Heating substrate to sterilize, does it damage the good microbes?

[Garin]

Hello beetle breeding experts,

I had a question regarding cooking Oak Leaf Mold mulch in order to sterilize it. I have some friends that have been very successful in breeding Megasoma punctulatus and M sleeperi using a mulch they buy from landscape stores called Oak Leaf Mold. They also add decomposed oak wood.

They occasionally get some parasitic flys. They do not sterilize the Oak Leaf Mold mulch.

I was thinking of microwaving the Oak Leaf Mold mulch so it gets cooked like it would in the oven. My concern is that this cooking process will kill off the good microbes that are in the decomposed leaf mulch.

Is that true?

Thank you for any comments,

Garin

 

[Shade of Eclipse]

Heating the substrate will kill off most microbes and then both good and bad microbes will have the equal opportunity to recolonize. If you're concerned, you could heat treat the substrate and then mix in some of your old substrate to recolonize with microbes the larvae have already grown with. In most cases, not heat treating the substrate is a great way to end up with dead larvae due to predators, pathogens, and parasites.

Make sure that the substrate is moist when you microwave it so that it doesn't catch fire or burn. The moisture will also help as it'll turn into steam and heat the substrate more thoroughly.

 

[Garin]

Thank you Shade of Eclipse for the information and also for your many, many posts helping newbies like me. I have spent a few hours reading through all the posts and really appreciate your contributions to this forum.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. You said that heat treating the substrate is a great way to end up with dead larvae, so would you recommend a different method like freezing? Or just using the substrate as is. I only have eggs at this time so I don't have any larvae yet but I am trying to prepare for larvae.

Thank you again for the helpful information.

 

[Shade of Eclipse]

Oops! I meant to say NOT heat treating is a great way to end up with pathogens, parasites, and predaceous invertebrates in your substrate that will lead to dead larvae. Heat treating is my preferred method of killing off unwanted pests and dealing with potential pathogens. It should be fine as long as you're not heating the substrate to the point where it's burning and becoming unpalatable to the larvae.

Freezing isn't a good way to do it because most microbes and fungi can actually survive freezing for some time in dormant states. Some invertebrates also have similar adaptations to help them survive short periods of being frozen solid, but you're unlikely to encounter those.

 

[Garin]

Thank you for the information and clarification, much appreciated. I will try not to "burn" the substrate and heat it enough to kill off the bad stuff.

Sorry, I have one other question regarding substrate but I'll post another thread so it's not confusing.

Thanks again for all your helpful posts!

Oops! I meant to say NOT heat treating is a great way to end up with pathogens, parasites, and predaceous invertebrates in your substrate that will lead to dead larvae. Heat treating is my preferred method of killing off unwanted pests and dealing with potential pathogens. It should be fine as long as you're not heating the substrate to the point where it's burning and becoming unpalatable to the larvae.

Freezing isn't a good way to do it because most microbes and fungi can actually survive freezing for some time in dormant states. Some invertebrates also have similar adaptations to help them survive short periods of being frozen solid, but you're unlikely to encounter those.