Rhino Larvae Substrate Question

A

AwesomeBeetle

L1
My son just ordered his first d. tityus larvae. It should arrive next week. We also ordered substrate, but we need to learn to make it ourselves because it is expensive! We won't be able to order more larvae due to the online rate of their substrate
default_sad.png


I want to try the Traeger Oak Pellet fermenting method, but have a few questions.

1. Can I keep a lid on the bucket while it is fermenting? (I thought this would keep pests out and keep the smell sealed in)

2. We live in Kansas, so it may get chilly in the garage before our batch is complete (4-6 months). Is there a minimum temperature it needs to be kept at?

3. Do we need to bake it in the oven to sterilize it? Our beetle book talks about baking leaves and rotten wood for 2 hours at 250 degrees. I wondered if that applies here as well.

4. Once the fermenting process is complete, do we need to mix dead leaves and/or compost manure into the mix or is the fermented wood all that is needed?

We did go to the woods and collected rotting wood. Our problem with that is we have no idea what kinds we collected. Without leaves, I can't identify the limbs. After reading posts on the forum it sounds like oak is the best food, so I am afraid to use the mystery wood we found.

I welcome any help in making this an affordable hobby!

 
1) Yes, just make sure to mix it daily. I keep mine on half way.

2) In the 70's works best for me.

3) Nope.

4) You could very well mix it in to add more nutrients.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your quick reply, Ratmosphere!

I now feel more confident that we can make our own substrate. We are headed to the store today to get our supplies.

Thanks to everyone else on the forum too! We are just starting out and want to take the best care of our grub. There is an abundance of great knowledge here that I can't find anywhere else.

 
Hummmm. Since I need to keep it in the house this fall and winter to keep it at the proper temperature, I don't know that I am comfortable with leaving the lid loose. Won't it smell badly and attract gnats, etc? Will enough gasses escape when we open it daily to stir???

One more question (sorry, this probably won't be the last!): Do you ever add additional water to the batch over the 4-6 month process?

 
I just tied an old cotton bed sheet around the lid in order to keep insects out.

As far as keeping it in the house, i imagine once you popped open the seal all the smell would release into the house anyway.

You have no where outside to keep the substrate to ferment? I just have it in a trash bin on the side of the garage.

 
The sheet is a great idea. I could leave it outside or in the garage, but it gets cold here in Kansas in the fall and winter. My project would freeze.

 
Inside the garage should be fine. You could insulate the container by wrapping some blankets around it to keep the heat up.

 
Our garage isn't heated. In the winter it drops to the 40's and very cold days below freezing. We'll give it a try. I really don't want it in the house unless completely necessary.

Thanks for all your help!

 
We are about one month into making the substrate. It smells like sweet wine. We are keeping a lid on it and stirring regularly. I don't really notice any heat that it is giving off. Hope we are on the right track, only time will tell!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top