Hi all , I got some mealworm beetle( Tenebrio molitor) from a mate to start a colony , Only to have it invaded by some type of Mite, They appear to be resistant to insecticide( No I didn’t spray the Beetles only the out side of the tub ) . so I had to throw the batch out . Any one had this problem before ?And what did you do to solve the problem ? The only thing I found that killed them was a blow torch . Just ran it over the surface where they were the thickest and fried them . I know its a bit drastic but it worked .This was good to clear the cabinet and container's but how do you stop reinfestation ?
Hi West finch,I had that problem a few times,it comes in the bran and when its a serious problem it looks like pink fluff.They love humidity so you may be feeding to much carrot or what ever you are feeding.Remove all food for a few days until they dissapear,the beatles will survive buy chewing the bran.Another way is to microwave your bran for a couple of minutes to kill the bran mites and after it has cooled place your beatles in it with a small peice of carrot.or slice of orange.The beatles are only using this as a source of moisture so the less the better. Cheers Craig
crocnshas wrote:Hi West finch,I had that problem a few times,it comes in the bran and when its a serious problem it looks like pink fluff.They love humidity so you may be feeding to much carrot or what ever you are feeding.Remove all food for a few days until they dissapear,the beatles will survive buy chewing the bran.Another way is to microwave your bran for a couple of minutes to kill the bran mites and after it has cooled place your beatles in it with a small peice of carrot.or slice of orange.The beatles are only using this as a source of moisture so the less the better. Cheers Craig
I use to microwave the bran too, i found that it retained the heat so make sure it cools in a dry envronement to avoid too much moisture.
Living In a Unit is Worse Than Being Attached to a Ball and Chain.
Hopefully someone can back me up, but I seem to remember that slaters (otherwise called pillbugs or woodlice) may help stop mites?? Stab in the dark, but rings a bell.
Airing the containers out and letting all moisture evaporate, and not supplying moist food for 2-3 days is suggested by Peter Karsten in his book on softbills. Or apparently baiting the mites with canned dog food on a paper towel, removing daily and placing into boiling water to kill them. Would imagine you may have to do that for about a week, but may still leave a few behind.
I have heard putting a branch of worm wood in there , the mites apparently hate it , have never tried it as I have never had the problem....so you never know... pete
Wish you posted up earlier have just realised ive had meal worms breeding in my ariary, pulled apart and sprayed all the small beetles and killed all the lave. I thought they were some sort of moth lave as I have heaps around at the moment. My Quails will hate me.
Have had the avairy in place for three years now and have only found the lave and beetles in the last couple of weeks any clues where thay would have come from ??
Normally this is from too much moisture in the bran/pollard.I always place my carrots etc on a peice of hessian folded in half to stop the food working it way to the bottom of the bran ,carrot does not go mouldy and retain too much moisture
No bran used just hanging feeder with seed out of a sealed container kept in the kitchen ,daily egg and bicky eaten in 5 or so minutes plus a tray full of ordinary dirt ( that they love)
I used to regularly get this infestation and had to remove all of the batches/clean them out worm by worm and restart they get so bad. Human grade bran brought my mites in. Yuck.
EOrix suggested I microwave my bran. I did this and it helped (just 2min on high), but I inevitably got it again and again. Once the miotes are in there they thrive.
So I finally got a supplier of wheaten bran and touch wood.... no mites (now been 6months free of them).
Hey westfinch, I checked my mealworms yesterday and have no mites but know have a lot of little mealworms. I am baffled just as you are!. at least you can boast that you breed a good mite! Lol
only the out side of the tub ) . so I had to throw the batch out . Any one had this problem before ?And what did you do to solve the problem ? The only thing I found that killed them was a blow torch . Just ran it over the surface where they were the thickest and fried them . I know its a bit drastic but it worked .This was good to clear the cabinet and container's but how do you stop reinfestation ?
