This segment is seriously underrated. This has got to be one of the most complete videos in terms of guide and info on a pet. Good on you sir. Love it.
Aquarimax Pets you’re absolutely welcome! Thank you as well! I hope to own a few of these pets in the near future. I’ll start off small with the blue death feigning. (Captured bred of course) With your guide, I’m confident I can offer them a good home.
I have 2 darkling beetles both male or both female, I’ve had them for almost 6months…they are actually friends!! They share food, they stay together most of the time, they “hug” each other…they are totally comfortable touching and climbing on each other…they are super cute…I could watch them all day…
I’m considering starting a darkling beetle colony. It started with my research about geckos, and then about mealworms, and finally darkling beetles. I was interested in breeding them to save money on gecko food, but knowing that they’re harmless, I think they would make the perfect pet for me!
Please read my comment above! I hope you do get them because they are Incredible pets that take little more than humane respect to keep them alive. One of my most favorite past terrariums was a handle-less teardrop shaped glass creamer pitcher that was about the size of a large grapefruit. They THRIVED in there. The opening was quite small so it was hard to remove everyone when I noticed teeny tiny baby worms moving around and knew they needed more space. I highly recommend giving them lots of space, but this was a temporary fix when my first beetles showed up in my feeders and I needed a quick home. I'm not a fan of plastic so this worked very well. Good luck, you'll love them!! PS. Right now I have 3 mealworm beetles living in a Very shallow crystal punch glass!! I am NOT a fan of keeping mealworms or their beetles, I've just learned, because they morph way too quickly and their beetles come out with deformities that make life difficult for them. But I've kept these 3 with a tiny cap filled with dirt and live moss so that I can keep them watered without over/under doing it and they live inside dried, hollowed out potato halves that other worms ate away. They make perfect bug huts. The rim of the glass cup curves in so the base surface is wider and they can't climb out. They are doing Excellent!!
You sir are wonderfully informative! I have subscribed! We have an injured large stink beetle and are providing a home for it. It had been a few years since we have done this and I forgot exactly what we fed the last one. A bird had dropped it right in front of my daughter and she came in crying with it in her hands. The entire family cared for that beetle who had an enclosure in the kitchen. He was a survivor! When he would get flipped over, every single member of my family would set him upright again, as he couldn't get back up due to missing partial limbs. This particular guy lived several years. So today I will be setting up a cool enclosure for this new guy. Thanks so much for the info!
We have a big box turtle enclosure with superworm beetles doing their thing in it. I love them, they are fun and personable. And it is neat seeing the superworms of various sizes in there at night, and seeing the mature beetles run around at night. Yes, they do stink - especially when they fall into the water and have to be rescued. Smells like old bandaids
I have 2 mid century Metaframe 5 gallon tanks I'm using as beetle habitats that share one original chrome lid balanced in between. They started out accidental through escape feeder superworms and I have to say that I am In LOVE with these creatures!! I call them the World's Most Zen Pet because they are almost unflappable and I hope that one day they will replace all horrible "desk pet" practices like keeping Beta fish in cup sized housing etc. I've actually Stepped on 2 on separate occasions and lifted my weight just in time to avoid harm! And on 2 Other occasions I've had them climb up my foot while working at the sink and violently slapped away whatever shocking thing was climbing on me-only to find that I'd just narrowly missed killing beetles who were reaching out to me !! (?? TWICE??) I had never researched their keeping, just added what I thought would make sense. It turns out that I was right on because the Supers I've pulled out of the substrate are some of the fattest, most healthy I've ever encountered. One thing that Is tough is keeping the males from killing one another off. I rescued a male from headless death that lives a lonely life in a large jar just outside the 2 tanks where he can benefit from the light. These truly are wonderful creatures that I feel could also be used in therapy as they also considerably lower blood pressure while meditating upon their daily activities.
Those Stink Beetles demolish my garden each year. 😥 I am going to start a Darkling Beetle breeding program for mealworms on my farm. My poultry love them.
I sometimes get darkling beetles in my toad tank because i sometimes accidently drop a mealworm and it squirms under their enclosure, so im glad i know theyre fine! I may get a colony actually!
Wow this video is actually very very good, thank u, really cool lil guys I had a couple grow from zophoba worms so gotta give them the good life now 🤘🏼
I have a terrarium full of them three different sizes really tiny normal sized and big have them for about 2 years they keep breathing so I never run out they used to be a food source for my lizard but he passed so I couldn't see myself getting rid of all these beetles since it took me all this time to learn and research them to get them to breed so now I just keep them mine are very active I have lizard bark as my substrate and they seem to like to borrow in it to lay their eggs
I Really enjoy this video! I like going over your facts cause it’s helping me with my thoughts about my new community set up .. got a couple of Rough death’s along with some diabolicals with my blue deaths from Peter and I’ve been adding to food variety and got some freeze dried grasshoppers from flukers brand off Amazon. The Rough ones went to town on the grasshoppers this evening . Really awesome to watch if your wanting to experiment with different Beetle protein varieties.
