# Do Buffalo Beetles/Worms eat mealworms?



## silverdun (Jul 7, 2011)

I'm breeding mealworms & am not having terrific success, the adults had many small mealworms which vanished. I've noticed somehow buffalo beetles & their larvae are mixed in with the bran, would they harm the young mealworms? Or is it a case of the adult beetles (mealworms) eating their own young? I know the reptiles enjoy eating both, so hope it isn't a problem. Otherwise will have to eradicate the buffalo's. Thanks for any advice.


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## .:KayLee:. (Aug 23, 2008)

I would eradicate the buffalos just as a precaution but its not unknown for mealworm beetles to eat their own young. Try the filter method of breeding them (youtube/google "breeding mealworms filter method") and this should help a lot.


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

*Potato love*

You need to scrap the whole lot and start again with clean mealworm stock. You cannot sucessfully culture mealworms if they are infested with Buffalos.


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## silverdun (Jul 7, 2011)

Thank you both, I thought I would need to start again. Very helpful, thanks.


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

I culture both buffalos and mealworms, but I keep them in buildings about 100 metres apart ! I speak from lots of experience of problems caused by buffs to mealworms. 

Give the mealworm tubs a thorough clean and dispose of any egg crate exposed to the buffs. Lastly keep a look out for buffalos in lizard cages, because they can often breed there, especially when salad is added daily to beardie cages, or other moisture is available.


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## silverdun (Jul 7, 2011)

Thanks very much for the advice. You are right, they prefer the damper vivs. I have them in with baby tortoise too. Can I ask, what do the buffalo's do to the mealworms?


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

The buffs attack the mealworms when they are vulnerable, i.e when they are shedding, when they are pupa, and when they are emerging as beetles. You may see in your cultures many dead mealworms (black colour) that have been attacked as they moult. 

It is possible with ALOT of work to clean up the mealworms, but in my opinion mealworms are so cheap it is not worth it. If a couple of buffalo worms remain, or a single mated female buff beetle, within a few weeks you are back to square one. 

Are you 100% sure you have buffalo worms, and not the other smaller flour beetles that often come with cereals from agricultual feeds ?


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## silverdun (Jul 7, 2011)

Thank you, that is good to know. Thanks for sharing. I'm not 100% sure they are called Buffalo's. I showed them to someone who identified them for me. They are very small rough haired caterpillar/worms that sometimes come in with the tubs of size 2 crickets. They seem to have a similar life cycle as the mealworms. In fact at first I thought it was small mealworms but could see they were slightly different. They seem a lot easier to breed than the mealworms, but are too small for what I want really. I'll try & get pics


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

Ironically after my earlier comments you DON'T have buffalo worms/ beetles at all but demestid larvae/beetles ! Buffalo worms are shorter and stouter than mealworms, faster (like demstids) but are NOT hairy at all. 

I have little experience of them except that I am sure they are NOT the 'clean up crew' that some people here believe. You should definately try to eliminate them.

In the huge sheds the commercial livefood producers use, it is very difficult to eliminate them, as they have a similar short life cycle. and thrive in the same conditions as the crickets.


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## silverdun (Jul 7, 2011)

Thank you, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I just did a google search and yes they look very much like those images. Whereas the Buffalo Beetle/Larvae images were nothing like them. I think they are possibly Demestid larvae/beetles. Will get rid of them as best as possible, thanks for the advice, very helpful, I appreciate it :notworthy:


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## Blaptica (Jun 26, 2008)

No problem


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