Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When I got my last batch of about 150 crix I noticed that there were some little bettle things in with them. I got as many out as I could...
I cleaned the crix out today, and noticed about 10-20 little nasty black hairy worm things. WHAT ARE THEY?!?!?!?
I flushed them. If this happens again, are they ok for Orion to eat? Or are they a big fat no?
Thanks!
~Lindsay

I've noticed little black hairy caterpillar looking worm things in my crickets before and I think they came in with my cricket shipment, and one thing I noticed is that if you don't clean your crickets as often, they get worse. I think they lay eggs in dead crickets or something. I normally ignore them because there's only a few, but once I went out of town and my big cricket bin was pretty dirty to begin with but after almost a week, I got home and there was alot more little tiny fuzzy worms in there so I think they reproduced with all the dead crickets in there. They must have a quick lifecycle also, because it was only a little over a week. Just keep your crickets clean (once a week or more), pick out as many as you see and don't worry about them. I'm not sure if they can be eaten, but I grabbed one once and I think I remember it being pretty hard.... I dunno pinch one and see if they are. Maybe it's my imagination.
-Tyler Stewart

>>When I got my last batch of about 150 crix I noticed that there were some little bettle things in with them. I got as many out as I could...
>>I cleaned the crix out today, and noticed about 10-20 little nasty black hairy worm things. WHAT ARE THEY?!?!?!?
>>I flushed them. If this happens again, are they ok for Orion to eat? Or are they a big fat no?
>>Thanks!
>>~Lindsay

They are the larvae of a species of dermestid beetle. The larvae are edible, though I do not reccommend feeding too many to a baby cham as there is the potential for some impaction from the many hairs in a small stomach. My baby beardies thought they were the greatest thing in the world, but then sorta lost intrest in eating them as they got older.

They are great for immediate treats when you find them in cricket shipments, but don't let them propagate within the cricket colony if you can avoid it. The beetles (slightly smaller than a mealworm beetle but look nearly the same as) are fully flighted and if they get loose there is the potential for them to start laying eggs elsewhere and the larvae can possibly do some major chewing up of clothes, furniture fabric, and carpet...kinda like crickets come to think of it LOL.
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PHWyvern

Thanks
They kind of grossed me out, so I flushed them. If I find them again I'll give one to Orion and see what she thinks.