Woody farm help.

[Frog1974]

Having a mass die out of woodies in both of my woody farms and the stench is overpowering. Normally my woody farms don't stink so I've been manually cleaning out the dead woodies and have been noticing a few new additions. Maggots and small little beetles. They both seem to like eating dead woodies and the beetles seem to live live ones. Short of throwing both of my farms in the bin and starting again undoing all of my work, is there a way of eradicating either of these pests? Including a pic of the beetles as these are the hardest to get rid of. I have been cleaning them regularly now and have been picking the maggots out. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
OK well it won't let me upload a photo as it is too large and I have no idea how to change it. They look similar to a lawn beetle but about an eighth of the size and a honey type colour.

 

[Brodie]

I'm sorry but I never had a problem with my woodies. Download a photo editor like pixlr, its free and you can resize photos.

 

[Chris1]

throw in a tub of mealworms, they will eat the dead woodies and keep things clean.

i use that cocopeat stuff (the small stuff not the long hairy stuff) as substrate for the worms.

the mealies wont make their way up to the top layer of egg cartons, so you'll have to shake them to the ground for the mealies.

 

[Adamd]

Do you heat your woodies? If so it might be worth turning heater off, I had an infestation of strange little flys they must have needed the heat after a week or so they were gone. Woodies don't mind the cold just won't produce much. I like the idea of putting mealworms in the bottom I've never done it bit it sounds like the perfect solution!

 

[Chris1]

i havent cleaned the fish tank i keep my roaches in for about a year, and it barely smells, i got the idea of setting it up with the worms to eat the dead stuff from a thread i found on here.

Before the worms/substrate were introduced i kept them in tubs, and id have to clean them weekly and still have a couple of maggoty outbreaks over summer. ugh!

 

[Adamd]

Done!! What a top idea Thanks Chris I think you just bought me an hour a week!

 

[Frog1974]

Haven't started to heat them yet. They just get ambient temp. Only going to stat heating once I get the beetles under control. Just finished cleaning one tub out and on got one maggot so at least I'm on top of one problem.

 

[BloodRunsCold]

introducing mealworms is a great idea but would they at all eat woody eggs?

 

[dragondude]

I have not had any 'beetles' infest my colony.
Can I ask where you keep your tub? inside outside?
Is the lid tight fitting? or has it got a gap between the lid and the tub where another insect can climb in and enter your colony?

 

[mad_at_arms]

introducing mealworms is a great idea but would they at all eat woody eggs?

Live birth.

 

[BloodRunsCold]

Live birth.

aah ok cool

 

[mummabear]

I'm not sure what sort of ventilation you have but to stop them getting in in the future i would use very fine fly wire.

 

[Frog1974]

Kept inside, fly mesh soldered into the lids and a 50mm hole at each end down the bottom with fly mesh soldered into those. Lid is relatively tight.

 

[mummabear]

In order to keep the little flies out you will need micro fly mesh.