Frequently Asked Questions

What type of enclosure do I need?

The best enclosure for beetles is a small (10-gallon) aquarium, with a screened top. The screen keeps other insects from getting into your colony. The glass is also a fairly good insulator.

What do I feed my Beetles if I don't have skulls to give them?

Your beetles will eat any type of meat. My colonies regularly eat hotdogs, chicken, beef, pork and lunch meat. As long as the meat is dry, they'll eat it.

What temperature is best for the colony?

Typically, you will want the temperature of the colony to be between 70-80 degrees F. This is the optimum temperature for them to grow and reproduce

If I live some place cold, how do I get my colony to the optimum temperature?

You can use reptile heating pads under the colony or you can use reptile heat lamps over the colony. If you choose a heat lamp, it is best to use lights in the 50-75 Watt range as anything higher may produce more heat than needed.

How long does it take the colony to clean a skull?

This of course depends on how many beetles you have. Once the colony increases in numbers and feed regularly, they can clean a well prepared skull in a few days.

How do you prepare a skull prior to introducing it into the colony?

You will want to remove as much of the large pieces of meat (eyes, tongue, brain and muscle meat) as possible. Once you've done this, you'll want to place the skull in front of a fan for a few days. This dries the meat out to a jerky-like consistency. At this point your skull is ready the beetles.

What do I do to the skull once the beetles are finished with it?

Once the beetles have cleaned the skull, you'll want to remove as many beetles from the skull as possible. This is done by gentle shaking the skull and turning it. This of course is done over the colony so all your beetles will fall back into the enclosure. You then dip the skull completely in rubbing alcohol. This will kill any remaining beetles in the skull and will ensure that none escape.

Won't the beetles hurt my taxidermy mounts?

If a large quantity of beetles get out of your colony, they may damage mounts, shoes, wood or anything leather. However, a large amount would have to escape your colony to do any real damage. The alcohol process listed above for treating skulls after the beetles have cleaned them, prevent beetles from escaping, unseen on items removed from your colony. You should take care that your colony is not in a position to fall or tip over. In the 4-years I have been doing this, I have not had any beetles escape.

Use a spray bottle and lightly spray the colony every other day. You do not want to water them too much, because the colony should stay relatively dry

The Basics

Keep them warm and fed Never give them any wet offerings Keep the temperature of the colony between 70-80 degrees F Water them using a spray bottle Keep the colony relatively dry

How do I water the colony?