Confused Flour Beetle larvae make a good occassional feeder for our frogs.
Most frogs don't really like the adult beetles, because they produce a quinone gas that apparently doesn't taste too great.
Adults can live 3 years and the entire life cycle, egg to adult is about 5-6 weeks at 77°F, cultures produce faster at temps up to 90°F. A week or two after starting a new culture, just sift out the adults for another culture. It usually takes about 4 weeks to get good size worms for feeding out.
Most frogs don't really like the adult beetles, because they produce a quinone gas that apparently doesn't taste too great.
Adults can live 3 years and the entire life cycle, egg to adult is about 5-6 weeks at 77°F, cultures produce faster at temps up to 90°F. A week or two after starting a new culture, just sift out the adults for another culture. It usually takes about 4 weeks to get good size worms for feeding out.
Mesh screen sifter and 8 oz culture. Culture media is whole wheat flour and 10% Brewers Yeast. Keep your cultures dry and well ventilated. They can't climb glass or smooth plastic, but the adults can fly a short distance if they can get on top of something to leap off.
Each teaspoon of media will produce at least this amount of larvae, sometimes alot more. 1 pound of media can produce 1500 larvae. It is best to sift your cultures every week to keep from having too many pupate and turn into more beetles. After a few weeks you can add adults again and a little fresh media to restart you culture.
I keep 4 shoebox size cultures going at a time, the first one has beetles laying eggs, the second one the larvae are too small to feed, third and forth get fed out.
I keep 4 shoebox size cultures going at a time, the first one has beetles laying eggs, the second one the larvae are too small to feed, third and forth get fed out.
These larvae are ready to fed out and can be dusted with suppliments if desired. They are about 45% protein and 35% fat.
I only feed out about once a week, they are too fatty for continuous feeding, but can help to put weight on skinny frogs. There will be some dry larvae skin sheds and sometimes a little frass mixed in with the larvae. I usually take the sifted worms outside and blow this away with a couple light puffs of air.
I only feed out about once a week, they are too fatty for continuous feeding, but can help to put weight on skinny frogs. There will be some dry larvae skin sheds and sometimes a little frass mixed in with the larvae. I usually take the sifted worms outside and blow this away with a couple light puffs of air.
If you get a lot of adults mixed in with the larvae, you can drape some paper strips over the edge of your worm cup into a larger container to allow the beetles to climb out.
The frogs won't really know what to make of them the first time you feed them out. I've seen some frogs spit them out the first few tries. But once they're use to them, they'll usually come running when you place a lid in their tank.
Larvae don't do well in high humidity or if they get wet. Any that get out of the lid will perish in our vivs if they don't get eaten with an hour or two.
Larvae don't do well in high humidity or if they get wet. Any that get out of the lid will perish in our vivs if they don't get eaten with an hour or two.