# demented beetles



## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

We are starting a small meal worm colony, and we had two larvae alien things and they turned into beetles. We already read everything but I would like to know if we could feed our hedgies the demented beetles? Is it bad for them? The beetles have a few missing legs and one of the beetles has a demented wing. They are really irritating me because they keep falling over and we have to keep flipping them over with a spoon.


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## Amy (Feb 11, 2009)

Beetles are def. a favorite around here.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Better put those beetles out of their misery... hedgie will know what to do


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

just like many insects beetles are loved by almost all hedgies.
With the beetles already missing legs or having a broken wing it will make feeding them to the hedgie easier as you can just put them on the bottom of the cage and the hedgehog will catch them. If you want to keep your colony in tack then you may want to let the beetles lay eggs before you feed them to the hedgies.

Personally, my girlfriend has to feed Vex all the bugs. i love insects, but i can't stand touching live ones.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

Well our colony is gone right about now except for those two beetles...my mom is going to buy 200 mealies today so we can start it with a good start! I personally would never touch them..I always use a spoon or something  Ok I am heading to the beetle container and I am going to find out if they are a favorite!


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

let us know how it goes, hopefully he really enjoys them, and then you have a brand new treat =D

You could always just feed him the beetles after they lay eggs so that your population will keep growing if he likes the beetles more than the mealies.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

Ok I fed Bruno a beetle..he didn't seem interested at first but then I put them in his treat bowl and after a minute he ate it!  Fabio (JayJay's hedgie) ate his in one second..he is already known for a pig and he will eat anything..except he isn't to fond of peaches. So now we know another favorite treat! We will have to start another colony cause we have nothing. How big are the beetle eggs anyways?


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

My hedgie wants nothing to do with beetles. He LOVES the pupae (alien things) though. He only gets one or two occasionally, because I am running a mealie farm here, but he definitely enjoys them.
The "demented" beetles are just malformed. They happen often in mealworm farms, and aren't anything to worry about.

The eggs are tiny--each beetle lays 500 of them. I don't think you can see them, but I honestly haven't looked closely or used a microscope/magnifying glass or anything.

I started out with 2 dozen mealies, and now I have hundreds after only one batch of egg-laying (the beetles are working on their second shift now). Be prepared to have more mealies than you'll be able to use if you start out with that many. 

Good luck!!!


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

OMG that is creepy! What if the beetles already layed eggs! We kind of accidently dumped some of the bedding on the floor.  Now we will have a meal worms all over our floor. Wow I thought 200 hundred wasn't that many! That sucks cause I told my mom to pick up that many. I hope she calls before she leaves work! We accidently dumped some bedding on my sisters blanket. I hope she likes to sleep with bugs! :lol: Should we keep like 100 mealies in the fridge so they wont breed? I am really creeped out.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

I don't think it'll be much of a problem if you vacuum occasionally. And if it's an area with a lot of traffic they'll probably get crushed by walking through anyway. As for the blanket, toss it in the washer. =P They take over a month to change into worms, so just do a little housecleaning and nothing will probably come of it.

Just take a couple dozen and stick them in the fridge. Be sure to take them out every week or so to let them warm up and eat (24-48 hours out of fridge), so they don't die.

What's so creepy about it? That's what raising mealworms is all about. If you find it creepy, how are you going to manage separating them and doing all the duties that need to be done for a mealworm colony?  It's really not that big of a deal, and it's really easy to raise them. You'll get over the squeamishness quickly.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

yah i just will never pick them up though....espicially the beetles. I dont mind picking them up with a spoon or tweezers though.  yah we will vacuum...anyways the cats can always eat them. lol..they are good mouse hunters, i think


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## happy.pancakes (Jan 4, 2009)

Eww!
Just reading this post has grosed me out!
I could NEVER handle a colony!
>.<
Blech!


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## Luck (Sep 4, 2008)

if ur that squemish then do u even feed ur hedgie bugs?


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

Who me?


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