Carrion beetles in mealworm meal.

[608duj]

I have found carrion beetles in one of my mealworm trays, probably attracted by dead mealworm larva. I am seeing what I believe to be their lavae, similar to mealworm larvae but very dark in color and much smaller. I am thinking instead of trying to cull them from the tray that I could feed the carrion larvae to the birds along with the mealworm larvae. Any thoughts ?

[cindy]

I think I would pass on feeding these to the birds... http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/ColeopteraG.htm

one species of burying beetles, the male has a poisonous bite. The beetles eat dead animals, feces, waste.

When feeling in danger they spit out their ugly smelling stomach contents http://www.gardensafari.net/english/big_beetles.htm

I would freeze the mealworm food for 24 to 48 house and strain/sift the bugs out once they are dead.

[608duj]

Thanks Cindy. I picked through the corn meal and removed the desireablemealworms to a new drawer. I took the contaminated meal with the carrion larva outside to the compost. Hated to throw away all that protein.

[josh1810]

You could get some rice flour beetle cultures set up and they are basically the same as small meal worms. I will give the larvae to my finches. They will eat every last one of them. I couldn't stand them only eating half a meal worm and waisting the rest. This way they do not waist anything. You may not want to feed high quantities of them? They are fed to poison dart frogs, small reptiles, frogs etc.

Ince you get your culture going they wont stop unless you let them run out of food.