Hi,
I have a bunch of beetles in a tank working on some small heads. Somehow small flies got in to the tank and laid eggs. Now there are maggot like things in the tank along with the dermestid beetles. I want to know what they are and if they will eat or kill the beetles.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
they might be bad - depends on exactly what they are. If they are just normal house flies or related genera you should be in OK - shape. Just manually remove all remaining eggs and larvae (maggots). Be sure they are actually maggots and not freshly molted deremste larvae though. Maggots are messy wet eaters. Although they are bigger n tougher than dermeste, they won't directly hurt them - but will push them off the food source. Then the moisture they generate will cause future humidity problems for you which can lead to mites etc.
Being that maggots are large, they are easy enough to remove and nip this in the bud - no worries =)
in my bug tanks;every time i get maggets [flies] the beetles quit eating tell i remove them.
I think they take after me ; will not eat with someone they don't like hehe
Dave, they are a fly larva of some kind. At all cost get them out! You may have to remove them by hand, but get them out ASAP!
I have been using beetles for 8 months now and they are in the thousands from 4 starter coloneys.In the beginning i had a problem such as yours.I had only one infestation.It did cause alot of problums with the coloney i had such as the beetles not eating,smell attracting knates,nose bone damage and a big mess inside the skulls that leave remains and bad oder no matter what you use to get the smell out with out damaging the skull.The skulls you are doing are to moist or they have too much meat on them.also you can keep the flys and knats out by covering your coloney tank with severial layers of cheese cloth.There is still ventalation and the flys cant drop eggs threw like they can with screen.I have to barrow skulls just to feed my beetles....lol....