Question about cleaning my scorpions tank

[Blackwind]

Hey everyone. I just had a quick question about cleaning my terrariums. I switched up substrates and am now using a 2/3 washed and baked playground sand, 1/3 excavator clay mix, so that my scorpions can build their own burrows. My question is: How do I make sure their burrows stay clean? My desert hairy has about 10" of tunnels underneath the sand right now, and when he gets his cricket he takes it back into the very bottom of his burrow to eat. Is there any effective way to clean crickets parts and other matter out of his burrow without destroying it? I had read of things like death feigning beetles, but apparently beetles cannot be imported into the country so that's out of the question, as far as I know

Thanks for any advice!

 

[MES]

I am fairly new to scorpions (a little over a year), but I have not heard of any effective way to clean burrows that are that extensive. Unless you can see the debris and reach it with with tongs, I think you will probably have to destroy the burrow when you clean it.
I hope this helped, and I'm curious to see anyone else's suggestions!

 

[RTTB]

Just remove any remains of prey items with long tweezers and that’s all that’s needed.

 

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

I personally use a long pair of hemostats for my hots and grab a piece of paper towel and a spray bottle of purified water and I go to town on the glass. Long hemostats are far better than tweezers for cleaning and moving debris.

 

[Blackwind]

Ok great, thanks for the input everyone. I was worried when he started dragging stuff into the burrow where I couldn't get, but even aboveground, he never really seemed to leave anything left. Good to know for the extra comfort factor though, thanks

 

[Dry Desert]

Hi,
Just purchase a couple of Blue Feining beetles, they will clean all the debris from the burrows and the scorpions leave them alone. These beetles are used by many people to clean all scorpion frass from enclosures.

 

[darkness975]

Hi,
Just purchase a couple of Blue Feining beetles, they will clean all the debris from the burrows and the scorpions leave them alone. These beetles are used by many people to clean all scorpion frass from enclosures.

He said that his country may not permit importing them.

@Blackwind They will often do their own maintenance over time. Pull it out as you can. Generally though, even if cricket wings or something are left over, because it is not a humid enclosure, there is much less chance of issues with mold than if you were keeping a Heterometrus spp., for example.

 

[Blackwind]

Ok thanks! That's what I was hoping, he seems to be a fairly clean eater and doesn't really leave much behind. I didn't know if when he "does his business" it would be in his burrow as well and if that would cause problems. Thank you for the information!

 

[Dry Desert]

darkness975

Sorry I missed that part on the original posting.