enclosures for beetles..

[dry Creek]

What kind of enclosures does everyone use....I use 10 and 40 gallon aquariums...But need something bigger for antlered animals...

[coyote]

I built my enclosure out of 1/2" plywood. It is 4'wide x 4' long x 3' tall. with a plexiglass front. The reason for the plexiglass front is because I had an extra piece of plexiglass that was scratched and unusable for anything else. I also put a screened top on it which I made myself. It's finished with fiberglass and polyurathene for easier cleaning. It's works great for whitetail size animals. I don't get very many animals bigger than whitetail, so it works out great for me.

  Coyote

[Pirate]

I keep my beetles outside in a plywwod box that is about 4Wx4Hx3D.  I insulated it with the sheet insulation for houses.  In the winter I have a small heater inside on a thermostat.  In the summer during hot weather I put a couple 2 liter bottles of ice in it to keep it cool.  I have a cheap thermometer that sends a signal to a base unit that I keep in my shop.  I can keep an eye on the temp at all times.  Inside the box I keep my beetles in a 50 gal plastic tote.  I'm only limited to the 4' height and width of the tote.  I can do up to a small elk with this.

[Brian D.]

Do you guys have any problems with carbon dioxide build up on the floor.....Do you have fans....About how many bugs do you have in your containers???

[Wolf]

I use glass aquariums and plastic storage bins (the kinds with the slick walls).  Antlered game goes in a big bin with foil tight around the burr (for some reason the won't climb foil?) and I leave the lid off. 

I want/need an exhaust hood over my beetles just for the sake of the other people I live with and those that come by my shop.  The odor doesn't bother me... can't smell it at all actually... haven't figured out if that is a curse or a gift to not smell things foul?  The roof on this house is the problem with install a fan right now.

How many bugs?  That's a fun question.  I'd say I have 250+ in a little 12x4x6 plactic tank, 1,000+ in on 10 gallon tank... 2-4,000 easy, each in 2 other 10 gallons.  25,000 would be a low estimate in my hot colony in one of my plastic containers... about 10,000 in the other plastic container.  Outside I can collect about 1-2,000 more off a couple of dried out doe carcasses.  lol, I'm not sitting down to count them out individually unless I sell small lots.

[RD Martin]

Glass aquariums and for large heads plywood tank with epoxy sealant on the inside. They will eat thru wood. I reseal the inside every year and have found they will chew on the epoxy too. Epoxy hardens nicely and protects the wood from the humidity. Just as important it gives a slick surface so they can't climb out. I also have a hinged/screen top on the box and screen tops on the aquariums.

[Brian d.]

When you say epoxy....Where do get it???  I tried fiber glass resin the kind you use to make fake water and ice ...The little buggers don't have a problem climbing on it....Do you have a brand name on the epoxy??

[fesekula]

You can get epoxy paint at about any boat supply store.

[M35]

Tnemic (I'm not at work, so I know I didn't spell it right) is a 2-part epoxy paint. Nasty stuff when mixed & applying.
Marina's, boat stores (boaters world), paint stores (sherman williams) have epoxy paint

[blacktailer]

I think an old non working chest freezer is perfect! Make sure it has no holes so the beetles cant nest in insuation.

[Jims Wildlife Studio]

For smaller skull's a glass aquarium work's just fine. For my larger one's I also have built a box out of plywood.

[Brian D]

Had a box.....Now got a chest freezer...i think its the only way to go...i put fan near the bottom to pull air out to help circulate...