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Courtesy of Tennyson Kingsley
Relevant species: Dermestes undulatus, Dermestes fasciatus, Dermestes marmoratus, Dermestes frischii, Dermestes ater Housing: For a starter culture anything from a half gallon to 5 gallon container will work. Once established they will be able to fill whatever container you then move them to. Whatever container you decide to use should have a lid as most species are capable of flight and should have high ventilation. Substrate should be able to hold moisture and be okay for burrowing, we use coco fiber and sometimes mix in topsoil; though, things like peat moss work as well. We keep ½ of the substrate moist with the rest dry; however, if you live somewhere with higher ambient humidity this gradient can be reduced to ¼ or even just a small corner. Feeding: Dermestid beetles are commonly known as hide or skin beetles and rightfully so. Their diet should consist of just protein with species like fasciatus and frischii requiring access to meat to reproduce. Known foods that work include: unseasoned jerky, dog food (purely dog food only works for ater and undulatus), freeze dried fish, quail corpses, invertebrate corpses, squirrel, and leftover deli meat. Pupation: For pupation the larvae will bore into a provided material and hollow out a part to then pupate in. Materials that can be used include: Styrofoam, soft rotting wood, cork bark, and corpses if provided. Comments are closed.
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