im going 2 buy i mealworm bin 2 breed and feed mealworms (and sometimes sale).but i have no idea how 2 breed them,or feed them
They should be housed in some high quality gutload. I like the stuff from cricketfood.com. You'll want 1-3 inches on the bottom, then throw some veggies on the top. (Make sure you change out the veggies every few days so they don't go moldy.) I like using baby carrots but potatos work well too. You want to make sure the bin they're in stays warm, 75-80 seems to be best for my guys. You will also want to make sure that they have plenty of ventilation. Mealworms don't really climb so you can just leave their container open with no lid if you feel it's deep enough. Along with ventilation, you want to make sure they have enough room to crawl around so that they aren't competing for space or food. If you notice die-off you can try lessening the number of worms you have in there or you can try adding some egg cartons for them to crawl on. You also want to sure that the bedding stays dry and clean. Cleaning the bin once a month or so would probably help out.
Fiche is correct on mealworm care. I have a breeding Superworms care sheet on my site. (My Sig has a link to my site.) Mealies and supers are just about the same when it comes to breeding. It should help you out. If you have any questions just ask. Robert
all i do with mine is dump some chicken food in roofing tubs from home depot,then stick them in the garage...i never do anything to mine,and now i've got millions!!
Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!!! when it gets cold i just shove them under the bed,i just cant see spending all kinds of money on feeder worms,i spend about $7 to set up a new colony,all you have to do is set one up wait like 4-5 months split it into a new tub and you have double the meals,and theres nothing to clean out,i dont give mine any veggies or anything
RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!!! How the heck are they still living with no water..... Also I'm hoping you gutload them 48 hours before feeding.
RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!!! they have been living and breeding for 4+ years. and yes they r gut loaded TUX
RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!!! What do you guys do with the beetles? Dont you get beetles all over when trying to empty out the mealies? And does anything eat the beetles?
Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!!! Maybe they eat each other for moisture?? :shock:
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!! That wouldnt work....they need to be getting it from the outside at some point.
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE PLZ!! Oh yes they will eat each other for moisture. And as long as there is enough in the colony they can easily sustain themselves by eating each other for moisture. Putting a few iceburg lettuce leaves on top every two days is all the moisture they need. Worms and beetles alike.
Back when I used to breed mealies this is how I did it. I had 3 mealie containers in various stages of development. I did not keep them in the fridge. Ever. The first container has my oldest mealies in it. Whenever I see an alien I will put it into container number 2. Number 2 had fresh gutload in it when it started and nothing else. I let the aliens turn into beetles, breed and lay eggs in container 2. Then when container 2 started producing aliens I put the aliens in container 3, which was set up just like the first two with fresh virgin gutload. When container one gets close to empty I put the remaining mealies in cotainer two and throw out the old gutload. I will then put in fresh gutload so it can start to take aliens from container 3. The whole cycle then repeats itself. Container 2 becomes container 1, container 3 becomes container 2, container 1 becomes container 3. Its a never ending cycle.
Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVICE P Where are the ones they are eating getting their moisture from though? You clearly know more than I do...I just dont understand how that would work. Wouldnt there be moisture loss constantly...and with no outside input wouldnt they eventually run dry?
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVI That depends on humidity levels. If it is very dry/arid were you live your colony will suffer much more by not adding lettuce for a moisture source than a region that has high humidity levels. Yes I am saying they absorb some of their moisture straight from the air.
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVI I can attest to the fact that you can forget about them and still get mealworms. I forgot there were 10-12 worms in a tub a while back... by the time I looked in there again it was full of mealworms. Surprisingly tough little things, no wonder they can be a devastating pest.
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: how do u breed mealworms????ADVI wow i would of never new ppl new so much about meallies