Breeding my own feeders,how to differentiate superworm/mealworm eggs from grain mites

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,590
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
I don't think you can see the eggs. I've always just left the adult beetles in a bin for a month or two and move them into a new bin when I see baby worms. I've never had a problem with mites but if you're having one you might need to get rid of everything and start over or at least move the adult beetles and worms into new oats and get rid of the infested ones.

Might be easier for folks to read your posts if you don't choose dark grey for your text color :)
 

indyana

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,336
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Grain mites cause excessive movement of the substrate... it looks like the substrate has a mind of its own. Also, grain mites climb the walls of the bin in most cases, looking like a fine coating of dust. Mealworm eggs/babies definitely do not climb up the bin walls. Do a Google search for grain mites to look up some pictures if you think you might have them. The root cause for most infestations is too much humidity and/or poor ventilation, but sometimes, they come from infected bedding too.
 

Visit our friends

Top