Bean Beetles for Pygmy Chameleons

[MelissaB]

I just got a trio of Rieppeleon Brevicaudatus, and was looking into options for different prey items. I saw Nick's post for bean beetles, so I ordered a culture. Thank you, Nick.
I have to say I like them A LOT better than fruit flies. The beans are super easy to keep on hand, and I don't really have to worry about them molding over or drying out. I had enough in the original culture to feed, and seed 4 more cultures. I ended up combining them into three, because the lid was messed up on one of my gladware containers. They can climb glass, smooth plastic, pretty much anything. I haven't seen any escapees out of my viv, but I keep a small cup with beans in it, next to the viv, just in case. I read on a frogger blog, that they'll congregate in the little dish of beans if they do get out.
Hopefully, I'll be able to keep 'em coming. But as far as I can tell, they're pretty easy. My little brevs are eating them up. The toilet paper tube is in there so I can take it out and tap the beetles out where I want them.
They're also enjoying 1/8 inch crickets, I think they could probably handle some 1/4 inch crickets, too. I started with 1/8 inch, because that's what they were getting where I bought them. Figured I'd rather play it safe and go smaller than larger to start with.

Original culture after seeding new cultures, and being used to feed:

 

[kdc5019]

Wonderful Melissa! Keep those bean beetles breeding, they will last forever!

 

[MelissaB]

I hope so! So much easier than trying to keep fruit flies going.

 

[qdude46]

I've been looking into getting a culture as he breeder I bought my guy from used them. Also that second pic is so cute.

 

[MelissaB]

Thank you, Qdude. They are so cute, and fun to watch. I can't wait until they're used to being here. I'm doing my best to leave them alone, as much as possible. The beetles are great, hopefully they keep doing their thing and making more. I just picked up a bunch of 1/8 inch crickets, too, so they'll have some variety. I also had some silkworm eggs hatch, which was a welcome and unexpected surprise. I was waiting for them to turn grey so I could put them in the fridge. Looked in the container, and saw a bunch of teeny black silkworms! Guess it's too late for the fridge. Glad I had a packet of silkworm food to make.

 

[Mishkocham]

Bean Beetle

MelissaB
Where can I purchase those bean beetle

 

[laurie]

MelissaB
Where can I purchase those bean beetle

Go to feeders, click the one that says

10 Feeders For Happy Chameleons!
Nick

 

[critterguy]

are neonates able to take bean beetles?

 

[distortionz]

Critterguy yes they are good for neonates. Deerharvester hooked me up with a culture when I had Panthers hatch a little over a month ago.. that one culture has turned into five.. they are simple.. my babies still prefer hydeis over bean beetles and crickets.. the bean beetles like to crawl all over them and I think they were a little scared/annoyed with then to begin With but they warmed up to them..

They only thing I have read online is make sure they don't get out because if they get into your food they will cause an infestation... don't know the truth behind it but I make sure the lids are on tight lol

 

[nick barta]

MelissaB
Where can I purchase those bean beetle

Anyone wanting a care sheet for Bean Beetle cultures can get one from me, email me at [email protected].

CHEERS!

Nick Barta

 

[Mike Fisher]

Just don't keep them much over 80F. I had a bunch of cultures going and figured if I cranked up the temp a bit I could get better production. I ran them at 85F and they exploded, I had so many of them all at once it was crazy. Then they all died and now I've got none. I guess I burned them out.

The rice beetles loved it though. I've got a bumper crop of them.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Bean beetles are going crazy again. I thought they were all dead. Good thing I didn't throw out the cultures. I did have a couple cultures go bad when there was not enough ventilation and they molded over. Need to order some more of those cups with mesh lids.

 

[critterguy]

I have no idea how big baby pygmy chameleons are. To clarify-newly hatched pygmys can eat bean beetles? They must start out bigger than I thought then.

The trick with bean beetles is to always move adults over to fresh beans. Yes you can get multiple booms out of a batch of beans but eventually they will mold. Do NOT add new beans to an old culture. The adults live only for a week. If you are getting boom and bust production you need to start trying to stagger your cultures. A few ways to do this.

-use several different kinds of beans(mung, garbanzo, etc.)...development time is different for different bean types
-keep some of your cultures at different temperatures
-add beetles to new cultures 1x per week so you will get corresponding booms of beetles.



I use cloth batting mesh(from michaels) that has holes that will let beetles and debris through but retain the beans. I keep my bean beetles in canning jars. Normal lids are the canning lids either screwed over a coffee filter or with a mesh insert. I have a separate feeding lid that is the one with the batting material on it. Screw this over your culture-and shake out all the bean beetles.

What I want to know is how people can use all the production you can get from a good culture. I flush zillions of these things(put a little soap/detergent in first so they quickly drown and you don't have bean beetles crawling around in the toilet bowl!)

 

[Mike Fisher]

What I want to know is how people can use all the production you can get from a good culture. I flush zillions of these things(put a little soap/detergent in first so they quickly drown and you don't have bean beetles crawling around in the toilet bowl!)

That's pretty easy, lots of hungry mouths.

 

[MelissaB]

I trade extra cultures to a reptile shop for frozen rats.