Buffalo beetles/lesser mealworms

[Brentholey]

~Buffalo beetles (also known as lesser mealworms) are a natural way to keep your insect colonies clean; they will eat any decaying organic material. They help fight mold, fungi, mites, flies and keep odors at a minimum. They will not compete with your colony for resources.
The resulting larvae can be safely eaten by your pets as well.~ is this true? Will they eat live insects, or only dead insects?

 

[nightanole]

If you are talking about Tenebrio obscurus or Alphitobius diaperinus, yes. Just about every darkling beetle is the same. They eat only dead and decaying things, as long as there is adequate water. If there is not enough water, they will start eating their young, then other insects, and then finally start eating each other. I have some in my colony, surprisingly they even eat the dead adult shells of the dubia.

 

[Brentholey]

If you are talking about Tenebrio obscurus or Alphitobius diaperinus, yes. Just about every darkling beetle is the same. They eat only dead and decaying things, as long as there is adequate water. If there is not enough water, they will start eating their young, then other insects, and then finally start eating each other. I have some in my colony, surprisingly they even eat the dead adult shells of the dubia.

Thanks, They are Alphitobius diaperinus, I was nervous to put them in I threw a dead dubia in their shipping container and they were ferocious! They finished it in 5 mins. They reminded me of Piranhas. maybe they were just hungry but it made me think if they wanted to they could decimate my little colony.

 

[nightanole]

Thanks, They are Alphitobius diaperinus, I was nervous to put them in I threw a dead dubia in their shipping container and they were ferocious! They finished it in 5 mins. They reminded me of Piranhas. maybe they were just hungry but it made me think if they wanted to they could decimate my little colony.

Well they are less ferocious than the bigger "skull cleaner" darklings. They can eat the skull of birds and smaller mammal by mistake, so Alphitobius diaperinus are used instead because i guess they take smaller bites.