Beetles make fascinating pets despite their relatively short lifespans. Owners love watching how they interact with each other and go about their daily business. However, as with any pet, providing a balanced diet is crucial. Beetle jelly is one of the best ways to ensure they get all of the necessary nutrients. In this guide, we’ll examine everything you need to know about beetle jelly and why it’s a good option for your insect friends!
Remember: beetle jelly is food for beetles, not jelly made of beetles!
Beetle Jelly Offers Nutrients in a Concentrated Form
Beetle jelly is a processed food for beetles that contains all the key nutrients they require. The advantage of this jelly is that it has everything they need in a concentrated form. Usually, beetle jellies contain proteins, lactic acids, sugars, and vitamins to supplement beetles’ diet.
But how did beetle jelly come about? Beetle-keeping began in Japan over 50 years ago, and breeders developed this type of jelly as a convenient food for their prized specimens. It’s relatively cheap and easy to find online or in pet stores. You can buy multipacks of jelly in plastic cups. Simply remove the lid and leave it for your beetles to enjoy.
One advantage is that it’s not as messy or smelly as whole foods like bananas or apples. It can be cleaner for your substrate and more manageable for busy owners. Unopened and refrigerated beetle jelly has a long shelf life, so you can stock up.
It’s important to note that different brands will have varying ingredients. Cheaper beetle jellies contain more sugars and fewer vitamins, so check the label to ensure they meet your pet insect’s needs.
Beetles Need a Variety of Vitamins to Thrive
There are roughly 400,000 beetle species worldwide. Their dietary requirements ultimately depend on their lifecycles, habitat, and other needs. However, beetles of all species generally need similar nutrients like nitrogen, vitamin B, calcium, and vitamin C. Most beetles are herbivores and get these by eating vegetation, wood, and dead plant matter.
Others, including black beetles and Asian lady beetles, are carnivorous. Here, it can be tricky to meet their dietary needs, so beetle jelly is a convenient solution. It would offer the same vitamins and nutrients they would get from eating other live insects, such as crickets.
Should I Give My Beetles Fruits and Vegetables?
Theoretically, your beetles could thrive by only eating beetle jelly. However, it’s best to offer a varied diet. In addition to jelly, continue giving your beetles fruit (such as sliced bananas and apples) and vegetables. This will provide them with a vitamin boost but also increase their activity in the insectarium or vivarium. Use beetle jelly as the foundation of their diet to reduce the amount of fresh vegetables and fruit you give them.
Also, check out your individual species’ needs. Insect nutrition can be very specific. For example, deathwatch and longhorn beetles love eating wood. Replicate their natural environment by providing them with some. Not only will this enhance their habitat, but you’ll also get hours of entertainment watching your beetles burrow through logs, sticks, and branches.
How Often Should I Feed My Beetles?
Different beetle species require varying feeding schedules. It also depends on the type of food that you give them. The advantage of beetle jelly is that you can leave it in the vivarium until it runs low or mold grows on top of it. If you give them fresh food, you must replace it more often.
Many experts advise feeding pet beetles once or twice a day. Occasionally provide them with treats but don’t overfeed them because this can cause health problems. At the same time, underfeeding is also an issue because it can stunt their growth and cause nutrient deficiencies. We highly recommend beetle jelly for more expensive and rare species, like rhino beetles and stag beetles.
Can I Feed Beetle Jelly to Other Insects?
It’s usually perfectly fine to give beetle jelly to other insects. Beetles are among the most common insect pets, but some people also keep ants, praying mantises, and even Madagascar hissing cockroaches! However, insect nutrition can vary across species, so do your research to ensure they get everything they need. Remember, many insects have very specific traits or habits that owners must consider.
For example, stick insects love eating leaves, while praying mantises are pure carnivores. Beetle jelly isn’t suitable for every pet bug but can be a good supplement for many species. Remember, beetle jelly is not intended for human consumption, but it shouldn’t do any harm if a child eats it by accident! After all, it’s just a mixture of sugar, protein, and other nutrients that bugs love.
You Can Make Your Own Beetle Jelly
It’s possible to make homemade beetle jelly, and you can have some fun with different recipes. However, be careful to ensure that it has all the nutrients your beetles need because this is the tricky part. It may be too risky for more exotic species like Atlas or giant flower beetles because they require specialized diets.
At its core, beetle jelly contains sugar, agar, fruit, and vegetables. There are many recipes for beetle jelly on forums and blogs across the internet, but we advise consulting a professional beetle keeper before making your own.