Awesome video!!! Very informative. The black death feigning beetles and the desert stinkbutts are very prevalent where I live out here in the sage brush and are always a joy to have around. Until this video I thought these two types were of the same species. I have never had one spray but have seen many go headstand. I thought for the longest time they must be imitating other beetles that do spray because they don't seem to feel the need to must of the time even when badgered. There are also these red and black mottled beetles out here in number. I'm not sure what they are yet I've been calling them Darth Maul beetles. You could throw some of them in with the darks to liven color but I have a feeling they are into a stinkier fouler variety of delectables. Anyway thanks and now I'm off to learn more about the Darth Maul beetles.
Wow didn't know there were so many red and black beetles!!! I always forget lady bugs are beetles too. Turns out what I see out here is the burying beetle, eats carrion but buries it first. Although someone crazy like myself might like to see something like that in captivity (maybe dead feeder mice as food source and something akin to ant farm like enclosures) probably not part of your darkling terrarium.
Thank you for the info and for me to see actual set ups for them. I had few of my super worms that must of hit that stage of life and are morphing into adults. So now I will have 4 darkling beetles as pets,lol.
@@Aquarimax Verifying that I have my set up correct. I have the super worm species of this beetle. I started a SW colony when this virus first started for fear that the pet shops would close down and my two tarantulas wouldn't have anything to eat. I ended up becoming fond of the beetles and decided to keep them as pets. I don't have need to raise the worms now so I'm trying to learn all I can about the beetles. You have the best video out there that I could find.
I've been considering adding one or two to one of my large ant enclosures. I have a small colony of Formica francoeuri but it is housed in a very large enclosure (large for what is typically seen in the anting community) and I think having a few to eat the left over feeder insects would be nice. Since that sp of ant is very passive I think they would make a good addition.
Very awesome and informative video! I will definitely get some if I see them on an expo. I've gotten a Damon johnstonii a few months ago after watching your video on Tailless Whips. Keep these kind of videos coming, they are very helpful!
@@Aquarimax she is doing fine! still alive and kicking. I've noticed that she demands quite the high humidity and actively seeks out moist spots when I spray the walls. Also when it gets to dry she will sit closer to the ground, but this behaviour makes it easier to maintain the right humudity, since I just have to observe her. She is also a good eater and I can usually watch her hunt, which is super cool. Thanks for asking :)
I keep meaning to get into beetles, I do have some fruit beetle grubs that I acquired as feeders for the mantis but I've kept about 10 of them in a separate tank. I guess time will tell if I get any beetles or not!
Hey Rus thanks for the video I just caught some Pinacate beetles last night and was going to try to find some blue death feigning beetles and velvet ants as they are native to my state, I always thought your desert Vivarium was awesome time to make my own.
I have a smooth death feigner and a rough, and I love them both! I spoil them with a variety of fruits, veggies and meat morsels along side cat food. I got them a nice 10 gal glass tank and decorated it with tumbleweeds that they like to push around! (along with rocks, fake skulls, logs, etc) I also gave them a lamp and an under-tank heating pad. I noticed that my smooth in particular loves to burrow where they can. I've found them under one of the rocks before, ha! But mostly they like to chill in the little nooks and crannies of the skulls. What took me a while to experiment with was the amount of food. Since I only have two, even one small thumb-sized slice of zucchini is a feast for them, and I usually have to take it out before they've made a dent. I've found that they will eat almost anything, but my Smooth and Rough seem to have different preferences like you mentioned! Sometimes they get shrimp tails as a treat. However, I found beetle jelly hard to use because of how quickly the jelly hardens. Here are some foods I've found my smooth and rough enjoy! Stars mean they loved: - Pineapple** - Strawberry - Blackberries*** - Any combination of spring mix veggies - Bok choy** - Avocado (Served like the jelly) - Applesauce (Same as above) Hope this is helpful? They'll also eat meat if you have, say, a little crumble off of a homemade meal. Thanks for the video!
@@Aquarimax You're most welcome! You can honestly feed them anything and they'll go for it if they're feeling voracious. I've had huge success with grapes, tomatoes and even raw onion! They're fantastic little creatures. Also, thank you for the jelly tip! I had no idea it was that simple!
@@Aquarimax I'm not sure if it's just my two or if they all love it, but it's certainly a tiny treat I'll give 'em! If you ever try it and have any luck, LMK!
I am a big fan of Neocaridina myself. I first started keeping them in Hawaii, where they are feral, about 13 years ago. My daughter has a colony of SnoBalls in her own tank right now.
