# Small black bugs in mealworm pack??



## Dactik (Oct 23, 2016)

Hi there,

I've been getting mealworm 'pre-packs' from the local petstore for a few months now with no issue- I bought a pack last week that I've been using to feed my two leopard gex. 

Only today have I discovered small black bugs in the tub of mealworms? They look as though they might have wings (although I haven't seen them fly at all). They're not darkling beetles, they're much smaller, a couple millimetres long and crawl around quite quickly. 

Since I've been feeding my geckos I'm concerned they may be harmful? Is this something I should worry about, like a parasite or flea? Or is it normal to find this kind of thing in among my mealworms? 

Thanks,
Dactik


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Dactik said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I've been getting mealworm 'pre-packs' from the local petstore for a few months now with no issue- I bought a pack last week that I've been using to feed my two leopard gex.
> 
> ...


Post a few pics? Although I doubt they're harmful.


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## Dactik (Oct 23, 2016)

Thanks for the response! I'm not at home right now but i'll try for photos first thing in the morning. (Searching for similar pics online but I can't find anything quite right- as I said the bugs are a couple millimetres in length, oval-shaped, black and crawl rather than jump or hop. as far as i'm aware they don't bite)


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## Ex0tic (Sep 12, 2016)

Just beetles aren't they?


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

mealworms turn into hard white chrysalis and then beetles after that little black ones if they are the same as the ones I get, I think they are harmless though i have to say I never leave them in if I see them but never had any problems from them either


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Ex0tic said:


> Just beetles aren't they?





bearwolf said:


> mealworms turn into hard white chrysalis and then beetles after that little black ones if they are the same as the ones I get, I think they are harmless though i have to say I never leave them in if I see them but never had any problems from them either


Too small to be the adult beetles. as the OP has already explained, these are only a couple of mm long.


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

wilkinss77 said:


> Too small to be the adult beetles. as the OP has already explained, these are only a couple of mm long.


Will have to wait for pics to be sure but the adult beetles in the ones I get are only 4-5mm long at maximum 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

bearwolf said:


> Will have to wait for pics to be sure but the adult beetles in the ones I get are only 4-5mm long at maximum
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk


Adult meal beetles are easily 10-15 mm long. The ones you're talking about must be scavenger beetles, which look similar, but are only 5 mm as you say. Besides, the OP has already ruled out beetles or anything of that size:



Dactik said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I've been getting mealworm 'pre-packs' from the local petstore for a few months now with no issue- I bought a pack last week that I've been using to feed my two leopard gex.
> 
> ...


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

wilkinss77 said:


> Adult meal beetles are easily 10-15 mm long. The ones you're talking about must be scavenger beetles, which look similar, but are only 5 mm as you say. Besides, the OP has already ruled out beetles or anything of that size:


 Ok like i said will have to wait for Pics not angling after an argument just trying to help


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

They will be the beetle stage of those fuzzy caterpillar type things. Harmless. They can fly though so watch out they don't escape lol. I just throw them in my ackies viv with the fuzzies in the soil.


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## Dactik (Oct 23, 2016)

wilkinss77 said:


> Too small to be the adult beetles. as the OP has already explained, these are only a couple of mm long.


Sorry I took a while to respond, didn't get a chance to take pics before work this morning and I cannot for the life of me get my camera to focus on these little things. 

I've linked a (crude) drawing of one of the bugs below which should -hopefully- make things clearer?? As I've said, these are definitely not darkling beetles, as the mealworms themselves are at least a centimetre in length and the bugs are far smaller (I've had the beetles hatch before and removed them, this is something else entirely). If I could compare the bugs to anything it would be a moth fly, but smaller and lacking hair. 

I don't need to know what species this is specifically, I'm just wanting to find out whether there's anything harmful anyone knows of that my description resembles? If not then there's no need to worry:2thumb:


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