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Moths In My Mealworms

scatmelee Jun 15, 2009 12:01 AM

does anybody have tips on how to keep moths out of mealworm colonies?

i tried parsley (a friend said it keeps some bugs away) but that doesn't work. i feed them egg layer chicken food and carrots in case you wanted to know. thanks!

Replies (6)

Bighurt Jun 15, 2009 11:54 AM

>>does anybody have tips on how to keep moths out of mealworm colonies?
>>
>>i tried parsley (a friend said it keeps some bugs away) but that doesn't work. i feed them egg layer chicken food and carrots in case you wanted to know. thanks!

I'm curious why you have a problem with moths when you keep beatle larve...

I assume they are from weavels...

Freeze the bedding from the start, or change your supplier. Consider a bug zapper LOL...
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

scatmelee Jun 15, 2009 01:48 PM

"(1)I'm curious why you have a problem with moths when you keep beatle larve...

(2)I assume they are from weavels...

(3)Freeze the bedding from the start, or change your supplier. (4)Consider a bug zapper LOL..."

(1)the moths infest my house and fly all over the place at night. they get in my cabinets and leave little brown cocoons all over my walls.
(2)the mealworms or the moths? i think weevils are beetles not moths. mealworms come from 'tenebrio molitor' or darkling beetles, they're not weevils.
(3)i do freeze the feed along with my dog and bird food for at least a week.
(4)they are not attracted to light so zappers don't work.

i just picked up these scented sticky traps that are supposed to work well, we'll see... i kinda wanted to deter them, not attract them. oh well.

thanks for helping!

scatmelee Jun 15, 2009 04:37 PM

WOW! in case anybody cares, these traps work awesome!!
you open a little packet containing a lure and put this in the sticky trap, then moths start FLOCKING to it. in about 10 mins i had 7 moths, they started coming out from everywhere when i opend the packet.

it's called "the pantry pest trap" made by safer brand (saferbrand.com). i bought them at lowes for $6.00 2 traps in a box.

you can't smell it but they can, i hope they last long, the box says it will work for up to 3 months.

JYohe Jun 15, 2009 05:13 PM

you lure them with pheromones...they think they are going to breed and ,BAM! they get the sticky stuff ....LOL...the more you get the more they smell it up too...they'll land on tapes and send out smell too, I like when a good female lands on tape and calls in males for a day or so...LOL.....my tapes are just fly tapes, I will be looking for the lured ones....

weevils are beetles...moths are moths....the larvae of the pantry moth or mill moth or grain moth as it may be called....the larvae are small white caterpillars with no hair, that spin a tunnel web and live inside the tube shaped webbing, ...in the grain, under stuff too setting around, anywhere a good dust settles they can live under it....lift stuff around the room and see if you find them....

!!!!!!!READ_______they will also eat hair and dried flesh....any taxidermied item, deer head ,birds, etc,,,,they will get into the critters hair and feathers , and eat it...ruin it,,,it will start to get bald spots...!@!!!!beware them in the home....fur of any kinds, fly tying matterials, fishing tackle boxes, they will eat the feathers off of fishing lures....

weevils pose no threat to the home, they eat live plant juices

beetles...they usually don't live long if they get out (tunibrios)...sp?
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1(normal,mojave,3 spider mojaves)
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scatmelee Jul 13, 2009 01:02 AM

ok, this is what i was afraid of with using traps or lures. the moths keep coming in increasing numbers and i am replacing these traps every week because they get fouled up with moths. they didn't solve my problem at all, if anything it's worse! the moths are still in my bins and their worms spin silk in the substrate that makes it clump up and difficult to sift out my mealies.

any other ideas? what about mothballs? would those kill my mealies or make them toxic to my herps? i'm out of ideas, please help! thank you.

Bighurt Jun 15, 2009 04:41 PM

Sounds like Pantry Moths....

Pheromone traps are the best bet.
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

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