I haven’t worked with dentipes, but they should do well together, and most Eleodes do pack quite a stink, though most won’t use it in the enclosure unless bothered
I found a couple of darkling beetle in Idaho and snagged them for a pet. I really like this video, as it helped me prepare to keep them, but I do have a question. Their tank doesn't smell the best. Is there anyway to eliminate the order, or control it? I try to make sure their enclosure is clean and their food doesn't mold, but it still kind of smells. Any tips? (I use the substrate found in pet stores made for insects. I don't know if that's important or not)
Do you have any experience with Philolithus sordidus? I've only ever seen them in the wild (north arizona) and didn't want to remove them, but they have a very cool armored look.
The Asbolus are Omnivores, but should eat mostly dead insects. Too many sugars from fruits aren’t great for them. Any fruits and veggies should be washed and/or peeled, but they can sample most. Eleodes are also omnivores, but probably need a bit more vegetable matter.
I know you said they are pretty hardy with temps but what if my room gets cold easy? Will they be ok? Or do I need to purchase a heat mat? I'm jumping in as a beginner here 😅
I would not use a heat mat on the bottom, but you could use one on one side of the enclosure. Personally I use a small halogen basking spot bulb on the left side of my 29 gallon long, this creates a good temp gradient for them.
Really interesting video. I keep darkling beetles, but I'm not sure what kind. I got them as 'superworms' from petsmart and let them pupate. Really want them to have a nicer habitat, so my question is, are all darkling beetles comfortable in a desert/sand environment? They currently breed readily in just a small layer of soil (coco coir), but I want them to thrive. If it helps, I keep them as pets, not feeders (except excess larva). Thanks :)
And I know you said they get along well with other darkling beetles, but what about larger ones? Thought about housing my single female rhinoceros beetle with my darklings
Lunkyful At least some people have had success breeding Eleodes species for more than a decade, so at least some ßpeciss are easier to breed than Blue Death-Feigning Beetles.
We have 3 mealworms from my kid’s 2nd grade project. Will they be a beetle like this we can keep? Is there a guide to help us figure out which species we have?
I have 1 blue death feigning beetle left. I just bought 3 more. I wanted to add a variety possibly to my tank. Its only a 10 gallon. How many could I fit in there? I wanted to buy some from bugsincyberspace. I don't know if any of these fly? I wanted a darkling fuzzy and a smooth death feignig and a dune beetle. I am sorta afraid of bugs and dont want any that fly.
My son loved lady bugs as a small child. Like, before he could even talk. But one day, he discovered they can fly. . . Life in general has never been the same. 😂
Could you please type out a list of beetles that would work together in a 10 gallon tank with blue death feigning beetles (and are maybe a bit more active during the day?) Would be very much appreciated!
The Pinacate beetle has got a damn horrible LONG lasting awful smell. It stayed on my boot from smashing one for several days. I had to put the boot out in the sun for 4-5 days…. My property is infested by the damn things. Wish something would come by and eliminate every single one as I am sick of getting sprayed by picking up something off the ground and BAM there is one of the damn things and they almost always go to try and spray cause they were startled
"Velvet ants" are actually a species of solitary wasp, aren't they? If you breed them, do they feed your beetles to their larvae? Also, is beetle jelly made from Betelgeuse? (I'll show myself out, thanks.)
They are indeed solitary wasps, but the species I keep only use other wasps as hosts, and I have not bred them. In answer to your second question: Of course! 😂🤣
Thanks for the name drop! Unfortunately the eleodes goryi aren't doing to well. My colony is under attack by a fungus. I talked to some on Instagram called all about arthropods and their colony got wipped out my the same fungus but I'm working hard to fight the fungus. I'll keep you updated. Also working on captive breeding another lesser known eleodes sp.
This has the answers to the few questions I had left! Thank you for the education ! (Other than where to buy besides bugsincyberspace who are currently out of stock :( I would like to purchase from Peter though so I will likely wait a bit)
DeepFriedTony Clint is awesome! I assure you, I have no delusions of Clinthood. Our videos share a similar titling convention with thousands of other TH-cam videos, but my organizational style, not to mention my content, are quite different from Clint’s.
So cute! We used to catch them in our yard. Each species is clearly very distinct. Even as a little kid, not knowing names, i could recognize the difference in their features & tell all the types apart by sight. I didn't know they feigned untill now. (& ironicly their name actually which i also didnt know before now) because the ones we caught were always very comfortable, I guess? I've never seen one do it. The giant "clicking" beetles on another note, were a different story tho. 😂 Anyway, I saw some adult darkling beetles at Petco when I took my 4 year old to see the fish yesterday, but they didn't appear to be for sale. But I couldn't help remembering how delighted I was when I found & kept them back then, so thinking about it this morning & still curious about price I Googled it, found your video & now you've pretty much sealed a deal for me. I'm going to get some pet store meal worms & try my hand at raising my own. 🪱🪲❤️ & of course theres no visually accurate emojis. Lol For the level of care we'd be able to commit right now, as relpcacing our ancient, minimally active Wink-EE Dog who passed with a new puppy any time soon is out of the question, this is looking like a great option to help fill that void i feel not having a pet around the house. The kids will love it & it'll be fun to have something new to weird my partner out with too! 😆 Thanks!
