Pest or darkling beetles+mealworms?

[Patiocoturnix]

Ok I’m not sure but I just went to turn my soul in my quail cages I found some beetles that look kinda like darkling beetles and some larvae that look like tiny mealworms.
-I did throw a bunch of meal worms in there about a month ago I turn the soil every 2-5 days as needed and scoop and add soil as needed the soil is dry.
-are these darkling beetles or some sort of pest?
-should I worry about them or just let them be?
-they are about a 8th to a 4th of a centimeter in length(the larvae) the beetles are about 3/4ths of centimeter in length.
-in the picture it looks very light in color because my camera is not the best the bigger ones are about the color of a meal worm the pics are as zoomed in as possible on my phone.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Ok I’m not sure but I just went to turn my soul in my quail cages I found some beetles that look kinda like darkling beetles and some larvae that look like tiny mealworms.
-I did throw a bunch of meal worms in there about a month ago I turn the soil every 2-5 days as needed and scoop and add soil as needed the soil is dry.
-are these darkling beetles or some sort of pest?
-should I worry about them or just let them be?
-they are about a 8th to a 4th of a centimeter in length(the larvae) the beetles are about 3/4ths of centimeter in length.
-in the picture it looks very light in color because my camera is not the best the bigger ones are about the color of a meal worm the pics are as zoomed in as possible on my phone.

I was able to get a video of some and I am almost 100% sure they are mealworms they have the stripes near thier heads and they have the two little antenna poking out of thier heads.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Looks like a darkling beetle to me. Whether or not they’re pests or to worry is kinda on you. If the quail cage is outside, I’d leave them alone. Free protein

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Looks like a darkling beetle to me. Whether or not they’re pests or to worry is kinda on you. If the quail cage is outside, I’d leave them alone. Free protein

Ok that’s what I was thinking I’m hoping they are mealworms because that is why I threw them in there I was hoping they would breed and it seems like they did and there is hundreds to thousands it seem of the little mealworm larvae.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Ok that’s what I was thinking I’m hoping they are mealworms because that is why I threw them in there I was hoping they would breed and it seems like they did and there is hundreds to thousands it seem of the little mealworm larvae.

My only worry is the quail will find them and over gorge themselves on them and become fat.

 

[jpalmatier83]

My only worry is the quail will find them and over Wo urge themselves on them and become fat.

That could be a concern.

I’m actually surprised the meal worms survived long enough to spawn and grow into beetles. They never would have lasted that long with my chickens…

Maybe your quail aren’t that interested and won’t overeat? This part is beyond my experience level

 

[Patiocoturnix]

That could be a concern.

I’m actually surprised the meal worms survived long enough to spawn and grow into beetles. They never would have lasted that long with my chickens…

Maybe your quail aren’t that interested and won’t overeat? This part is beyond my experience level

Yeah that is true when I feed them mealworms (which I haven’t in a month because mealworms have gone seriously up in price where I live $13 for 200 small mealworms) but they each only eat around 5-7 then don’t take anymore so I don’t know how much I should worry. These whatever they are are also hiding under the hide/house and there’s no way for them to get under it so I don’t think I should worry to much. Thanks for your help.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Yeah that is true when I feed them mealworms (which I haven’t in a month because mealworms have gone seriously up in price where I live $13 for 200 small mealworms) but they each only eat around 5-7 then don’t take anymore so I don’t know how much I should worry. These whatever they are are also hiding under the hide/house and there’s no way for them to get under it so I don’t think I should worry to much. Thanks for your help.

Definitely mealworms I went and I found a bigger one close to the size of the beetles and you can tell they are mealworms.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Definitely mealworms I went and I found a bigger one close to the size of the beetles and you can tell they are mealworms.

I’m surprised by
#1 they didn’t get eaten in the first couple of days as I only put like 15 in a cage of 5
#2 they were able to survive and breed with no food source other than maybe quail feed and in such dry conditions as I live in Florida and the dirt is as dry as can be.

 

[Nabiki]

Do keep an eye on your birds. Given the chance, they will over eat on them. If they are buried, it may take the quail enough effort to get them that they don't overeat, but that could change if the mealworm population gets big enough.