Can firewood be used to make substrate? Any manufacturers that are additive-free?
Firewood as substrate?
- Thread starter Beet&Stag Buster
- Start date
Hisserdude
Dynastes
Local firewood is probably safe to use, anything else probably has flammable additives. I'm no expert on firewood however, so you should probably wait for a more experienced member to come along.
If there's no chemicals added to it then go ahead. You are going to need a log with significant decay if you want to use it for substrate or for female stag beetles to lay eggs in. Search the piles of logs for light and spongy wood that you can easily break off with your fingers. If you discover any, you can submerge it in a bucket filled with water to change the texture. You can even boil the wood in water as a method of heat treatment. If you don't find any decayed lumber, you can try inoculate the logs with mushroom plugs to make white rotting wood quicker than it would take in the wild. However this is a more in depth process. I live on the east coast and I happen to find a lot even though I live in a small state.
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What species of mushrooms are most ideal for beetles? I've heard shiitake and turkey tail are alright.
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All depends on what beetle you want to raise. I am growing king oyster as that is good for dorcus and other stags.
Stag beetles. Mostly Lucanus species.
then turkey tail is best. I would look up and double check with each species.