpeg]

Yeah, they would be much better if they didn't crawl all over the outside of the bin. I don't even know why they do it. I guess they know during an infestation that they are overpopulated and that some need to leave and find food elsewhere.

hi! I know this is an old thread, but we’ve dealt with grain mites a few times and I just want to chime in that we keep them from climbing out of the bin with a thin layer of aquaphor around the inside of the bin!

 

[444 critters]

Once them beetles take off, they are really hard to get under control. I got few in bag a couple years ago, and they have ran rampit... do they eat dead things, YES, but they eat alive things too. Depending on the beetle, they will eat your nymphs. They don't do much for pests... I do not like them. I try to remove them out of my colonies, but it is really hard.

If you are using grain, ALWAYS MICROWAVE OR FREEZE YOUR GRAIN before introducing it into any colonies. The grain mites are a nightmare. Especially if they branch out into your pantry. As far as fruit flies, they really only come around if they are brought in. I personally never had a fruit fly problem.

 

[paumotu]

Buffalo beetles have been a welcome addition to my lobster roach colony. I do not recommend adding any cleaner beetles to any species of roach that lays oothecas rather than gives live birth. For instance, they can and will consume the ooths of red runner roaches.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Buffalo beetles have been a welcome addition to my lobster roach colony. I do not recommend adding any cleaner beetles to any species of roach that lays oothecas rather than gives live birth. For instance, they can and will consume the ooths of red runner roaches.

I tried 20 Alphitobius diaperinus larva but it wasn’t enough and it seems only the regular mealworms i added survived but I removed them in fear dubia might eat pupaes.

 

[444 critters]

I tried 20 Alphitobius diaperinus larva but it wasn’t enough and it seems only the regular mealworms i added survived but I removed them in fear dubia might eat pupaes.

I never had issues with the dubia eating my beetles or larvae. I wish they did though

 

[paumotu]

I never had issues with the dubia eating my beetles or larvae. I wish they did though

You can say that again. I’ve never had roaches pose a threat to the beetles in any situation, only the reverse.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I never had issues with the dubia eating my beetles or larvae. I wish they did though

I considered permanently leaving mealworm colonies in there when I remove the frass for cleaning how many months till the eggs hatch?

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

I wish I had never gotten buffalo beetles or dermestids.

 

[444 critters]

I considered permanently leaving mealworm colonies in there when I remove the frass for cleaning how many months till the eggs hatch?

I used to order super worms for my bearded dragons, and I have thrown a few worms with my roaches as a experiment to see what would happen. i was going to try to breed the beetles and just wanted to see if i could mix them to save space.I was curious about the pupaes survival, given the super worms will munch on their own siblings pupae. They hatched out in the roach colony just fine, given the roaches were well fed, I had several large beetles walking around in there. I never kept up with them because their exoskeleton wasn't the greatest for my beardies. As far as a time frame, I do not remember at all, It was a careless experiment for sure

 

[Wayfarin]

hi! I know this is an old thread, but we’ve dealt with grain mites a few times and I just want to chime in that we keep them from climbing out of the bin with a thin layer of aquaphor around the inside of the bin!

Interesting idea.

If there's one thing I hate about grains mites, it's their ability to climb any smooth surface to escape an infested enclosure.
When I was young and didn't know any better, I thought that grain mites were like crickets and couldn't climb smooth surfaces.
I sure wish I was right about that!

I HATE grain mites. I wish I could love 'em.
They are sort of like springtails, which break down decaying matter into soil.
But they can't just be in the enclosure. The grain mites have to be climbing out on the sides, spilling out on the floor, and everywhere else, whether there's even food there or not (maybe even on my hands and in my hair).

One time, there were probably more mites in our bread drawer than people on earth.

 

[Wayfarin]

Once them beetles take off, they are really hard to get under control. I got few in bag a couple years ago, and they have ran rampit... do they eat dead things, YES, but they eat alive things too. Depending on the beetle, they will eat your nymphs. They don't do much for pests... I do not like them. I try to remove them out of my colonies, but it is really hard.

If you are using grain, ALWAYS MICROWAVE OR FREEZE YOUR GRAIN before introducing it into any colonies. The grain mites are a nightmare. Especially if they branch out into your pantry. As far as fruit flies, they really only come around if they are brought in. I personally never had a fruit fly problem.

You aren't being dramatic when you say the grain mites are a nightmare.
Last night, I literally had a nightmare about giant grain mites in a dark house.
No matter how far I went from the storage area in the house, they were STILL there!
I think they're making me insane. Although my nightmare wasn't really far from reality.

Anyways, it's usually fungus gnats rather than fruit flies, which aren't really a serious issue because they are simply a warning of the presence of mold, which shouldn't be there at all.