# Feeding Bean Beetles Method



## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

I know this has been posted before but I always get asked how I feed mine so I wll attach some photos.

I bought the plastic strainer from wallmart note it has bigger holes than a typical one used for ff's. I also use a funnell and a solid deli cup lid with a round hole cut out of the top.

-Beth


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## pa.walt (Feb 16, 2004)

i went to my local walmart but no luck in finding anything close to this size. all of them were the big screen type. has anyone else tried to find one of these strainers. 
walt


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Try going to a Arts and craft store and check out the macrame supplies. They sell blanks that are about the size you need and can be cut and used as needed. I cut the top out of a large fruit fly container and hot glued the macrame blank into that so I can just change lids on the beetle culture and dump out the beetles. 

Ed


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## Lance (Sep 8, 2008)

Why dont you guys just get a drill bit say 3/16 or so and drill holes into a ff deli cup?


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## AlexRible (Oct 16, 2007)

Lance said:


> Why dont you guys just get a drill bit say 3/16 or so and drill holes into a ff deli cup?


that is what i do, It works pretty good


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## son of a addict (Jul 3, 2009)

I was shown a really easy way to do it when I got my bb's. Since I and most of use use ff cups to culture the bb's simply take a drinking glass that will slide part way in the bb's and let them crawl up in it. You can dump them in a dusting cup or dust them in the glass you used to collect them in. Its works great for me, now if only I could them to produce faster. 
I use a clear glass that way I can see how many are in it.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Using the macreme mesh allows for easy collection as I tap the culture down, pop on the modified lid, invert and shake into another cup. It really pulls out the beetles and I only got one or two pieces of bean with it (which results in more food in the terrarium for the isopods, and springtails). 

Ed


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## Jason DeSantis (Feb 2, 2006)

I got this from George but what I do is just put a coffee filter in the culture and when I am ready to feed I pull the filter out and shake off the beetles. I find this way to be very quick and easy.
J


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## Marktman (Sep 27, 2009)

That is a strainer used for tuna. If anyone is looking for a name for it. The same size as a tuna can.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Jason DeSantis said:


> I got this from George but what I do is just put a coffee filter in the culture and when I am ready to feed I pull the filter out and shake off the beetles. I find this way to be very quick and easy.
> J


That's funny, I do the exact same thing! Very quick and painless.


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## kevin575 (May 7, 2012)

If they are dusted with vitamins. Can they still climb the sides of the cup?
I'm wondering this cause I got a culture that is booming. I started 3 other cultures. Have around 10 bugs or more in each culture. It was kinda a rat race to do it since they climb soo fast.
I'm going to try feeding them to my leucs tomorrow. They can handle Hydei so I figure they should be able to handle the beetles. But since they can climb so fast. I might just do the coffee filter idea. Cause I don't think I can keep up, unless the vitamin dust stops them from climbing the feeding cup.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

kevin575 said:


> If they are dusted with vitamins. Can they still climb the sides of the cup?


Not if the sides of the cup are clean. 

Some comments


Ed


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

For bean beetles I use a Mason jar with coffee filter over the opening of the mouth and then a toilet paper roll that I just sits on top of the beans. The beetles climb all over the toilet paper roll and the coffee filter and I pull the out and just tap them into a container for dusting. This way you don't get anything but beetles.


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