Darkling Beetle Life Cycle
- Darkling beetles are an invasive species and a significant pest in the poultry industry.
- Darkling beetles have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Life stages overlap, as new eggs are laid daily.
- Adults are very active, capable of flying up to a mile. They can travel from barns to nearby farms and residential areas.
- During an extended downtime, when no food or water is present, beetle movement between facilities increases, as they are in search of food.
- The environment in modern poultry barns offer ideal conditions such as warmth, food, and moisture for darkling beetles to thrive. Beetle populations can expand quickly if there are no control measures in place.
- Egg hatch within 4-7 days, larval stage is between 35-65 days, and the pupal stage 5-10 days.
- Females lay 200-400 eggs on average and adults live approximately 3-12 months.
- Darkling beetles are known vectors of disease pathogens. Some of these diseases include: avian influenza, salmonella, fowl pox and botulism. Diseases can be spread from one flock to the next.
Did you know some beetles are not considered pests. "Ladybugs" are beetles and are considered to be good luck in many cultures. "Fireflies" and "Lightning bugs" are also beetles. They glow in the dark to communicate. Beetles cannot see very well, so they communicate using pheromones, sounds and vibrations. Some species destroy crops and property, while some help the environment by getting rid of garbage, eating dead trees and pollinating flowers. Their larvae love to eat pet hair, carpet, leather, furniture, feathers, dog food, corn meal, cereal, flour, etc.
