Do You Water Your Dermestid Colony?
Water and the bugs...there seems to be a lot of confusion on whether dermestids need water and if they do how often. Some say they get all the water that is needed from their food while others dutifully water them at various rates.One thing, most seem to understand is that these little crawlies are living creatures and they do need some hydration ...beyond that there is a "they are doing great with what I am doing" attitude.
However, no one seems to know how to find out if they are thirsty.
Guess what, it doesn't take a genius to find that out,
All you need to do is water them by spritzing a paper towel and then come back in 10 minutes or so......If you find lots of bugs drinking then they need more water.
One last point, if the colony is water shorted you will have less eggs laid and more eggs and pupae cannibalized.
There is always more room for improvement. If you raise these critters as if they were livestock and you will do much better.
There is always more room for improvement. If you raise these critters as if they were livestock and you will do much better.
