Beetle Behavior

[BamaGirl]

Okay, weird question and topic, but:

My mealies turned to pupea (tons of them!), and are now turning into beetles. But alot of the beetles are laying in the bedding on their backs. They'll wiggle their legs and sometimes get up and crawl around, but alot of them just lay there like that. It's really weird. Are they just maturing, or is there something wrong with my colony? A few of them will go and sit on the carrots or dig through the bedding, but the majority of them are just laying there wiggling every now and then.

Also, are they light sensitive? Every time I shine a flashlight on them they go nuts, like the light is hurting them...

 

[Kristi23]

Mine lay on their backs for awhile, too. Eventually, they'll get up and move.

 

[RepBex]

beetles find it hard to get off their backs i would get some tweezers and put then all on their legs

 

[fallen_angel]

Consistent with the name darkling beetle, they prefer the dark. Keep the container out of direct sunlight. However, one source indicated that if mealworms develop faster when provided with light. To obtain a supply of adult beetles in the fall, the usual hibernation period of the dark mealworm (a different species) can be prevented by exposing the fully grown larvae to continuous light.

source: http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

 

[BamaGirl]

beetles find it hard to get off their backs i would get some tweezers and put then all on their legs

I've been flipping them over with my feeding tongs, but they just eventually flip back over. I guess I'll just let them be, and hopefully they will start laying eggs.

 

[BamaGirl]

source: http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

I figured as much since they are called darkling beetles, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting them. I have them in a dark corner of our terrarium stand, and I have to use a flashlight to see in the bin.

 

[BamaGirl]

Oh, and thank y'all for the replies!

 

[bitterbeauty]

When I first started my colony my beetles were always flipped over. I just figured they cant be the smartest of the creatures and didnt think too much of it. But as you get more and they get older I only find beetles on their backs that have died. I use toilet paper rolls in my container they enjoy being inside of it and climbing on it. Good Luck!

 

[BamaGirl]

Great idea about the toilet paper rolls, I'll have to try it. Thanks!:main_thumbsup: