Hello gang,
New to the forum and just wanted to share why I'm now hooked on beetles and hit y'all up for some tips about raising Stategus Aloeus. I am new to rearing insects of any kind but could not help myself when I discovered my newly arrived garden soil (with turkey manure mixed in. Expensive stuff) was full of MASSIVE grubs. At first I was panicked thinking these would eat the roots of my plants. But then I started putting the pieces together. Large dead brown beetle. Massive grubs with reddish brown limbs. Manure. My soil was "infested" with Strategus grubs! My suspicions were confirmed after bringing in 9 of the largest I could find and rearing them to the scarab stage in a 10 gallon tank of garden soil, rotted wood from a fallen oak tree and oak leaves. Now every 3-4 nights I hear the cute scratching sound and observe a male parading through the tank, attempting to enter other dens for propagation (?). I've already seen this particular male be forced/blocked out by another male who had a female further beneath him in the den. Exciting stuff! And I got it on video. Anyway: So how can I ensure at this point in the process that another generation survives. I've tried putting out fresh apple slices, banana, and sliced tomato at different times and it doesn't appear they are eating. Are there any pitfalls I might not be aware of? Also, if I wanted to pin one, should I wait till it dies somewhere in the tank and hope to find it or should I sacrifice one towards the end of its life cycle. This of course may depend on how attached I may become.
Good news to add: Rather than have other less ambitious soil customers be livid with the garden soil wholesaler, I was able to pass on the identification, assuring them that they were in fact beneficial and shouldn't harm any future gardens. Hope I'm right.
Thanks in advance!
Greg- San Antonio, TX