Black Buffalo Beetles - Cleaner Crews For Dubia Roaches - Ships Same Day Free

Description

These are professionally bred and raised Buffalo beetle cleaner crews for Dubia roach colonies. They eat leftover food particles and moist frass (roach poop), thus reducing the substrate that mold and bacteria use to gain a foothold and thrive. By definition, a roach colony overrun by mold or bacteria is an unhealthy one. Buffalo beetles and their larvae reduce the risk of this happening between cleanings, and they may allow the time between cleanings to be extended. In this way, adding Buffalo beetles to roach colonies helps promote good colony health, growth, and productivity.
While Buffalo beetles can be used as cleaners for any roach species, they are particularly helpful for Dubia roaches. B. Dubia are somewhat die-off prone, and cleaning crews are often recommended (and used) by the professionals who raise them.
Buffalo beetles are perhaps the most commonly used cleaner insect in Dubia roach colonies. They are efficient, prolific, and they thrive in the same conditions used to raise Dubia roaches.
Buffalo beetles are technically named
Alphitobius diaperinus,
and are commonly known as
lesser mealworms or litter beetles. They are very similar to actual mealworms, but they are smaller. In nature, they are found in the warmth and nutritional richness of manure piles, so they are right at home in roach frass.
NOTE:  Cleaner crew size is approximate. We try to overstock each order 10 to 20%. There may be a mix of beetles/larvae, depending on the mix in the colony at the time they're collected. Beetles and larvae both function as cleaner crews.
Default shipping is FREE via USPS First Class mail. We also offer expedited shipping below cost.
Regarding size, 50 is plenty for small and medium Dubia colonies. The 200 and 500 numbers are for either very large Dubia (or other) roach colonies or for multiple colonies. 500 of the cleaner insects, for example, can be split between five 30-gallon Dubia colonies. In the end, it's OK to go a little over or under with respect to number. Their population will rise or fall over the course of a few months depending on conditions, which includes food availability.
NOTE: Please order only if you can securely house these insects. They can't climb anything Dubia roaches can't climb, so they generally work well for roach-keepers in Dubia colonies. However, you are solely responsible for them, so do your research first to be sure they're right for you and your situation. We have read that Buffalo beetles may be considered pests in some situations (like poultry plants where they live in manure). We have also heard reports that under specific circumstances (including very high heat, humidity, and at night), the beetles may be able to fly, though we have not observed this in our own colonies.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the following to maximize the chance of live arrival in cold or hot weather.
All orders received before the shipping cut-off time M-F are shipped the same day. Orders received after cut-off Friday and weekends ship Monday. We may ship Saturday, but no promises. We ship fast, so keep an eye on tracking.
How to maximize the chance of live arrival:
(
1) if your temperature is between 40
°F and 85°F
: No need to do anything special.
(
2) your temp is below 40°F or above 85°F
: A heat/cold pack and post office hold for pickup is strongly recommended. You can expect DOA if you don't take measures to assure live arrival.
These things are important. Please take care to assure your Buffalo beetles survive shipping.
A post office hold is free. Your local post office will email you when your package arrives. We use your ebay email, so let us know if you want us to enter a different one. A post office hold greatly increases the chance your cleaner crews will arrive alive in extreme temperatures.
Please be careful when it is very hot or cold (very = above 85°F or below 40°F). Buying insects involves risk, but they can be mitigated. We do all we can on our end, but there are things you may need to do on your end.
These may include being aware of your weather forecast, choosing the right shipping method, heat or cooling packs, being home for delivery, post office hold, not letting the package sit overnight at the post office, etc.
When it's hot
(particularly above 85
°F
): A post office hold is best. Cooling packs are second. The main cause of loss
by far
is (a) being out for delivery all day in the heat and (b) being left in a hot location (mail box, porch). If you avoid these two things, you avoid 90% of the risk.
When it's cold
(particularly below freezing): A post office hold with heat pack is best, but it depends on how cold it is. When it's cold there are a few more ways for loss to occur, but it depends how cold it is. When it's very cold (near or below freezing), losses are usually caused by (a) sitting in a mailbox, uncollected, with no heat pack, (b) sitting in a post office overnight, uncollected, with no heat pack, and (c) being out for delivery all day with no heat pack. If it's 40
°F
, for example, you might get away with all of these things. If it's 20
°F
, you probably wouldn't get away with any of them.
If there is ever a problem with your order, please contact us directly! We'll see what we can do to resolve it. For live arrival issues, please contact us within 2 hours of delivery and include photos of all the insects, live and dead, to confirm their condition. You can attach photos to messages on ebay. If you do this, we will issue a refund for the ones that didn't make it, or we can discuss other options.
MAIL OPTIONS:
USPS First Class Mail
(free)
Estimated arrival: 1-4 days, excluding Sunday.
We are near a USPS hub, so most packages arrive in 2-3 days. The odd package will be faster or slower, depending on your location.
USPS Priority Mail
(fastest)
Estimated arrival: 1-3 days, excluding Sunday.
RESTRICTIONS:
NOTE: We do not ship these insects to Hawaii or Puerto Rico unless you have a permit.