Putting Larvae On A Scale

Ratmosphere

Ratmosphere

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As we all know the weight of the some larvae can determine how big they will be in their adult life, either a minor or a major. I haven't done this yet but in my possession, I have a digital pocket scale that I use for different things. I would like it to use on some of my larvae when they get into their later instars but their is a one concern I have. Say you just finish scaling out your grubs and put the power off on your scale. Could you clean the part they were on with a clorox wipe and later use the scale for them again once the area has dried off? This is due to all the bacteria they harbor. Will this cause health issues for them? It may seem like a dumb question but I would like to know if anybody else does this.

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I think if you just wash it with soap and hot water it should be fine. I purchased a food scale on eBay that has a detachable plate that I simply rinse with hot water and soap. Another thing you could do to eliminate it all together is put a piece of paper towel over the scale when weighing and then zero it out to get the accurate weight of the larvae.

 
I use laboratory weighing boats; they made of plastic and easy to wash in a soapy water, if you are afraid to "contaminate" your larvae:))

(Although they are a bit small for my 100g + megasoma elephas larvae
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Personally, I would not worry much about it, particularly if you do not have anything serious, like the brown spot disease;

the microorganisms are easily carried from one container to another anyway; with fruit flies and microscopic mites, on your hands, etc:)

http://beetlesaspets.blogspot.co.uk/

 
I wasn't afraid to contaminate them
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. I meant that after weighing all of them, I'd do a thorough cleaning on the scale so bacteria etc. wouldn't transfer to anything else that I am weighing after that. I am probably going to purchase an other one just strictly for my larvae just for a peace of mind.

 
In addition to the small possibility of disease transmission, there's also the chance of affecting the scale itself. Wiping with wet wipes will not destroy organisms that are in their cyst stage and many types of spores are resistant to limited exposure to cleaning chemicals. Clorox wipes may also leave residue that may be harmful to your larvae.

Weigh boats are definitely something you should invest in if using a scale. Keeping a scale clean will prevent damage that may affect its ability to accurately gauge mass.
If any small particles such as those found in substrate were to get underneath the weighing platform, they may affect functionality.

 
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