Dicronorhina derbyana And cyclommatus metallifer larvae safe

J

Jonathan2608

L1
I’m very new to the beetle hobby and I recently bought some larvae. I had to tube ready but I added some seeds which are seedlings at the moment and I don’t know if the roots would be toxic. The substrate is peat moss and the plants consist of crimson clover, baby’s breath, cornflower, calendula, nasturtium, lupine, marigold, butterfly weed, plains coreopsis, cosmos, foxglove, California poppy, Indian blanket, dwarf sunflower, sweet alyssum, Black-eyed Susan, scarlet sage, zinnia(one of those hummingbird seed packs), and two kalanchoe plants. I can make a new enclosure but if there is nothing to worry about I prefer the one I have.

 
If the substrate is peat moss the larvae may starve anyway. I have always been curious if any plants with poisons could be eaten unknowingly but since they don't eat live roots it wouldn't matter.

 
So pest moss really doesn’t work. What beetle substrate would you recommend. I ordered 1/2 gallon of flake soil but I want get something bigger. Also where could I find rotten wood. Is there a website that sells it or do most people just collect from a local forest.

 
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Jonathan2608 said:
So pest moss really doesn’t work. What beetle substrate would you recommend. I ordered 1/2 gallon of flake soil but I want get something bigger. Also where could I find rotten wood. Is there a website that sells it or do most people just collect from a local forest.
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Peat moss mixed in won't hurt anything but same as if you mix it in your food. A lot of people grind up dead leaves into a substrate for flower beetles, composts from local garden centers often can work too.

 
Jonathan2608 said:
So pest moss really doesn’t work. What beetle substrate would you recommend. I ordered 1/2 gallon of flake soil but I want get something bigger. Also where could I find rotten wood. Is there a website that sells it or do most people just collect from a local forest.
Click to expand...
if u have metalifer in anything with peat it's gonna die... Just buy more flake soil. People either make or buy flake soil in the US. You can get it off insectbrothers.com, davidsbeetles.com and many other sites. I'm sure your vender will help you with basic larvae care too, but Orin McMonigle also have a very good book detailing beetle care, that helped me start in the hobby.

 
JunkaiWangisme said:
if u have metalifer in anything with peat it's gonna die... Just buy more flake soil. People either make or buy flake soil in the US. You can get it off insectbrothers.com, davidsbeetles.com and many other sites. I'm sure your vender will help you with basic larvae care too, but Orin McMonigle also have a very good book detailing beetle care, that helped me start in the hobby.
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There is flake soul in the peat moss. Both larvae came with two weeks worth of flake soil

 
I ordered a half a gallon of flake soil so I’ll switch it out when it arrives. Question is 16 oz. to small of a container. I do have some 6 x 6 x 6 enclosures I could use

 
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