I first found out about Blue Death Feigning Beetles a few years back. I had a Collared Lizard at the time and asked a local reptile shop what could work in a bioactive Collared vivarium. The guy told me one of the _only_ insects that would work is a Blue Death. While I liked them immediately, I could not find any available locally. Sadly, my lizard passed due to an accident in his enclosure some time later, so I opted not to pursue this awesome insect. Fast forward to a reptile expo a few days ago and what do I see on one of the tables? BLUE DEATH FEIGNING BEETLES. I took one home in a modest container and will probably order a few more when his vivarium is upgraded in the near future. Thank you for making these videos! Between you and Clint's Reptiles, I knew exactly which content to revisit after bringing the little fella home. 👍🪲
You sir are wonderfully informative! I have subscribed! We have an injured large stink beetle and are providing a home for it. It had been a few years since we have done this and I forgot exactly what we fed the last one. A bird had dropped it right in front of my daughter and she came in crying with it in her hands. The entire family cared for that beetle who had an enclosure in the kitchen. He was a survivor! When he would get flipped over, every single member of my family would set him upright again, as he couldn't get back up due to missing partial limbs. This particular guy lived several years. So today I will be setting up a cool enclosure for this new guy. Thanks so much for the info!
This segment is seriously underrated. This has got to be one of the most complete videos in terms of guide and info on a pet. Good on you sir. Love it.
Thank you! I am looking forward to creating many more. 😊👍
Aquarimax Pets you’re absolutely welcome! Thank you as well! I hope to own a few of these pets in the near future. I’ll start off small with the blue death feigning. (Captured bred of course) With your guide, I’m confident I can offer them a good home.
Andy Michael Madrona That is great! Hopefully there will be many more captive-bred specimens in the near future.
i realize it's kind of randomly asking but do anybody know of a good place to watch newly released series online?
@Finn Lucas i use Flixzone. Just search on google for it =)
I have 2 darkling beetles both male or both female, I’ve had them for almost 6months…they are actually friends!! They share food, they stay together most of the time, they “hug” each other…they are totally comfortable touching and climbing on each other…they are super cute…I could watch them all day…
I’m considering starting a darkling beetle colony. It started with my research about geckos, and then about mealworms, and finally darkling beetles. I was interested in breeding them to save money on gecko food, but knowing that they’re harmless, I think they would make the perfect pet for me!
brember great! Which species would you like to keep?
Please read my comment above! I hope you do get them because they are Incredible pets that take little more than humane respect to keep them alive. One of my most favorite past terrariums was a handle-less teardrop shaped glass creamer pitcher that was about the size of a large grapefruit. They THRIVED in there. The opening was quite small so it was hard to remove everyone when I noticed teeny tiny baby worms moving around and knew they needed more space. I highly recommend giving them lots of space, but this was a temporary fix when my first beetles showed up in my feeders and I needed a quick home. I'm not a fan of plastic so this worked very well. Good luck, you'll love them!!
PS. Right now I have 3 mealworm beetles living in a Very shallow crystal punch glass!! I am NOT a fan of keeping mealworms or their beetles, I've just learned, because they morph way too quickly and their beetles come out with deformities that make life difficult for them. But I've kept these 3 with a tiny cap filled with dirt and live moss so that I can keep them watered without over/under doing it and they live inside dried, hollowed out potato halves that other worms ate away. They make perfect bug huts. The rim of the glass cup curves in so the base surface is wider and they can't climb out. They are doing Excellent!!
Your knowledge of these animals never fails to amaze me. That's for all you share with the community Rus. Great video.
Supreme Gecko Thank you, Wally! It’s a great community, I enjoy contributing in any way I can.
You sir are wonderfully informative! I have subscribed! We have an injured large stink beetle and are providing a home for it. It had been a few years since we have done this and I forgot exactly what we fed the last one. A bird had dropped it right in front of my daughter and she came in crying with it in her hands. The entire family cared for that beetle who had an enclosure in the kitchen. He was a survivor! When he would get flipped over, every single member of my family would set him upright again, as he couldn't get back up due to missing partial limbs. This particular guy lived several years. So today I will be setting up a cool enclosure for this new guy. Thanks so much for the info!
Oh. And yes. Desert beetles are the best pets. I just gave mine and my Blue Death Feigners some grape stems and they went berserk
Break er They are pretty hard to beat! 👍
Wow - had no idea they could live that long!
I love these beetles I actually have 27 of them definitely my favorite invertebrate pets
Wow! That is a nice big colony! Do you find them locally?
@@Aquarimax yes pretty much all of them were found around my house
I also have blue death and smooth death feigning beetle. Also check out the ironclad beetle
Mapleshade and Rocky I would like some ironclad beetles someday.
You are so lucky Dx
Tysm u rly helped me make the decision on my next exotic pet😊
i’m currently raising some darling beetles and i’m super excited for them to grow fully, thank you so much for making this video, very helpful :)
You’re welcome!
