My BDFB keep dying.

[Elizabeth Marie]

Out of my 12 beetles I’ve had for about a year, 2 of them have died and 2 are very lethargic. I don’t know why but I suspect maybe a parasite (based on my previous posts). I think it might be the supplier. The humidity may also be a factor. The humidity is 30-40 which I know is high, but I can’t change where I live. What can I do about that? The 12 I had were all bought at a reptile show from what I thought looked like a reputable breeder. Please help, I feel terrible seeing them die.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

Since the overwhelming majority of BDFB are field collected, they very well may have simply been old specimens at the end of their lifespan.

There is at least one vendor that sells captive produced beetles which would ensure you know the age of your animals, as well as greatly reduce the chances of them carrying a parasitic burden.

 

[paumotu]

For starting with a group of 12, having 8 wild-collected specimens in good health a year later is relatively good. As the post above me mentioned, it’s impossible to know how old they were when you got them. If they are parasitized in some way, it is not likely the infection spreads from beetle to beetle