I don’t know what it says about me as an individual, however my first colony of dermestid beetles was a shock Christmas reward. I used to be in the course of my third trapping season and had my fingers full cleansing piles of furbearer skulls for my Etsy retailer. Apparently, I made it clear that I needed some little helpers to expedite the method for me.
Dermestids are a household of beetles that feed on useless flesh and detritus. They thrive worldwide as a part of nature’s clean-up crew, and so they’re a saving grace for the busy taxidermist or bone collector. That vacation starter pack of 200 creepy-crawlies was probably the greatest items I had ever been given–however the shock factor was somewhat problematic.
With the fitting setup, a dermestid beetle colony could be a surprisingly low-maintenance technique of hands-off cleansing for cranium mounts and even full skeletal articulations. Sadly, I had no concept what I used to be entering into after I unwrapped my particular current. What adopted was an extended six months of laborious classes in dermestid possession, and the primary hurdle was housing.
Pardon the Scent
Seasonal timing was an actual complication in establishing my colony. I didn’t need my beetles to freeze to dying, so preserving them outdoors wasn’t an possibility. And whereas it could be alluring to a dermestid beetle, the aroma of unrefrigerated uncooked meat is mostly unacceptable to people in an indoor setting.
And not using a climate-controlled outbuilding to deal with them, I had just one choice to preserve my dermestids alive and their odor contained: my basement utility closet. The area was not almost large enough for a modified chest freezer, which was the preferred DIY dermestid enclosure I discovered in a fast Google search. As an alternative, my first setup was an indoor 40-gallon glass terrarium with a wonderful mesh high.
I do know full effectively how insane that sounds, but it surely really labored by way of the winter. I used to be in a position to develop my colony from a pair hundred to a number of thousand, and clear dozens of skulls with no dangerous odor ever escaping the closet. And to my shock, the odor inside the closet was fairly gentle.
A giant a part of stink administration was trimming a lot of the meat off of my skulls earlier than giving them to the beetles, and by no means giving them greater than they may devour inside a few days. Two extra necessary components–which I didn’t understand on the time–had been air flow and humidity.
Let ‘em Breathe
As soon as spring had sprung and temperatures had been holding at a snug degree, I made a decision to maneuver my colony right into a modified chest freezer in my storage. The construct appeared easy–lower a gap within the freezer wall, set up a fan, and also you’re good to go. However it wasn’t sufficient.
Two days after I moved the crew into their new abode, one thing smelled horribly incorrect. I opened the freezer lid and was power-slapped by the stench of rot and ammonia. They had been the identical beetles, on the identical bedding, ate up the identical ration of skulls. However, they now not had the local weather management of my home, or the free air trade of a mesh high. The outcome was a catastrophic buildup of humidity and noxious fumes.
With some further venting and a dehumidifier working 24/7 contained in the beetle home, I used to be in a position to cut back the odor to a extra manageable degree. However I may by no means get it as tame because it was within the terrarium. Clearly, the mesh lid made an enormous distinction. That was one characteristic I simply didn’t wish to add to the storage setup, as a result of I used to be fearful of flies.
Good Bugs, Unhealthy Bugs
Being neurotic about bugs touching your bugs may appear unusual. On the subject of dermestid beetles, this neurosis is warranted. A single housefly has the facility to destroy an in any other case wholesome and well-kept colony of tens of 1000’s. It’s because maggots–whereas considerably comparable in look to our dermestid grub associates–are filthy, vicious monsters relating to preserving dermestids.
When maggots enter a dermestid colony by way of a fly intruder or egg-ridden meat, they instantly take over by outcompeting the dermestids for his or her restricted rations and multiplying exponentially quicker. In addition they produce extra, and fouler, waste than the beetles. You’ll rapidly odor the distinction, and the unsanitary situations created by a maggot infestation depart any surviving beetles at excessive danger of illness.
You would possibly assume, “Who cares about maggots vs. beetles if the skulls end up the identical?” The issue is, they don’t. Maggots don’t have the mouthparts to feed on robust, dry flesh and connective tissue like dermestids do. As an alternative, they gorge on recent, moist flesh, and depart to pupate because the leftovers harden. Dermestids, however, are constructed to deep-clean these leftovers. And that feeding habits is what creates a spotless product with minimal odor in a captive setting.
Whereas it may appear easy in idea, growing and sustaining a dermestid beetle colony takes some thought and planning. If you happen to get it proper, your freedom mounts can look wonderful with little or no work on the again finish. If you happen to get it incorrect, which is simple sufficient to do, then you definitely’ll have to plug your nostril, roll up your sleeves, and make some changes for a greater future together with your DIY dermestids.