Being beetles, they are as large as they are going to get. They do all of their growing as larvae.
True. I assume that ‘bee’ was referring to larvae.
We have a big box turtle enclosure with superworm beetles doing their thing in it. I love them, they are fun and personable. And it is neat seeing the superworms of various sizes in there at night, and seeing the mature beetles run around at night. Yes, they do stink - especially when they fall into the water and have to be rescued. Smells like old bandaids
2:56 That is a unique looking type of beetle, I've never seen such a species like that until now. Man I love the internet.
They are a great clean up crew for desert reptile species
This is nice to know because I caught some Desert beetles outside hiking
Cool! Which species?
@@Aquarimax oh I got the ones with smooth backs
@@dougefresh_nguyen123 There are lots like that, but fortunately they need the same care.
@@Aquarimax so is it a baby
@@dougefresh_nguyen123 not exactly...once it is in the adult form, it will not grow any more,
Best video on the topic I've seen, Rus. Excellent job and thank you very much for the mentions!
Bugs In Cyberspace Thank you Peter! Thank you for introducing me to desert beetles as pets!
I have 2 mid century Metaframe 5 gallon tanks I'm using as beetle habitats that share one original chrome lid balanced in between. They started out accidental through escape feeder superworms and I have to say that I am In LOVE with these creatures!! I call them the World's Most Zen Pet because they are almost unflappable and I hope that one day they will replace all horrible "desk pet" practices like keeping Beta fish in cup sized housing etc. I've actually Stepped on 2 on separate occasions and lifted my weight just in time to avoid harm! And on 2 Other occasions I've had them climb up my foot while working at the sink and violently slapped away whatever shocking thing was climbing on me-only to find that I'd just narrowly missed killing beetles who were reaching out to me !! (?? TWICE??)
I had never researched their keeping, just added what I thought would make sense. It turns out that I was right on because the Supers I've pulled out of the substrate are some of the fattest, most healthy I've ever encountered. One thing that Is tough is keeping the males from killing one another off. I rescued a male from headless death that lives a lonely life in a large jar just outside the 2 tanks where he can benefit from the light. These truly are wonderful creatures that I feel could also be used in therapy as they also considerably lower blood pressure while meditating upon their daily activities.
Watching beetles can be extremely relaxing, i agree. I have begun raising superworm beetles...they are a relatively untapped pet option.
Those Stink Beetles demolish my garden each year. 😥 I am going to start a Darkling Beetle breeding program for mealworms on my farm. My poultry love them.
My blue death feigning beetle bit me the other day, I must be an outlier! haha Only a little nibble, I think he mighta just been testing the waters.
I sometimes get darkling beetles in my toad tank because i sometimes accidently drop a mealworm and it squirms under their enclosure, so im glad i know theyre fine! I may get a colony actually!
I have raised 5 of my own darkling beetles, from super worms.
Wow this video is actually very very good, thank u, really cool lil guys I had a couple grow from zophoba worms so gotta give them the good life now 🤘🏼
Amazing video. Informative 😃
Glad it was helpful!
I cannot even legally keep these but I still watched the whole vid
Igris That is awesome! 🤣👍 I appreciate the support.
A huge swarm of these once appeared in my backyard. They were coming out of the ground near my shed.
Thank you so much for this video! Now I know what to pick up for my eventual darklings when I go to my local pet store!
Khornebread you’re welcome!!
I have a terrarium full of them three different sizes really tiny normal sized and big have them for about 2 years they keep breathing so I never run out they used to be a food source for my lizard but he passed so I couldn't see myself getting rid of all these beetles since it took me all this time to learn and research them to get them to breed so now I just keep them mine are very active I have lizard bark as my substrate and they seem to like to borrow in it to lay their eggs
Nice! Did you start with wild-caught beetles, or do you have a culture of superworm, mealworm, and buffalo worm
Beetles?
I Really enjoy this video! I like going over your facts cause it’s helping me with my thoughts about my new community set up .. got a couple of Rough death’s along with some diabolicals with my blue deaths from Peter and I’ve been adding to food variety and got some freeze dried grasshoppers from flukers brand off Amazon. The Rough ones went to town on the grasshoppers this evening . Really awesome to watch if your wanting to experiment with different Beetle protein varieties.
Awesome video!!! Very informative. The black death feigning beetles and the desert stinkbutts are very prevalent where I live out here in the sage brush and are always a joy to have around. Until this video I thought these two types were of the same species. I have never had one spray but have seen many go headstand. I thought for the longest time they must be imitating other beetles that do spray because they don't seem to feel the need to must of the time even when badgered. There are also these red and black mottled beetles out here in number. I'm not sure what they are yet I've been calling them Darth Maul beetles. You could throw some of them in with the darks to liven color but I have a feeling they are into a stinkier fouler variety of delectables. Anyway thanks and now I'm off to learn more about the Darth Maul beetles.
I wonder if the black and red ones are a type of blister beetle?
Wow didn't know there were so many red and black beetles!!! I always forget lady bugs are beetles too. Turns out what I see out here is the burying beetle, eats carrion but buries it first. Although someone crazy like myself might like to see something like that in captivity (maybe dead feeder mice as food source and something akin to ant farm like enclosures) probably not part of your darkling terrarium.
Thank you for the info and for me to see actual set ups for them. I had few of my super worms that must of hit that stage of life and are morphing into adults. So now I will have 4 darkling beetles as pets,lol.
The super worm beetles are super active and always excited about food…very fun to watch!
Very much enjoyed this video. Thank you.
You’re very welcome! What was your favorite aspect of the video?
@@Aquarimax Verifying that I have my set up correct. I have the super worm species of this beetle. I started a SW colony when this virus first started for fear that the pet shops would close down and my two tarantulas wouldn't have anything to eat. I ended up becoming fond of the beetles and decided to keep them as pets. I don't have need to raise the worms now so I'm trying to learn all I can about the beetles. You have the best video out there that I could find.
I've been considering adding one or two to one of my large ant enclosures. I have a small colony of Formica francoeuri but it is housed in a very large enclosure (large for what is typically seen in the anting community) and I think having a few to eat the left over feeder insects would be nice. Since that sp of ant is very passive I think they would make a good addition.
im keeping one eleodes goryi that i found in my front yard and i'm very excited ^_^
INTERESTING! thank you ! GREAT knowledge.I got me 3 blue death feigning beetles! A I enjoy them.
Very awesome and informative video!
I will definitely get some if I see them on an expo.
I've gotten a Damon johnstonii a few months ago after watching your video on Tailless Whips.
Keep these kind of videos coming, they are very helpful!
MYTH||SE7EN awesome! How is you Damon doing?
@@Aquarimax she is doing fine! still alive and kicking. I've noticed that she demands quite the high humidity and actively seeks out moist spots when I spray the walls. Also when it gets to dry she will sit closer to the ground, but this behaviour makes it easier to maintain the right humudity, since I just have to observe her. She is also a good eater and I can usually watch her hunt, which is super cool. Thanks for asking :)
I love this style of video and I'm so happy you make them.
Kondase Thank you! I will try to keep it up! 😊👍
Your videos are fasinating and lovely.
I keep meaning to get into beetles, I do have some fruit beetle grubs that I acquired as feeders for the mantis but I've kept about 10 of them in a separate tank. I guess time will tell if I get any beetles or not!
Hey Rus thanks for the video I just caught some Pinacate beetles last night and was going to try to find some blue death feigning beetles and velvet ants as they are native to my state, I always thought your desert Vivarium was awesome time to make my own.
Moombuhs I”d love to see it! 👍
I have a smooth death feigner and a rough, and I love them both! I spoil them with a variety of fruits, veggies and meat morsels along side cat food. I got them a nice 10 gal glass tank and decorated it with tumbleweeds that they like to push around! (along with rocks, fake skulls, logs, etc) I also gave them a lamp and an under-tank heating pad.
I noticed that my smooth in particular loves to burrow where they can. I've found them under one of the rocks before, ha! But mostly they like to chill in the little nooks and crannies of the skulls.
What took me a while to experiment with was the amount of food. Since I only have two, even one small thumb-sized slice of zucchini is a feast for them, and I usually have to take it out before they've made a dent. I've found that they will eat almost anything, but my Smooth and Rough seem to have different preferences like you mentioned! Sometimes they get shrimp tails as a treat. However, I found beetle jelly hard to use because of how quickly the jelly hardens.
Here are some foods I've found my smooth and rough enjoy! Stars mean they loved:
- Pineapple**
- Strawberry
- Blackberries***
- Any combination of spring mix veggies
- Bok choy**
- Avocado (Served like the jelly)
- Applesauce (Same as above)
Hope this is helpful? They'll also eat meat if you have, say, a little crumble off of a homemade meal. Thanks for the video!
Bat Excellent food suggestions! Thank you! As far as beetle jelly goes, you can mist it when it dries out to rehydrate it, works a treat!
@@Aquarimax You're most welcome! You can honestly feed them anything and they'll go for it if they're feeling voracious. I've had huge success with grapes, tomatoes and even raw onion!
They're fantastic little creatures. Also, thank you for the jelly tip! I had no idea it was that simple!
Bat that is surprising that they will eat raw onion!!
@@Aquarimax I'm not sure if it's just my two or if they all love it, but it's certainly a tiny treat I'll give 'em! If you ever try it and have any luck, LMK!
great work
Toro DeFuego I appreciate it!!
I have Prionotheca coronotata, sadly one died. I'm hoping they become available again soon.
nice video
good on you bro
big like from Jakarta
Wisnu Canal Thank you, I really appreciate it! You must have some cool beetles in Indonesia...
