# Flour inhabitants... frog food?



## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

ok so I have a clear tupperware container of flour in my kitchen that has been unused for about 2 years.. The reason is because there is a large colony of whatever the hell they are in there, and I've kept them in there for no apparent reason, just thought it was cool how they dig tunnels into the flour and are still alive after all this time..

These guys are TINY and kind of a beige color. Never turn into any kind of beetle or anything, just little tiny guys that almost look termite-ish. I'm wondering what they are exactly, and if they would make good food for my 2 new nickel sized auratus?


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

got any pics?


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## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

I'll try and get some.. this should put the super macro setting to the test for sure


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Sounds like psocids 

Ed


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## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

Ed said:


> Sounds like psocids
> 
> Ed


acceptable frog food you think? Not sure how i'd manage to get them out of the flour, but if i can..


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## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

I've had larvae show up in flour. It used to p*$$ me off. I do lots of baking and normally keep my long term storage flour in the freezer. Occasionally I would open a bag and not get it sealed up and put away. If it developed bugs it would have to go out in the trash. They develop into small moths that drive you nuts and get into everything.

However, since I got into frogs, I get excited when I find some old flour with moth larvae. I pick them out with the tip of a spoon and put them in a tank. My frogs go wild for them.

Pick out a few and see how your frogs react. I bet they love them.

Deb


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## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

they're not larvae.. I've had this flour for a couple of years and no moths ever come about - it's also in a sealed tupperware container, so i'd see them in there. Just these little bugs.. once I get back to my house I'll try to get a picture of them


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

AndyShores said:


> acceptable frog food you think? Not sure how i'd manage to get them out of the flour, but if i can..


If you can seperate them they should be fine. Afterall its not like you don't know what they have been feeding on.. I have to admit that my first thoughts were of grain mites but then I reread the post and the termite like description rang some bells. 

Ed


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## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

*pictures*

here are a couple pics of the bugs


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Sure look like psocids 

check out Google Image Result for http://www.lisburncity.gov.uk/filestore/images/booklice.gif 

Ed


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

Oh this is very interesting, looks like it could be a great anew food. I saw some of these apparently eating the labels off of fish food at the fish store. I almost bought the fish food just for the bugs, but I thought they were little termites, so I was weary of bringing them home. Let us know if the frogs eat them or spit them out.
-mark


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## AndyShores (Jan 6, 2009)

Ed said:


> Sure look like psocids
> 
> check out Google Image Result for http://www.lisburncity.gov.uk/filestore/images/booklice.gif
> 
> Ed


Definitely is what they are. I'll work on how to separate them from the flour.


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

flour sifter?


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## basshummper (Jan 13, 2008)

you know what these look like what i have in my fish food. they are about half the size of a springtail. i collect them buy putting my fish food in a condoment cup and thats inside of a 32 oz cup. they climb out of the condoment cup and fall into the 32oz cup. not knowing what they were i was tring to seed my tanks with them but i guess they all die in that environment.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

I've been culturing and feeding these out to my froglets without any issues. Pretty cool.


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