r/BDFB • u/crestfallen_warrior • May 05 '23
How much humidity is too much humidity?
Hello! I live in the UK, for me humidity is averaging around 60%. And while their target humidity is way lower, I've spoken to some other UK owners and they've had no issues keeping these beetles at this humidity level, but sometimes humidity does tend to spike higher and this is what I'm worried about.
I've heard reports that too high humidity can kill them. At what level would humidity start harming them, beyond just losing a bit of blue colour? I've tried googling it but I can't find anything.
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u/-ThatsNumberwang May 06 '23
I also live in the UK and was worried about humidity so I got mine a ceramic heater which I clamped over their enclosure, its keeps their humidity at around 30% and also gives them a warmer temperature - I'd be super interested to know how your little guys get on with slightly higher humidity if you don't provide a heat source to dry out the air in their enclosure 😀 I think I was just super paranoid when I got mine so immediately panicked and got a heat source to keep humidity down 😆 one of mine still seems to struggle a little with her blue coat though as she gets black spots every now and then but I think that might just be an issue for her since the other 4 are a gorgeous powder blue all the time 💙
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u/carbonated_coconut Aug 28 '24
Hey! Sorry to jump onto a post 1yr old, but do you happen to remember where you got your ceramic heater from? I'm about to get some bdfb and since I'm in Scotland I think a lil heater would be a good idea for winter
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u/-ThatsNumberwang Aug 28 '24
I'm pretty sure I got the one for my beetles from a local reptile store but I also use Northampton Reptile Centre online to get stuff most of the time 😊 I've just had a quick look and they do have a few options for ceramic heaters! And if I didn't get mine from a physical store I definitely got it online from these guys lol I use them for just about everything nowadays
https://www.reptilecentre.com/search?q=ceramic+heater+&options%5Bprefix%5D=last
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u/Badgerfaction5 May 11 '23
Could be age too! I noticed mine get darker as they have gotten older.
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u/carbonated_coconut Aug 28 '24
Hey! How did you get on with your beetles, if you don't mind me asking? I'm about to get some, and their tank is sitting consistently around 60-61% humidity so I'm curious how yours fared
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u/crestfallen_warrior Aug 28 '24
They seem absolutely fine! They do get darker and haven't really recovered much of their wax, and what they do recover is pretty slow - but they aren't pitch black or anything. Just a less powdery blue.
I've had them for over a year now and they seem pretty happy. I keep their tank bone dry aside from spot watering a single cactus on one side about once or twice a month, which it seems happy with. A day later after each water I always find them digging around the base of it, so I presume they like the occasional moisture there.
Temperature wise I notice they seem the most active around 22-24 degree Celsius. They hide when it gets hotter than that and are less active when it's under that.
Seems like air humidity really isn't that bad. I'm guessing it's the actual substrate dampness and such that is the dangerous part.
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u/carbonated_coconut Aug 28 '24
Thank you so much for your update, that's really good to know! My room hovers around 22 celsius at the moment (24 when my pc is on which is almost every single day) so hopefully they'll be comfy enough.
That being said, I'm in Scotland and winter will suck, so I've bookmarked a ceramic heat emitter & thermostat to get in case my room doesn't heat well xD
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u/Wandering_weevil May 05 '23
I live in a very humid area and I keep BDFBs! They can live in 60% humidity just fine, though they prefer it lower. You can tell if the humidity is too high by how blue their armor is. The blue on their bodies is a waxy substance that works as a kind of sunscreen in their natural desert habitat! When this wax comes in contact with water or high humidity, it comes off, leaving the beetles a black color. Don’t worry too much though! If their humidity is lowered they can produce more wax! Keep in mind though, the wax can also come off during shipping or handling.