Beetles, help!

[clare n]

Hi all, I've been a member for years but haven't posted anything in a long time, this seems to be the only place I can post anything at all. I suddenly have a beetle and mealworm problem in my enclosures... I'll wait and see if I'm good to post this here before I go any further

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hi Clare...post away!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Clare, and welcome back.
You mean you have lots of them breeding in the enclosure, an infestation ?
You should be able to post anywhere you like, can't see why you couldn't.
If you are still having problems, i'll contact the moderators for you if you like.
They're a pretty efficient bunch.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Clare:

If you feed mealworms and the tortoises don't eat all of them, they go to sleep and turn into . . . wait for it . . . BEETLES!!

 

[clare n]

Thank you for the replies! Yvonne I've never fed meal worms, I think they have come in on either the soil or possibly the food, (not the weeds and grass etc the dry food). So far the actual worms are only in with flo my sulcata, not my horsefields. I've changed the coco soil, cleaned, hoovered, repeat goodness knows how many times.... in all three enclosures. I'm in the uk so they are all indoors at the moment. I've researched the beetles, they aren't mealworm beetles they're completely different. This has been a couple of weeks now the numbers have gone down but I'm struggling to keep them that way. I suppose what I'm asking really is if there is anyone else that has had this problem and if there is anything you know of that is tortoise safe perhaps spray wise I can use to eliminate them. They are tiny and I've found it hard to get decent photos, though I will try again. Thanks all

 

[ascott]

Thank you for the replies! Yvonne I've never fed meal worms, I think they have come in on either the soil or possibly the food, (not the weeds and grass etc the dry food). So far the actual worms are only in with flo my sulcata, not my horsefields. I've changed the coco soil, cleaned, hoovered, repeat goodness knows how many times.... in all three enclosures. I'm in the uk so they are all indoors at the moment. I've researched the beetles, they aren't mealworm beetles they're completely different. This has been a couple of weeks now the numbers have gone down but I'm struggling to keep them that way. I suppose what I'm asking really is if there is anyone else that has had this problem and if there is anything you know of that is tortoise safe perhaps spray wise I can use to eliminate them. They are tiny and I've found it hard to get decent photos, though I will try again. Thanks all

Super tiny tan fast wiggling worm things that quickly wiggle into the substrate...Are the beetles super small and can flutter a bit? Come out at night and hide during day hours??

 

[clare n]

Hi ascott, the mealworms are pretty big but you're pretty spot on with the beetles- I've found three possibilities, but I'm sure now they are drugstore beetles, I read that they come in on dry food and grains. Well the torts share a room with my skinny pigs so perhaps they came in on their food. Have you any ideas or had the same problem? I'm really battling with them. They love the uv lights in the evening...