While developing LB jelly, I naturally became interested in creating a jelly holder that would match it well.
I have two 3D printers that I bought as a hobby a few years ago, and I decided to give them a try.
To begin with, I carefully examined the various jelly holders I already had.
Personally, I tend to avoid jelly holders made from real wood due to mold issues, except when I was a kid.
Instead, I prefer holders made from materials like ABS, PLA, resin, or ceramic, which do not develop mold easily and are simple to clean.
That’s when a plastic jelly holder that was widely sold in Korea caught my attention.
This was a product I used frequently before switching to KIB holders.
Although it had some raised grooves around the outer edge, they weren’t very effective, and smaller beetles often struggled to climb up.
The structure also made it very easy to tip over.
Because of this, I wanted to design a model shaped like a stump with thick roots, something stable and structured so that even small beetles could climb up easily along the outer surface.
Since I had never done any 3D modeling before, the first step was to find a suitable stump model.
The first place I searched was Cults 3D, which I’ve always used regularly, and fortunately,
I came across a small model that I really liked.
I contacted the designer, received permission, and proceeded with production.
The design goals were as follows.
▪ An exterior that even small beetles can climb easily
▪ Compatibility with both wide (16g) and standard (16g) insect jelly
▪ Strongly resistant to mold
▪ Safe for insects
▪ Easy to clean
For the material, I decided to use PLA, an eco-friendly plastic made by fermenting plant starch.
It is a non-toxic material that many freshwater shrimp breeders use without issues, so it is also safe for insects.
Because it is plastic, as long as the structure is not overly complex, it is easy to clean and does not develop mold.
Of course, PLA can deform if exposed to temperatures above 140°F (60°C) for extended periods.
However, there are no pet species that are kept at such temperatures, and there is no real need to go through the trouble of washing it with hot water anyway.
Initial model before adding gaps to the outer surface
Standard jelly (left) / Wide jelly (middle) — clean fit
In order to use LB jelly, the holder needed to be compatible with 0.5-oz cups.
So I increased the diameter of the opening by about 5 mm.
Although the very top of the cup inevitably protrudes in terms of appearance, it can now be mounted securely.
Ideally, I would have liked to design it so that the cup could be fully recessed up to the rim.
However, widening the hole that much would make it larger than the top diameter of a standard jelly,
which would prevent standard jellies from being held securely.
Just for fun, I also made a holder that could be fixed inside a standard 16-oz deli cup,
But the holder had to be reduced to about two-thirds of its original size.
It may be possible to create a product compatible with LB jelly by making the holder flatter and placing it against the wall of the cup rather than in the center.
Imagine being able to rear beetles under 4cm in a 16-oz deli cup.
it would result in significant space savings.
This is a TPU jelly holder commonly used in Japan.
TPU is a material with excellent flexibility.
I tried making something with a similar feel, but considering the production time,
I decided it would be better not to pursue it.
As an experiment, I also made an angled jelly holder with a tilt of about 25–30 degrees.
I thought it had a nice appearance, but the wide-type jelly and the 0.5 oz cup could not be secured stably.
Even a small impact caused them to slip out of the hole.
So I reduced the angle to 20 degrees and tried adding a latch.
But after thinking it through, I realized that since PLA has no flexibility at all, unlike TPU.
The standard type could still be attached and removed, but the wide-type jelly and the 0.5 oz cup, which fit very tightly, couldn’t be mounted at all. 😂
I decided to set the angled holder aside for now and try engraving my logo onto the holder instead.
I planned to add the LB INSECT™ mark on the side wall, and on the bottom, the initials LBI (for Lazybugs Insect), JHM2 (Jelly Holder Mark 2), along with the production year.
However, to be honest, the bottom surface ended up looking too cluttered.
Something could easily get trapped in the recessed areas, making it difficult to clean.
Because of that, I decided to remove all text from the bottom.
At some point, the more I looked at the 0.5 oz cup, the more I began to wonder, “Do I really need to use this cup at all?”
So I decided to create a separate “cup” using PETG, a more durable material.
