ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

[Kurt]

Thats what I thought they were, but wasn't certain or was sure on how to spell it. My guess is most crickets "farms" also raise these as well. The beetles are flighted, so do manage to get around.

[Tom Highum]

Kurt why would cricket farms also raise these guys? What would happen if you fed these to your pets?

[Kurt]

I have fed the beetles to my fire-bellies and a few other critters from time to time. The hairs on the larva make me think they could be harmful if swallowed.

Dermestid beetles are used in museums and similar insitutions to clean flesh from skeletons. If you have ever seen "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel you may have seen the episode in where they show this being done. Mike Rowe went to Skulls Unlimited and showed how they prepare skulls and skeletons for museums and private collectors. Here is a page their website explaining the process. http://www.skullcleaning.com/record_services.php?id=1

[Kerry1968]

I quite often get a couple of these larvae in with my crickets, I sent an email to one of the online suppliers that I have bought crickets from in the past, he told me they were harmless as both larva and beetle. I have put them in with my Kassina and they haven't caused any problems, though seem to live longer than the crickets!