Breeding and maintaining mealworms

[packer43064]

Yeah same here, I work at a LFS. Just a FT job though, lol.

Well, at most I would feed 200 and that's being modest. I want to get a bunch before I really start to feed off of them. Like a few thousand at least.

Also want to sell some(like on ebay) so will need lots of spare mealies. I'm still contemplating how to keep them up in temps. They grow fast at around 80. So either buying a few reptile heating pads for underneath of them or I was thinking a electric blanket would even work. Just for the winter, I have one of them rooms where it's cold in the winter but hot during the summer.

 

[Mystus Redtail]

Stick the containers under the blankets with you at night! LOL. No, j/k. Do you have a furnace room or something that you could put them in?

 

[packer43064]

Stick the containers under the blankets with you at night! LOL. No, j/k. Do you have a furnace room or something that you could put them in?

That'll be good, but then what happens when my GF catches me sleeping with mealworms. lol. Nah, we use gas and my room is the only one without a vent. I'll try the reptile heaters for now and when I get more bins I'll have to figure something out then.

 

[packer43064]

UPDATE

Just some updated pics. Here's their setup again. Their in a warmer room so their all out and sitting on top of stuff and everything. They used to stay at the bottom when it was cold in my room.

Here's a few of them, their absolutely everywhere. I ordered 500 of them about a month and half ago or so.

Here's what one of the pupa's look like. Their the infamous alien stage. Pretty cool huh?

Here's a size comparison shot. Beside it is Hikari the large size pellet.

I have 19 pupa's now.Once I put them in the warmer room(temps around 70-80 F), alot of them started to pupate. This is a little over a weeks worth.

When a mealworm molts, it's skin is white and very pale looking and soft. After a few hours it hardens up and turns the tan color. Here's a pupa that just changed today. It's the one on the right, very pale and an older one which is much tanner on the left. WHen they get close to changing into the beetle the legs will get dark and red, I'll get them pics later when I get one near thst stage.

Enjoy!

 

[ani-mal-lvr]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for all the info.

 

[jartist15]

sweet, i have a bearded dragon and fish, and was getting sick of crickets and feeder guppies this seems like an amazing subsitute i think i will start doing that i probably will pick some up from my lfs with my gf 's discount

 

[Ullopincrate]

This seems like one of the best "grow your own feeders" ideas that I have come across. Thanks for all the info.

 

[packer43064]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for all the info.

Welcome.

sweet, i have a bearded dragon and fish, and was getting sick of crickets and feeder guppies this seems like an amazing subsitute i think i will start doing that i probably will pick some up from my lfs with my gf 's discount

Go for it. Much easier than breeding or keeping crickets. I like crickets and all but these are much easier.

This seems like one of the best "grow your own feeders" ideas that I have come across. Thanks for all the info.

Your welcome, ya it's pretty easy.

 

[chrislxf]

they get out of control very fast. I always have mealworm at my rubbermate. started last year, they just keep appearing. it's a great source of protein. fish would love it.

 

[packer43064]

24 Pupa's now.