Dehumidifier for bugs

Hi Diamond

Keep in mind that these dermestid beetles are really the wild variety that God created to help clean up dead animals in the woodlands-- they have to deal with all kinds of weather including high humidity-- I think you are making work for yourself by trying to keep the humidity down-- high humidity doesn't feel very good to us humans, but the insect world doesn't seem to pay it any mind---
ORG

 

the humidity is hot in my shop for the bugs as well. I have a fan about 10 feet away from tank to help circulate and cool them down a bit. The heat for my bugs is around 90 degrees. They are eating away and loving life. They havent started flying YET (knock on wood)!

 

not in the beetle house but i need another one for my gun closet lol mine mysteriously doesn't work now.

 

Diamond I run a dehumidifier in my beetle room and find it helps a lot. be careful that it does not raise the temp to high. they do put off a good bit of heat. I try to keep my humidity levels around 50%.

Matt

 

If you have to high of humidity moisture will start to build then mold starts to grow and that's how bad thing happen.

 

Diamond S, It's not often that I answer questions on here anymore because most of them are so ridiculous. What kind of peroxided should I use, how do I degrease and so forth? But as I was catching up on here a little I seen this. You raise a very good question and Matt (hhbones) and Andy B are so correct. I got away without a dehumidifier for years and then it happened. MITES are a very big killer of beetles and with high humidity and damp bedding, it's not a question of will I get mites, it's when. Alot of people get into skull cleaning and ask alot of real funny questions and don't really want to do any research on their own. They just want someone to lead them through the process, and teach them everything they need to know. But I'll help you out on this one before you lose your colony (s). Damp bedding, and high humidity is like a magnet for mites, and once they start, you have to lower your humidity and don't water your beetles for about a week, and that might not even help. Alot of times, you don't even get a choice, you just have to start over. I probably lost over 40,000 beetles in a month due to Mites simply because it was the slower part of the year and I wasn't running a dehumidifier. They can do alot of damage quick. Try to run a dehumidifier, with heat and a exhaust fan and watch the difference in your beetle colonies. It's like night and day. Kenny