# Couple of live food questions



## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

1. What are the spikey lil catterpillar type things I keep finding in with my crickets? Are they safe to feed, cos my turtle made short work of it!

2. How can I stop my mealies smelling so bad? They seem to have created a soil type substrate, and they snink really bad.


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## welshgaz (Dec 12, 2005)

can't remember the name of the catipillar types but if its the small grey furry looking things they are used to clean up the cricket crap...

as for mealies smelling, well they just do... keep um outside lol


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

They are Dermesties Beetle Larvae. I've used a few to feed but I wouldn't recomend using them in any type of quantity just the odd one that falls in with your crickets should be ok.

As for mealies smelling it's possibly due to them being damp, keep them in dry bran in a well vented tub and sift out the crap every now and then and you shouldn't have any smells to worry about.


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## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

Yes, the mealies are very damp, my oh blames me for feeding them carrot- is he right?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

you can feed carrot but you need better ventilation and feed it sparingly


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## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

pollywog said:


> you can feed carrot but you need better ventilation and feed it sparingly


lol, ok!

whats best to feed them then?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

I feed mine whole bran and add a small amount of carrot pealings once a week.


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

Ive got mealies in a rub (holes drilled for ventillation) with 4 inches of bran, I also feed them on small amounts of carrot or apple so they can obtain the moisture they need.

But they need to stay dry, they only smell if they get too damp


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## RachelGC (Jul 24, 2007)

I feed my mealworms on bran and weatabix too.... they love it!!

Give them carrott and apple now and again for moisture :2thumb:


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## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

pollywog said:


> you can feed carrot but you need better ventilation and feed it sparingly


i leave a whole apple (cut in 2) in mine with no trouble. i keep em in a plastic container its about 25-30cm by maybe 15cm just have load of holes in the top and take it out before it get mouldy, all mine smell of is apple and that oaty smell.


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## Mantis World (Apr 25, 2007)

Durhamchance said:


> 1. What are the spikey lil catterpillar type things I keep finding in with my crickets? Are they safe to feed, cos my turtle made short work of it!
> 
> 2. How can I stop my mealies smelling so bad? They seem to have created a soil type substrate, and they snink really bad.


The first is likely to be the larvae (woolly bear) stage of the carpet beetle. Some reps don't touch them but beardies and turtles will scoff them up!

The second has already been covered but you need to sieve out the waste and best not to use carrot as this is the quickest to go off. Apples and potatoes are a good source of moisture for them but they will eat just about anything!


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## Just_Nash (Dec 1, 2007)

I wouldnt have thought feeding the Dermesties Beetle Larvae to the BD is a good idea, arent they only in there to eat the dead crickets? Might be wrong..

As for the mealies, i've never had any problems with mine, could also try adding something quite pungent to their diet like basil to drown out the smell if all else fails.


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## LauraMartin (Apr 15, 2008)

i have made my little mealworm invention. i have a plastic tub, about 12x12 inces, and i have got some mesh, i used wire to suspend it in the tub an inch from the bottom, so its kind of platform, so the mealies are on that and all the poop and crap falls thru the mesh. best way to stop it smelling is just to keep an open container, its moisture that makes them stink. dunno if u already got a reply but the caterpillars are hide grubs, they eat dead crix.


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## Mantis World (Apr 25, 2007)

Just_Nash said:


> I wouldnt have thought feeding the Dermesties Beetle Larvae to the BD is a good idea, arent they only in there to eat the dead crickets? Might be wrong..


Oh, they're not in there for any purpose. They have just infested the breeding stock as they eat dead insects, but also fabric.

If you don't dispose of them they will happily feed off your carpet, funiture fabric etc.


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## Just_Nash (Dec 1, 2007)

Mantis World said:


> Oh, they're not in there for any purpose. They have just infested the breeding stock as they eat dead insects, but also fabric.
> 
> If you don't dispose of them they will happily feed off your carpet, funiture fabric etc.


Ahhhhhhh i seee....


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

this one gets asked a lot cant the answer be made a permanent sticky?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

> Oh, they're not in there for any purpose. They have just infested the breeding stock as they eat dead insects, but also fabric.


One of the major cricket producers did tell me he originally introduced them on purpose to take care of the dead crickets but since then they have just become a pest and now he can't get rid of them.


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