Depending on your purpose of rearing adult scarab beetles, setup environment may different. Here I will discuss two basic setup for individual rearing and reproduction purposes.
Individual Setup:
Not so many scarab beetles are communal, you cannot set same sex (especially males with large horns and mandibles) together, and expect them to be friend. Therefore you may have to set them up separately and individually if you have multiple adult beetles. It is very simplistic and space-saving to rear individually compared to the one for breeding.
Materials: small to large plastic container (at least 16 US fl oz), substrate/sphagnum moss, wood pieces, and beetle jelly!
First of all, moisturize beetle substrate or sphagnum moss. Substrate is very traditional and very natural way of keeping your beetles, while sphagnum moss is new way found to keep your beetles little more cleaner with less mess, and you can easily moisten or replace them. Here I will discuss with sphagnum moss. Pour them into a container with ventilation hole! A ventilation hole is very important so your beetles can breathe!! If you are using a general plastic container not manufactured to rear animals, you must punch multiple holes on container!!
Add wood pieces and beetle jelly.
Place your beetle, and close a lid. Done!!
Mist as often as needed. Mist when surface of substrate dried out.
Breeding Setup:
This may be complicated way compared to Individual Setup as above, but follow my direction, it will be as easy as a pie!! This is a general setup for scarab beetles and stag beetles, but each species has their own preferences and can be different. Please refer to this as a general guidance to set your beetles up once you receive your order. Do not add multiple pairs into one setup!!
Materials: large plastic container (over 2-3 US Gallons), substrate, wood pieces, and beetle jelly and jelly dish!
Unlike Individual Setup, substrate is required, and sphagnum moss cannot replace it. This is because eggs can only be laid in substrate. Also you need a whole lot more substrate in a larger container.
Moisturize beetle substrate, and pour them into a container. A size of container should be about 10 inches deep or deeper. Fill substrate up to the very top with about 1 to 3 inches space at top. I filled about 6 inches in this container. A ventilation hole is, again, very important so your beetles can breathe!! If you are using a general plastic container not manufactured to rear animals, you must punch multiple holes on container!!
Press down substrate with your palm slightly. Don't add too much pressure, just a little padding.
Place and layout wood pieces however you like, and make sure there is no big empty spot. Place your beetle jelly into jelly dish, or on substrate. This wood pieces help beetles standing right up when they are flipped over. Because beetles are rounded body, they are having difficult time flipping over without help. Provide enough wood pieces to grab onto!
You can add wood pieces and branches to climb on to tank top, but think about laying down on surface more than anything standing up or leaning on. 2D more than 3D!!
Place your beetles!! Mist as often as needed. Mist when surface of substrate dried out.
Your beetles may or may not dig into substrate, and not showing their face as often as you open container. This is completely normal. Each beetle has their own characters. Do not worry! They will make a living on their own!! If you have any further question, leave us a comment, talk to us via email and chat. We will get back to you as soon as possible.