Sgt Pepper has a thing for nails
When this nail is gone I might wait a couple of days. He hasn't touched the hair or callous.
I will change his enclosure if people are concerned about the level of excreta in there.
Carpet Beetle
- Thread starter Spectre
- Start date
Sgt Pepper has a thing for nails
When this nail is gone I might wait a couple of days. He hasn't touched the hair or callous.
I will change his enclosure if people are concerned about the level of excreta in there.
What I'm concerned about is that toenails aren't generally part of house debris. People usually don't leave them on the floor...
I don't want to wear his mandibles out.
Fun Fact: In West Africa many people are very careful when disposing hair and nails. So they don't get used in Voodoo.
I don't want to wear his mandibles out.
Fun Fact: In West Africa many people are very careful when disposing hair and nails. So they don't get used in Voodoo.
Just a quick update. Sgt Pepper is still alive and well, as well as I determine some sorts of grubs to be, anyway.
He didn't eat for a few days, I added a damp hair, still nothing.
Happily crunching on a toenail now though. Seems to go dormant now and then.
I didn't get my microscope sorted out and, honestly, it's not going to look good if I do it.
He didn't eat for a few days, I added a damp hair, still nothing.
Happily crunching on a toenail now though. Seems to go dormant now and then.
I didn't get my microscope sorted out and, honestly, it's not going to look good if I do it.
Another reason I didn't go with the microscope idea is that the (Dolan Jenner) illumination source is so bright, and it is projected through the objective lens. The light source is in a force-cooled box with optical cable between it and the scope. Might frazzle the little thing.
Anyway, I was thinking if something might be missing from his diet, and thought carpet fluff might be an ideal addition to his habitat.
I found a ball of fluff and put it in his enclosure. He seems to go from toenail to dormant for a while then the fluff. There is definitely something in the fluff he likes. I suppose it's what they find naturally.
He looks bigger, and different colours. I have the uneasy thought that these turn into a beetle without a chrysalis stage.
Is he just gradually going to turn into a beetle?
Anyway, I was thinking if something might be missing from his diet, and thought carpet fluff might be an ideal addition to his habitat.
I found a ball of fluff and put it in his enclosure. He seems to go from toenail to dormant for a while then the fluff. There is definitely something in the fluff he likes. I suppose it's what they find naturally.
He looks bigger, and different colours. I have the uneasy thought that these turn into a beetle without a chrysalis stage.
Is he just gradually going to turn into a beetle?
Call him John and he might be bigger than Jesus.
Apparently, if you see a beetle. There will be fifty larvae somewhere.
I hope these don't breed asexually.
How is beetle doing?
He spent quite a while on, and in, that bit fluff to the top left. He was in there so long I though he was trapped but after a couple of days he was out and just sitting.
Then he was back to a toenail.
When I put some fresh fluff in, as seen, he was straight onto it. There is something in there that these like
.
Not touched the eyebrow hair or skin, not even interested.
He spent quite a while on, and in, that bit fluff to the top left. He was in there so long I though he was trapped but after a couple of days he was out and just sitting.
Then he was back to a toenail.
When I put some fresh fluff in, as seen, he was straight onto it. There is something in there that these like
.Not touched the eyebrow hair or skin, not even interested.
A small update, not much happening, Sgt Pepper seems more mobile than usual. Maybe room temperature is higher than usual.
I guess that these can get moisture from the atmosphere or their food.
I saw him doing something with an eyebrow hair, they seem to like eating along the length of things rather than starting at one end.
The ZIP is a short film of him moving about. Not got the hang of this camera yet so a bit out of focus at the start.
I guess that these can get moisture from the atmosphere or their food.
I saw him doing something with an eyebrow hair, they seem to like eating along the length of things rather than starting at one end.
The ZIP is a short film of him moving about. Not got the hang of this camera yet so a bit out of focus at the start.
Get them a new ball of fluff for Xmas and they eat the old stuff for weeks.
Bit blurred.
Bit blurred.
He seemed to go into some sort of stasis for a week, no movement. I suspected the worst...
Then I noticed he had moved, and where he had been, there is a bit of carapace type stuff. I'm guessing these shed bits of their exterior during their metamorphosis.
It's difficult to see how they move when they are caterpillars, they seem to drift along on a load of hair like things.
In the centre of this picture, you can see a stripy thing, it's his old shell (I think), maybe he has different leg bits now?. That's where he was for ages.
Then, there was some more movement. He's back on the toenails too, after quite a stint on the fluff.
Then I noticed he had moved, and where he had been, there is a bit of carapace type stuff. I'm guessing these shed bits of their exterior during their metamorphosis.
It's difficult to see how they move when they are caterpillars, they seem to drift along on a load of hair like things.
In the centre of this picture, you can see a stripy thing, it's his old shell (I think), maybe he has different leg bits now?. That's where he was for ages.
Then, there was some more movement. He's back on the toenails too, after quite a stint on the fluff.
Still alive and well by the way .
Eating has slowed down but and he alternates between fluff and toenails.
.Eating has slowed down but and he alternates between fluff and toenails.
Sounds like you’re overfeeding him and he’s getting obese
Still alive and well by the way
Eating has slowed down but and he alternates between fluff and toenails.
I think I interfered with a stage when I thought he was deeed a few weeks ago
. When he seemed to shed a bit of his carapace (?).Very easy to keep though
. Just toenails and fluff since October.
I think I interfered with a stage when I thought he was deeed a few weeks ago
Very easy to keep though
A bit like a vegan diet
A bit like a vegan diet
I gave him a bit of a callous, never touched it. Might need it cut into smaller pieces or something...
Just to keep everyone up to speed, he's still with us.
I though he was going into a larval stage a couple of weeks ago. He didn't move for a while, but I see he has went onto a different bit of fluff now.
I though he was going into a larval stage a couple of weeks ago. He didn't move for a while, but I see he has went onto a different bit of fluff now.
Just noticed, he'd shed another one of those bits of carapace.
That's twice now, he goes dormant for a few days and when he starts moving again there is a bit of him left behind.
He's back on a toenail now.
Maybe they transform gradually?
That's twice now, he goes dormant for a few days and when he starts moving again there is a bit of him left behind.
He's back on a toenail now.
Maybe they transform gradually?
