# rice flour beetle larvae-Q



## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

so i have some rice flour beetles bc i have baby tree frogs. and i realize the beetles are not tasty. so i try to sift my larvae, beetles and flour, but the larvae often fall( and crawl) thru the sifter or i get large chunks of flour in the sifter as well. is there a better way? once i get a bunch, i put them in a dish and i go thru with forceps and pick out any dead ones or whatever is not a live larvae. it takes a good 15 minutes for one small dish. I think they are a great food item, just not sure why it's so difficult. is it me? is there something i don't know?


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## khoff (Feb 18, 2004)

Here is an excerpt from a rice flour beetle culturing sheet I put together years ago:

*The sifter:*
The larvae are what you want to feed the frogs, not the adults due to being highly chitinous (although doesn’t matter if a few get eaten). To separate the larvae from the adults and pupae you will need a fine mesh sieve (small enough the beetles can’t pass). I made my own very cheaply and easily with the following: a container about the size of a fruit fly culture cup (I use a large yogurt container), a splatter screen for going on top of cooking pans (can be found at Wal-Mart or Target for a couple bucks), and any drying adhesive to connect the two (I used silicone since I had it on hand). Cut out the bottom of the cup and cut a circle of the wire mesh to fit inside; then glue the mesh to the bottom of the cup.

*The Feeding:*
Use the sifter to take a scoop from the culture. Shake the sifter over the culture to allow the flour to fall back in. Once all the flour is removed, set the sifter inside another cup that will catch the larvae as they contort themselves and work their way through the mesh. After about 30min-1hr, most or all of the larvae should have crawled through. You can dump the adult beetles back into the culture. I usually take the cup outside and blow out any excess flour but if sifted thoroughly you probably don’t have to. Larvae can be coated in vitamin supplement before feeding too. When feeding, place the larvae on a dry flat surface (I use either a dry leaf or a petri dish). Once the larvae get wet, they will die quickly. The larvae might be a bit big for thumbs or pumilio, but the larger frogs love them.


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## ColleenT (Aug 21, 2014)

thanks, i have baby Gray tree frogs and they will eat most anything. and hopefully i will get my Azureus pair this weekend.


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/101082-red-flour-beetles.html See my post and others


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