It fits cleanly without any protruding parts and can be reused with simple cleaning, which is a major advantage.
This is a jelly holder from KIB, a product imported from Korea that I carry in my shop.
It has a very simple and compact design, and personally, it’s one of the holders I use most often.
This product line also has a fixing plate that allows two holders to be connected together,
and it can be combined with a slider as well.
The main reason I wanted to create an angled holder in the first place was to design a jelly holder that would allow stag beetles with long mandibles to feed cleanly without wasting jelly.
With that in mind, I thought, “What if I made an angled holder specifically to match this KIB holder?”
And I immediately put the idea into action.
A seriously impressive holder is made.
It fits securely and is easy to attach and remove.
Now it’s time to move into mass production.
The standard color lineup will include beige, brown, and dark brown.
The angled holder made specifically for KIB at the front, as well as the standard jelly holders in the second row, are produced in PLA.
The third row at the very back, however, is made from PLA infused with real wood powder.
From left to right, the colors are Birch, Oak, Teak wood, and Walnut.
What makes this lineup especially interesting is that it actually has a real wood scent, and the texture also carries a subtle wooden feel.
While there is still a possibility of mold, these holders are far more resistant to mold than products made from real solid wood.
This series is a perfect fit for breeders who prefer a more natural aesthetic.
Usage photos from my old friend "Lucas A"
Usage photos from another friend.
He used it in a gecko enclosure.
I’m not sure whether it will actually be released for sale yet, but a jumbo-size version designed for 2-oz cups is currently in production and testing.
This holder is intended for large species, such as large beetles like Megasoma, Chalcosoma, and Dynastes, including situations where large numbers are housed together, such as with cockroaches or crickets.
One of my customers who placed a bulk order received a few jelly holder samples from me, and kindly left positive feedback along with one suggestion regarding the KIB Jelly Holder.
The idea was “Wouldn’t it be easier to attach and detach the KIB Jelly Holder if it were made from a more flexible material?”
Of course, that’s definitely possible.
There’s an excellent material called TPU that could be used.
However, the molds for the KIB jelly holder were intentionally designed to hold the holder firmly in place, and I also added a hole at the bottom for a specific reason.
The round hole at the bottom is meant so that you can insert a finger and push the KIB jelly holder out from below.
And, there is another reason as well.
The KIB jelly holder has a straight slit that helps secure the top of the jelly, and sometimes female stag beetles puncture the jelly packaging.
When that happens, the liquid jelly can occasionally leak down through that area.
I personally don’t assume that everyone is very diligent about cleaning their holders every time they replace the jelly.
If the liquid leaks and remains trapped under the KIB holder for several days, it can easily become a place where mites start to proliferate.
For that reason, I thought it would be more hygienic to simply let any leaked liquid drain into the bedding, which is why I added the hole.
Another reason the holder is designed to fit tightly is that small beetle species sometimes push the KIB holder upward from below through the opening.
To prevent that from happening, I made the fit intentionally firm and secure.
Since the customer made the suggestion, I went ahead and made a test version using the black TPU I have on hand.
It turned out better than I expected.
The only issue is that the printing time is about 2.5 times longer than with the filament I was using before.
I looked for TPU filament in brown tones, but aside from brands I personally don’t prefer, it was impossible to find a deep brown that met my standards.
The only option was the Cocoa Brown color from Bambu Lab, but the issue is that it’s 90A.
Since 90A felt a bit too flexible, I tried to find an 85A version, but couldn’t locate one.
So for now, I ordered that color along with a standard brown 85A from another brand and gave it a try.
The results are a bit inconclusive.
The 85A standard brown model printed quite solidly, but with the 90A Cocoa Brown, 3 out of 5 pieces tore in half while being removed from the build plate.
It seems that its excessive flexibility comes at the cost of durability.
Even after increasing the thickness and density, it still feels unreliable.
I also tested them for three days with Dorcus titanus yasuokai, and some of the females actually chewed holes into the TPU holders with their mandibles.
It was an interesting attempt, but in my opinion, it’s not quite suitable as a product for sale.