# Callosobruchus maculatus (bean beetle) culturing



## skips (Dec 15, 2008)

I just joined this forum about 3 seconds ago. My question is simple. I know these are ridiculously easy to culture. The question is, do you have to use black eye peas? I havn't seen anything else used. Thanks all.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

You can also use mung beans or adzuki beans,

BeanBeetles.org/A Handbook on Bean Beetles: Laboratory Methods


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## somecanadianguy (Jan 9, 2007)

Corpus Callosum said:


> You can also use mung beans or adzuki beans,
> 
> BeanBeetles.org/A Handbook on Bean Beetles: Laboratory Methods


have you found that mung or adzuki beans take much longer to cycle the beatles?
craig


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

I don't have much experience with them but I know they will work. Maybe someone who has tried them can chime in..


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## skips (Dec 15, 2008)

Corpus Callosum said:


> You can also use mung beans or adzuki beans,
> 
> BeanBeetles.org/A Handbook on Bean Beetles: Laboratory Methods


Thank you both. According to this site my experiment with pinto and navy beans is doomed to failure. Well, ill have to go find some black eye peas.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

i've successfully cultured bbs with mung beans and black eyed peas. Experientially, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference, the only caveat being that BEPs seem to deteriorate faster (and mold) than mung beans.


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Thanks Ray, I think I'll give the mung beans a try in that case.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

yeah, i need to stagger my cultures since i get blooms all at once and have thousands of bbs and nothing to do with them.


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## somecanadianguy (Jan 9, 2007)

stemcellular said:


> yeah, i need to stagger my cultures since i get blooms all at once and have thousands of bbs and nothing to do with them.


simple really just get more frogs lol 
craig 
i get too many too , if i wanted i could feed my troops entirely beatles but dont


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

Yeah. I hear you. So many beetles. My wife gets freaked out by the scuttling noise from their side of the room.


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## skips (Dec 15, 2008)

So, I just bought these things for the first time. How long would you say it takes for them to cycle and die? Doe they bloom all at once? Got any staggering tips? Thanks again.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

Hmm, they actually live quite a while if I recall correctly. Probably at least a month before dying out. Just set up a few cultures - say one every other week or so. This way you will have new cultures booming at different times going forward. 

G'luck, they are great feeders (albeit amazing escapees)

Oh, and don't make too many cultures or you will end up with thousands of bbs.


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## skips (Dec 15, 2008)

thanks. And you're right. I've found 3 or 4 in my room and i have absolutely no idea how they get out. I'm just glad they need beans to reproduce so I don't infest an entire dorm like I did a few years ago. But, how long does it take them to mature, say, from being laid on the egg. Like, once I start to see eggs, how long do I have until I can get new beetles?


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

It depends on temperatures, the info is in the link I posted above, but let's say 4 weeks average.


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## charoozz520 (Dec 8, 2008)

These things seem to be prolific breeders i just got a culture today from Dane from Junglebox set them up into 3 other cultures on mung beans, put them on a heatpad and when I checked back now they had already laid a lot of eggs on them.


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

I've had mild success with lima beans.


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