I like cherry shrimp best, but I'm biased XD
I am a big fan of Neocaridina myself. I first started keeping them in Hawaii, where they are feral, about 13 years ago. My daughter has a colony of SnoBalls in her own tank right now.
I'd love to be able to get cb bdfb. Keep us posted on how the incubator goes
Liam will do! 👍
Hey Russ can Dentipes go in with the Blue Deaths?
Are they known to stink real bad?
I haven’t worked with dentipes, but they should do well together, and most Eleodes do pack quite a stink, though most won’t use it in the enclosure unless bothered
Are mealworm and super worm the same things. Does both of them grow into same beetle. Does this beetles have to be kept in colony or alone
They are different species…superworm beetles are much larger than mealworm beetles. They can both be kept in colonies.
I found a couple of darkling beetle in Idaho and snagged them for a pet. I really like this video, as it helped me prepare to keep them, but I do have a question. Their tank doesn't smell the best. Is there anyway to eliminate the order, or control it? I try to make sure their enclosure is clean and their food doesn't mold, but it still kind of smells. Any tips? (I use the substrate found in pet stores made for insects. I don't know if that's important or not)
Is the substrate kept dry? And is it possible you are smelling the repugnatorial fluid the beetles produce defensively?
@@Aquarimax Substrate is dry, but I think you may be right. It could be the beetles I'm smelling.
Do you have any experience with Philolithus sordidus? I've only ever seen them in the wild (north arizona) and didn't want to remove them, but they have a very cool armored look.
L Byrley very cool beetle, I have never kept them though 👍
Can these beetles eat grapes and/or pretty much any fruit? Is it same with vegetables? Or are there certain things they can't eat?
The Asbolus are
Omnivores, but should eat mostly dead insects. Too many sugars from fruits aren’t great for them. Any fruits and veggies should be washed and/or peeled, but they can sample most. Eleodes are also omnivores, but probably need a bit more vegetable matter.
I know you said they are pretty hardy with temps but what if my room gets cold easy? Will they be ok? Or do I need to purchase a heat mat? I'm jumping in as a beginner here 😅
I would not use a heat mat on the bottom, but you could use one on one side of the enclosure. Personally I use a small halogen basking spot bulb on the left side of my 29 gallon long, this creates a good temp gradient for them.
Really interesting video. I keep darkling beetles, but I'm not sure what kind. I got them as 'superworms' from petsmart and let them pupate. Really want them to have a nicer habitat, so my question is, are all darkling beetles comfortable in a desert/sand environment? They currently breed readily in just a small layer of soil (coco coir), but I want them to thrive. If it helps, I keep them as pets, not feeders (except excess larva). Thanks :)
And I know you said they get along well with other darkling beetles, but what about larger ones? Thought about housing my single female rhinoceros beetle with my darklings
can i house Asbolus laevis, Asbolus verrucosus and Hadrurus arizonensis together in one tank?
Are they easier to breed then their blue relatives?
I hope they get easier to purchase in the UK.
Lunkyful At least some people have had success breeding Eleodes species for more than a decade, so at least some ßpeciss are easier to breed than Blue Death-Feigning Beetles.
I have a colony of tenebrio molitor beetles, I was wondering since they’re darkling beetles too, could they live with these ones?
I have heard of people doing that successfully, though I have not tried it myself.
@@Aquarimax thank you!
I'm considering starting up my own colony of beetles, how many can I have living together in a 10 gallon tank?
Would love some of these but I’m in Canada 😭😭
Hi Russ, Where can I get the test tube feeding thingies you use for velvet ants? What are they called?
Break er there is a direct link in the description to this video: th-cam.com/video/AoYY6b_iiHQ/w-d-xo.html 👍
@@Aquarimax thanks!
Would you keep the light on at night for them?
I have a timer that turns the light off at night 👍
We have 3 mealworms from my kid’s 2nd grade project. Will they be a beetle like this we can keep? Is there a guide to help us figure out which species we have?
I have 1 blue death feigning beetle left. I just bought 3 more. I wanted to add a variety possibly to my tank. Its only a 10 gallon. How many could I fit in there? I wanted to buy some from bugsincyberspace. I don't know if any of these fly? I wanted a darkling fuzzy and a smooth death feignig and a dune beetle. I am sorta afraid of bugs and dont want any that fly.
My son loved lady bugs as a small child. Like, before he could even talk. But one day, he discovered they can fly. . .
Life in general has never been the same. 😂
Will they breed and lay eggs and produce meal worms below in the substrate
Can you do one on Madagascar hissing cockroaches?
I have way over 30 stink beetles now. Any questions u have I will answer
Could you please type out a list of beetles that would work together in a 10 gallon tank with blue death feigning beetles (and are maybe a bit more active during the day?)
Would be very much appreciated!
Just about any Eleodes sp.
Cryptoglossus species
Edrotes sp.
