How to Care for Blue Death Feigning Beetles
Acquire a cage., Choose a substrate., Add a hiding spot., Add a food dish., Add décor.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Acquire a cage.
It is important to choose the correct size cage for your beetles.
A cage that is too large will mean that the beetles will not be close enough to their food to find it.
A cage that is too small will mean that the beetles will have no room to walk around.
As a general rule, for every gallon that a cage is in size, five beetles can live.
A one gallon (3.78 liters) cage can hold 5 beetles.
A five gallon (18.92 liters) cage can hold 25 beetles.
A ten gallon (37.85 liters) cage can hold 50 beetles, and so on.
A cage that is a little bit too big is ALWAYS better than a cage that is a little bit too small.
You can buy a glass terrarium or plastic critter keeper from a pet store to use as a cage.
A plastic storage bin also works.
Remember that blue death feigning beetles cannot climb glass or plastic, so a lid is not required, but still recommended.
If you do add a lid, make sure it is ventilated so that air can flow in and out of the cage. -
Step 2: Choose a substrate.
The substrate is one of the most important components in an insect cage.
Because blue death feigning beetles are desert beetles, they prefer a sand based substrate.
Play sand alone works fine, but many people like to mix in coconut fiber, or dead leaves into the sand.
The substrate should line the bottom of the cage to a depth of 1-2 inches (2.5-5.8 centimeters.) , Blue death feigning beetles are diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day and sleep at night.
At night they like to stay hidden.
You can provide your beetles with a hiding spot by simply leaning a piece of bark against the side of the cage.
You can also buy a nice looking wooden half log from a pet store to use as a hiding spot.
A toilet paper roll that is half buried in the substrate works too.
Remember that the more beetles you have, the more hiding spots you will have to provide. , It is important to keep the food you feed your beetles off of the substrate to prevent mold growth.
A small food dish should be able to hold enough food for many beetles.
If you have a larger colony of beetles, you might want to consider adding multiple food dishes.
DO NOT ADD A WATER DISH! Blue death feigning beetles get all the water they need from the food they eat.
A water dish is unnecessary and can result in drowned bugs! You can buy a food dish from a pet store or use a small overturned lid as a food dish. , This step is not required but can be done to make the cage look nice.
Live plants can be planted in the cage, assuming they will grow in the substrate that you select.
If you do choose to add live plants, make sure that they are not toxic to you, or the beetles.
Fake plants and terrarium décor can be bought at pet stores.
Make sure not to overcrowd the beetles with unnecessary decorative items! -
Step 3: Add a hiding spot.
-
Step 4: Add a food dish.
-
Step 5: Add décor.
Detailed Guide
It is important to choose the correct size cage for your beetles.
A cage that is too large will mean that the beetles will not be close enough to their food to find it.
A cage that is too small will mean that the beetles will have no room to walk around.
As a general rule, for every gallon that a cage is in size, five beetles can live.
A one gallon (3.78 liters) cage can hold 5 beetles.
A five gallon (18.92 liters) cage can hold 25 beetles.
A ten gallon (37.85 liters) cage can hold 50 beetles, and so on.
A cage that is a little bit too big is ALWAYS better than a cage that is a little bit too small.
You can buy a glass terrarium or plastic critter keeper from a pet store to use as a cage.
A plastic storage bin also works.
Remember that blue death feigning beetles cannot climb glass or plastic, so a lid is not required, but still recommended.
If you do add a lid, make sure it is ventilated so that air can flow in and out of the cage.
The substrate is one of the most important components in an insect cage.
Because blue death feigning beetles are desert beetles, they prefer a sand based substrate.
Play sand alone works fine, but many people like to mix in coconut fiber, or dead leaves into the sand.
The substrate should line the bottom of the cage to a depth of 1-2 inches (2.5-5.8 centimeters.) , Blue death feigning beetles are diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day and sleep at night.
At night they like to stay hidden.
You can provide your beetles with a hiding spot by simply leaning a piece of bark against the side of the cage.
You can also buy a nice looking wooden half log from a pet store to use as a hiding spot.
A toilet paper roll that is half buried in the substrate works too.
Remember that the more beetles you have, the more hiding spots you will have to provide. , It is important to keep the food you feed your beetles off of the substrate to prevent mold growth.
A small food dish should be able to hold enough food for many beetles.
If you have a larger colony of beetles, you might want to consider adding multiple food dishes.
DO NOT ADD A WATER DISH! Blue death feigning beetles get all the water they need from the food they eat.
A water dish is unnecessary and can result in drowned bugs! You can buy a food dish from a pet store or use a small overturned lid as a food dish. , This step is not required but can be done to make the cage look nice.
Live plants can be planted in the cage, assuming they will grow in the substrate that you select.
If you do choose to add live plants, make sure that they are not toxic to you, or the beetles.
Fake plants and terrarium décor can be bought at pet stores.
Make sure not to overcrowd the beetles with unnecessary decorative items!
About the Author
Robert Morris
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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