# Bean bettle nightmare



## Daleo (Jan 31, 2012)

So, I've been keeping bean beetles in 32oz containers with no problem. None of my frogs care for them, so I've cut back on the number of cultures. When dumping out the old cultures, I think that some of the beetles got out eben though I flush them. Anyways, I open my storage box to find tons of bean beetles crawling around. Apparently they got into the box and then into by bean supply which was in a bag too! I luckily got most of them, and I threw out the infested beans.

So be extremely careful when storing your beans. I suggest and airtight glass or plastic container instead of a bag.

EDIT: excuse my misspelled title ://


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

What frogs were you trying to feed them to?


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## grantska (Apr 12, 2012)

I agree, keep those beans locked up tight! had a similar experience with a new bag that I thought was still sealed. They somehow found a way in and boom, beetles everywhere!


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## Coqui (Jan 17, 2013)

I purchased a culture at the white plains show
And I split them up. After reading about them
(How they will invade your cabinets if they got out)
I got nervous and never used them. I placed them in the freezer
And tossed them out on trash day. Be careful when disposing
Them, they are very hardy and can invade your house.


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## Dendrobati (Jul 27, 2012)

I use to use bean beetles too. I bought them knowing that they were an invasive pest. After a short time, I've decided to abandon my bean beetles and I destroyed my cultures. 

Consider this....if they got into your beans, what about your neighbors beans? They likely won't know what they are and will toss them into the trash. The trash goes to the dump, meanwhile bean beetles are roaming around (they fly) and they find the bean farmer's stash of beans! I picture it kind of like scrooge mcduck diving into his sea of gold coins – these would be some happy bean beetles! This scenario is why there are federal laws which make it illegal to transport bean beetles across state lines (ie ship them).

If you dispose of beetle cultures, be sure to put them in the freezer for at least 24 hours before trashing them or flushing them.

Also, it's not just the disposal that you need to worry about, it's the feeding of them too. 

Just a few thought.

Brad


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I feel the above is a bit exaggerated(not too many folk keep stashes of blackeye peas around), but it is still a good idea to dispose of these properly to avoid inconveniencing anyone.


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## Dendrobati (Jul 27, 2012)

There are a lot of beans that our feeder beetles can use. Most of us use black eyed peas as the beetles breed well on them. Other beans work very well for the beetle but have a different gestation period, which makes them less viable for use as feeders.

Brad


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

There's actually not too many.I did an experiment with 14 different beans a while back(link posted below)and found only a few that will work at all.Mung beans and adzuki beans(although I didn't test them,they do work but take longer)chick peas,and whole peas.The surprise was the whole peas which I still use in every bb culture.They are a lot cheaper than Black eyed peas and boom at least twice but take a little longer than the BEP which keeps a longer constant supply of bbs.

Bottom line,they are a great food source.After the frogs get used to them as food,they gobble them up like candy.I have been using them for years and probably always will.I do get escapees from time to time,that's inevitable.I never had them raid the cupboards or infest anything.I don't live close to neighbors or a bean farmer so I'm not worried about them,even though I do dispose of them properly.

I do agree with dendrobait that it is a bit exaggerated.I personally recommend them highly as a feeder in rotation with other feeders.






http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/70434-bean-beetle-bean-experiment.html


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## TheCoop (Oct 24, 2012)

Ok Lou, count me in for a culture lol..


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

This is exactly why i don't keep Bean or Flour beetles. Last year while making pasta for my kids, there were tons of floating grubs in the boiling water. My wife would have killed me !!


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

neither one will eat pasta,but I hear they are high in protein


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

flour beetles are another story. Keep those on lockdown as they do have the potential to infest all sorts of stored grain. The confused flour beetle apparently doesn't fly but some folk experimenting with the red flour beetle will need to be even more cautious.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Wow! Such Bean Beetle hatred coming out! Lol!

I, for one, am an avid fan. As my collection gets larger, it's too scary to depend solely on fruit flies. The beetles are much easier to produce and keep going. I never have to worry about whether I've added too much (or not enough) water, cultures molding, humidity in the house being too low, or failed cultures. My frogs are always well-fed because they are so darned dependable and easy to care for.

Of course, you will have escapees. (Just as you do with fruit flies.) However, I have never had an infestation. They do not eat pasta and I've never seen them in my cupboards. I think the most important thing to prevent escapees is to check your lids for holes and cracks because if they are there, even small ones, the beetles will find them!


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