Diabolical ironclad beetles
Zophobas atratus (morio)
Tenebrio molitor
@@Aquarimax thank you very much! I appreciate your work a lot!
just leave a board in a cool damp spot and you can get yerself a beetle farm eventually... very communitave buggers though
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are Pinacate Beetles pretty much the same?
does the zophoba morio beetle stink?
How often should you feed them
2-3 times per week is good, but it can be more or less often. They are hardy and adaptable beetles. 👍
The Pinacate beetle has got a damn horrible LONG lasting awful smell. It stayed on my boot from smashing one for several days. I had to put the boot out in the sun for 4-5 days…. My property is infested by the damn things. Wish something would come by and eliminate every single one as I am sick of getting sprayed by picking up something off the ground and BAM there is one of the damn things and they almost always go to try and spray cause they were startled
Can the blue death feigning beetle fly please ? :)
Fumontonko they cannot. 👍
"Velvet ants" are actually a species of solitary wasp, aren't they? If you breed them, do they feed your beetles to their larvae?
Also, is beetle jelly made from Betelgeuse? (I'll show myself out, thanks.)
They are indeed solitary wasps, but the species I keep only use other wasps as hosts, and I have not bred them.
In answer to your second question:
Of course! 😂🤣
@@Aquarimax 😁👍
Thanks for the name drop! Unfortunately the eleodes goryi aren't doing to well. My colony is under attack by a fungus. I talked to some on Instagram called all about arthropods and their colony got wipped out my the same fungus but I'm working hard to fight the fungus. I'll keep you updated. Also working on captive breeding another lesser known eleodes sp.
Sorry to hear about the fungus attack! Is it a humidity issue?
@@Aquarimax not sure. I keep the larva pretty dry for pupation.
Extra exotics I wish you success in getting that fungus under control. 🙏
Who is looking this video in quantirine they like
This has the answers to the few questions I had left! Thank you for the education ! (Other than where to buy besides bugsincyberspace who are currently out of stock :( I would like to purchase from Peter though so I will likely wait a bit)
Does he look like he’s not saying those words?
kimberly Corcoran Interesting...does it look like I am not?
👍🏻❤️🙏
.. youre not Clint even if you think you are. youre not
DeepFriedTony Clint is awesome! I assure you, I have no delusions of Clinthood. Our videos share a similar titling convention with thousands of other TH-cam videos, but my organizational style, not to mention my content, are quite different from Clint’s.
@@Aquarimax dont listen to him man,you make very cool videos,keep it up
So cute! We used to catch them in our yard. Each species is clearly very distinct. Even as a little kid, not knowing names, i could recognize the difference in their features & tell all the types apart by sight. I didn't know they feigned untill now. (& ironicly their name actually which i also didnt know before now) because the ones we caught were always very comfortable, I guess? I've never seen one do it. The giant "clicking" beetles on another note, were a different story tho. 😂 Anyway, I saw some adult darkling beetles at Petco when I took my 4 year old to see the fish yesterday, but they didn't appear to be for sale. But I couldn't help remembering how delighted I was when I found & kept them back then, so thinking about it this morning & still curious about price I Googled it, found your video & now you've pretty much sealed a deal for me. I'm going to get some pet store meal worms & try my hand at raising my own.
🪱🪲❤️ & of course theres no visually accurate emojis. Lol
For the level of care we'd be able to commit right now, as relpcacing our ancient, minimally active Wink-EE Dog who passed with a new puppy any time soon is out of the question, this is looking like a great option to help fill that void i feel not having a pet around the house. The kids will love it & it'll be fun to have something new to weird my partner out with too! 😆 Thanks!
I first found out about Blue Death Feigning Beetles a few years back. I had a Collared Lizard at the time and asked a local reptile shop what could work in a bioactive Collared vivarium. The guy told me one of the _only_ insects that would work is a Blue Death. While I liked them immediately, I could not find any available locally. Sadly, my lizard passed due to an accident in his enclosure some time later, so I opted not to pursue this awesome insect.
Fast forward to a reptile expo a few days ago and what do I see on one of the tables? BLUE DEATH FEIGNING BEETLES. I took one home in a modest container and will probably order a few more when his vivarium is upgraded in the near future.
Thank you for making these videos! Between you and Clint's Reptiles, I knew exactly which content to revisit after bringing the little fella home.
👍🪲
You sir are wonderfully informative! I have subscribed! We have an injured large stink beetle and are providing a home for it. It had been a few years since we have done this and I forgot exactly what we fed the last one. A bird had dropped it right in front of my daughter and she came in crying with it in her hands. The entire family cared for that beetle who had an enclosure in the kitchen. He was a survivor! When he would get flipped over, every single member of my family would set him upright again, as he couldn't get back up due to missing partial limbs. This particular guy lived several years. So today I will be setting up a cool enclosure for this new guy. Thanks so much for the info!
Stormyraven Shields Glad to hear it! Thank you for offering this beetle a comfortable home!