Worms? In dubai roach container?

[Katienic]

I also have buffalo beetles in the container but I've noticed that there are what seem to be very very tiny worms? Is this normal or how are they getting in there

 

[MsCarter]

Are you ordering your roaches in bulk? If they are small little black worms (the real tiny ones may be white/clear) and occasionally little black beetles these are completely normal. They are actually called "the cleaner crew" and help keep the cage clean by eating debris. While they aren't the best nutritionally for your dragon they certainly won't hurt him/her if you accidentally feed any either.

 

[Katienic]

Are you ordering your roaches in bulk? If they are small little black worms (the real tiny ones may be white/clear) and occasionally little black beetles these are completely normal. They are actually called "the cleaner crew" and help keep the cage clean by eating debris. While they aren't the best nutritionally for your dragon they certainly won't hurt him/her if you accidentally feed any either.

You can barley notice them but they are just like a white color or something it's hard to tell because they are so small. Haven't noticed any black worms. And I ordered the buffalo beetles (the cleaner crew) separately from my roaches. Didn't notice these worms or whatever until a while later

 

[MsCarter]

I've noticed them too they are very small and almost clear in color? Im not 100% sure what they are exactly. I've always assumed they were newborn cleaner crew. The worms are actually the larvae state of the beetles and I believe they are white/clear in color at first than they grow and turn black before turning into a beetle. When you order in bulk most places will have these beetles and worms in their colonies to keep things a little more sanitary. Sometimes they scoop some of them up with the Dubias.

 

[Sina]

Its good to have a few living with your dubia colony--they clean up the carcasses

 

[Varalidaine]

They could also be fruit fly larva. I know fruit fly's get into EVERY feeder bin I have, darn pesky things.

 

[MsCarter]

Ahh yes varalidaine, didn't even think of that. They definitely get into my bin as well however I do not know what their larvae actually looks like so I never put two and two together. It's definitely something I'll look into now

 

[Varalidaine]

They look like itty bitty teeny tiny pheonix worms. Just a clear/white wriggly larva.

 

[MsCarter]

Good to know. That description fits what I have seen in the past. I always just assumed they were cleaner crew as well. Thank you for that info

 

[Katienic]

I've noticed a crap ton in mine now. Is it okay to just get rid of them? It's kinda disgusting, you can see them moving under the frauss. And while they are in there, they aren't any harm to the insects in there are they? They just keep multiplying it's getting insane. Some are getting/are a brownish colour now

 

[Rankins]

Its probably phorid fly larva, they are clear and white. If you find fruit fly looking bugs around your container they are probably phorids. The flies tend to run on the surface of things more than fruit flies.
If you have them in your bin I would clean out the bin, save as many lesser mealworms as you can. Reduce humidity in your bin for a couple weeks. The reduced humidity and the lesser mealworms will probably clean up the infestation.
I had them in my bin for a couple weeks and I did exactly what I'm advising and the infestation was gone in about 7-10 days. Hope this helps.