Safe substrate for A. Chalcodese that worms cant burrow?

[mateenm]

I just found out that there are darkling beetles in my Arizona Blonde's enclosure because of burrowing super worms. I've been wanting to change his enclosure anyway since he jolted about a week ago and is a bit bug for his current home. What is a safe substrate I can use for his new enclosure that doesn't allow worms to burrow? If there is any-

 

[HOITrance]

I’m pretty sure superworms can burrow in anything save hardened excavator clay. I just crush the heads of the super worms and drop them near my T’s. They still eat them readily enough. It’s a good idea anyway as it’s known that superworms will spin around and bite your spider if they can reach them. Crushing the heads will solve both potential issues.

 

[kingshockey]

if you had just made sure to really pre kill them before feeding(cut the heads off) you would never have that issue its that simple also a good idea to wait around to make sure your t really caught and is eating any other live feeders you happen to use good luck

 

[cold blood]

thoroughly crush the heads of meal and super worms...problem solved.

 

[Charliemum]

If you pinch the worms with tongs behind it's head then roll the head on a hard surface they will just pop off and there is 100% no burrowing after that. AB top tip

Although darkling are part of a cleanup crew, I have seen a couple of invert keepers that use them as part of the natural clean up crew.
I even have a t that eats them and only them if I give her worms, crix, locusts ect, she totally ignors them yet i have seen her eating the beetles, my jumping spiders do too so I wouldn't worry if anything it will end up as dinner

I would like to say with both spoods this wasn't done on purpose it was before I knew the take the head off trick. I had a beetle hatch out in the 2 enclosures after thinking the spoods had eaten the worms . I came down to the black shell hanging in web no abdomen in my Phidippus enclosure and I caught my euathlus truculentus af eating one after being on hunger strike for a few months , now she won't take anything else I have tried she just let's the food walk all over her no reaction at all. Yet put a darkling in n she hunts it
After this I did look up darkling beetles and I found several ppl using them as part of a cleanup crew in bio enclosures with no problems. I couldn't find much on them as a food source though and not found anyone with the same problem of their t only eating the beetles.
I shouldn't imagine 1 will bother your t though. Just remove it n take heads off in future. I always do now just incase I don't want another spood that will only eat beetles !

 

[viper69]

I just found out that there are darkling beetles in my Arizona Blonde's enclosure because of burrowing super worms. I've been wanting to change his enclosure anyway since he jolted about a week ago and is a bit bug for his current home. What is a safe substrate I can use for his new enclosure that doesn't allow worms to burrow? If there is any-

color me crazy but you could try the common sense approach of crushing their heads just get a sledgehammer

 

[Kada]

Additionally, if you have a substrate that beetle larvae can't burrow in, how is a tarantula able to dig down into it?

Prekill or change species of feeder as mentioned already.