During this second visit, I installed a bass shaker and an exciter underneath the crates housing the beetles. Since darkling beetles do not have ears, they perceive sound through vibrations. I tested a range of sounds, from simple sine waves to repetitive drum patterns. From these observations, I noticed that the beetles responded most positively to repetitive, percussive sounds at a moderate volume. As soon as they were exposed to the sound, we could see an increase in activity and mating behavior.

In the coming months, I’ll be composing music for them to enjoy on an hourly basis. We will monitor the number of eggs laid to evaluate whether music can enhance the beetles' lives over the long term.

In the photos, you can see the bass shaker setup, a top view of the crate, and another crate where we’re experimenting with light and LEGO constructions.

The Hungry EcoCities project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101069990.

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