How to raise Mealworms

I have always believed in feeding mealworms. I have always just bought them from the local bait shop. Even though I gut load them for 24 to 48 hours prior to feeding lately I have been questioning the quality of them as opposed to breeding my own. Having raised snakes also I know the importance of proper nutrition of the breeders to produce the best feeders. That is why I breed my own mice.

I have read allot on here how easy it is to raise mealworms. Problem is I have never found a post on exactly how to do it. So can some one please post how to breed/raise mealworms?

Thanks,
Jeff C.

Throw them in a box, well don't throw them hard cause they bounce! Throw in all the good stuff (food)(most food will not bounce, but be careful because some will)
Close your eyes, and wait a month!
After a month open your eyes and................Walla!!! you have more!



Or you can do it the boring, right way and read this care sheet.
boring caresheet on feeders

Overton, you are so funny!! LOL!!

I read the "boring" care sheet...I only see a couple potential problems with it.

With mealworms, it's best not to give them so much moisture. Excessive moisture attracts book mites. I give mine a piece of potato or carrot a week and no more.

The other "problem" is that it seems she keeps everything in one container. You'll need at least 3.

I use one of those plastic 3 drawer organizers...One drawer for feeding out of, one drawer for letting the mealies grow and another draw for the pupaes. What happens is, the mealies pupate and I toss them in a drawer with fresh food-bedding. They pupate into beetles, mate and lay eggs. But, once I start seeing teeny tiny mealworms in there, it's time to pull all the beetles and pupae out and move them to a new fresh drawer (as I'm always continually throwing pupae in). This way, the teeny tiny mealies are left to grow to a usable size. If you leave them all in one container, the beetles will eat the babies, you wont be able to keep enough mealworms that they'll pupate, etc. Does this make sense? LOL! I'll reexplain if it doesn't.

Sybella

I totaly agree wit everything you say........except tat "funny thing"

Funny and modest...You're going to make me swoon. LOL!!

Why don't you come and play with us over in the LH forum?

I would but my " " dosen't work
my L does!...is tere anyone over in te "L" forum?

What should you give them for nutrition? Also, what are the life stages of the worms. Are the worms only a stage before it becomes a beetle? Are the beetles OK for reptiles?

EGG
WORM
PUPA
BETTLE

MEALWORM LINK

Sometimes they might eat them, but I think they must taste bad..........maybe I should try one?

There are internet recipes (I am not kidding) for fried, buttered mealworms, there are whole sites devoted to insect food preparation. I know this cuz I stumbled on one by accident while looking over mealworm care, NOT because I have EVER eaten a mealworm. BTW I did tried to raise them but kept them on the porch and ants got in and ate 'em.
Yeah come on over to the LH forum, they named it to honor my initials lol.....