Peanut Beetle Care & Feeding Guide

PEANUT BEETLES ARE VERY EASY TO KEEP & BREED

Peanut Beetles are a low-maintenance feeder colony and an excellent way to maintain a continuous supply of small live-food larvae at home.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR COLONY

1. Rolled oats
Cover the bottom of the container with a layer of rolled oats. The beetles will feed on them and they also help form the base of the colony.

2. Egg carton
Add a piece of cardboard egg tray. Peanut Beetles love hiding and gathering on it, particularly underneath and around the folds.

3. Monkey nuts
Place several monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) around the container. Lightly crack some of the shells so the beetles can easily enter them. The beetles readily use the peanut shells and developing larvae can often be found inside and around them.

4. Ventilation
Make plenty of very small ventilation holes in the lid. The holes must provide airflow but must be small enough that adult beetles cannot pass through them.

⚠ IMPORTANT – PREVENT ESCAPES

Do not allow the egg carton, monkey nuts or any other material inside the colony to touch the lid.

Adult Peanut Beetles can use these materials as a bridge to reach the lid and ventilation holes. Always leave a clear gap between the contents of the colony and the lid to help prevent escapes.

WHAT SHOULD I FEED TO MY PET?

The long, active larvae are the feeder stage. They are pale cream/yellow, elongated and usually move actively when disturbed.

As a larva approaches pupation it becomes shorter, curved and much less active. At this stage many predators may show less interest because the insect barely moves.

The next stage is the pupa. It may look curled or almost embryo-shaped and remains relatively still. This is completely normal and means a new beetle is developing.

KNOW THE LIFE STAGES

Egg → Larva → Pupa → Newly emerged beetle → Mature adult beetle

A newly emerged beetle can initially appear much lighter or brown in colour. As the exoskeleton hardens, the beetle becomes progressively darker.

Different life stages can be present in the colony at the same time. This is completely normal and is a sign of an active breeding colony.

⚠ IMPORTANT FEEDING INFORMATION

DO NOT OFFER ADULT PEANUT BEETLES AS FEEDER PREY.

Adult beetles can release defensive secretions when disturbed or stressed. Only the larvae are intended to be used as feeder insects.

We recommend using clean feeding tweezers dedicated to collecting larvae and avoiding contact between those tweezers and adult beetles.

If your tweezers have been used to handle adult beetles, clean them thoroughly before using them to collect feeder larvae.

COLONY CARE

  • Keep the colony warm and at a stable room temperature.
  • Keep the container dry and well ventilated.
  • Keep away from direct sunlight.
  • Do not place directly on a radiator or other strong heat source.
  • Add fresh rolled oats when required.
  • Replace or add monkey nuts as they are consumed.
  • Leave plenty of adult beetles in the colony so breeding can continue.
  • Make sure the ventilation holes remain clear.
  • Make sure ventilation holes are too small for adult beetles to pass through.
  • Always leave a clear gap between the egg carton, monkey nuts and other colony materials and the lid.

DO NOT THROW THE COLONY AWAY IF...

You suddenly see fewer larvae. They may simply have entered the pupal stage.

You see pale or brown newly emerged beetles. Their colour will darken as they mature.

You see larvae and pupae inside or around peanut shells. These are normal stages of the colony's development.

STARTER COLONY NOTICE

A starter colony is a living, continuously developing culture. The exact proportion of adults, larvae and pupae will naturally vary. Larvae may pupate during preparation, transport or shortly after arrival, and new adult beetles may emerge.

This is a normal part of the Peanut Beetle life cycle and does not indicate that the colony is faulty.

Spider Food UK
Home bred live feeder insects for jumping spiders, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians and other insectivores.