✅ Supplies for Adult Beetles
Whether you're keeping beetles for display, breeding, or just as a hobby, having the right setup for adults is just as important as larval care.
Here’s a breakdown of the essential supplies I use and recommend:
🧃 Jelly Holders
Jelly holders keep the jelly in place and prevent it from tipping over or sliding around.
They’re generally made to fit either regular-sized jellies, wide jellies, or both.
The materials used to make them are as follows:
• Natural Wood:
Eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, but can mold easily.
(Example: Item #2)
• PLA (Biodegradable Plastic):
Made from lactic acid, eco-friendly, easy to clean, and doesn’t mold.
(Examples: Items #4, 10)
• Ceramic:
Heavy and mold-resistant, perfect for large species because it’s hard to flip.
(Examples: Items #1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)
Be sure to pick a holder that matches the jelly type you’re using.
🔪 Jelly Cutter
This is a handy tool for cutting standard jelly cups in half to make them easier for males to eat from (especially those with large mandibles).
Not needed for wide jellies, but if you’re using standard jellies, it’s a game-changer.
• Item #1 is a single-cut version.
• Item #2 can cut two jellies at once for convenience.
🕸️ Anti-Flip Materials (Play Wood / Mesh)
One of the most common causes of death in adult beetles is flipping over and not being able to right themselves, especially dangerous on smooth surfaces.
To help prevent this:
• Item #1 : Plastic mesh screens are also super effective and easy to clean.
• Item #2 : Wood pieces (like thin branches or firewood chunks) are common and easy to use.
• Item #3 : Heavy ceramic products are ideal for large species since they can’t be flipped easily. 
🛏️ Bedding for Adults
There are lots of choices: fermented substrate, aspen, wood pellets, etc.
But in my experience, moisture retention is the key factor.
After a lot of testing, I personally settled on coconut chips.
They hold moisture well and are chunky enough to help beetles right themselves if flipped.
To make the bedding even more stable, I mix in large orchid bark chips.
🌳 Breeding Logs
Breeding logs are essential for certain species of stag beetles to lay eggs, but they’re getting harder to find.
They’re basically just discarded mushroom growing logs, but these days, most mushroom farms use compressed substrate blocks instead of logs, so natural mushroom logs are becoming rare.
Most of the breeding logs available today are sourced from a few small mushroom farms, or imported from China or Taiwan.