Mealworm farms

I set up the bug closet, and there are containers set up to farm mealworms with bran, mealworm aliens, and some of those hydrated water crystals. (I bought 5 lbs. cheap from www.rainsavers.com, because that seemed like a good amount, and actually the crystals expand so much that I could probably provide moisture for about 35 trillion mealworms with 5 lbs., I did not realize that).

So, for you mealworm aficionados (mealworm aficionado, can you imagine how many conversations you could start with a bumper sticker that said that ) here are some questions:

How do the mealworms know where their water source is? I put the hydrated crystals on flat lid scraps I had left over after making gecko hides, and put them on top of the bran, how do the mealies know it is there?

Can the mealie beetles climb much? I got so many of the plastic file boxes that I was thinking of making them into mealie farms too, but they are only about 4 inches tall. Is that enough, with two inches of bran, or will the beetles be able to climb out?

I have found that the water crystals are really no good for the mealies, they tend to drag them into the food source making it go bad or mold. The crystals will stick to them and can drown them as well.

I use mainly pears in the summer since we have a pear tree, in the winter I use, apples, oranges, carrots, greens, lettuce, grapes, sweet potatoes basically any fruit or vege I have on hand.

I do put the fruit or vege on a deli cup lid and put 4-6 lids in the under b ed size flats I have them in.

What I do is pretty simple and I have had a colony for many years.......
I have one 5 gallon bucket, about 10 inches of any kind of meal [oat,corn,wheat ect ect]
This colony has all sizes in it after a while and it is self sustaining.
the worms eat the meal and reproduce well.
make sure you have about 5 different sizes of screen to filter out the size you want.
NO WATER just drop an apple or orange slice in there and they will eat this for moisture.
good luck and take care

How about the climbing, the mealie and super beetles, how high can the climb? How tall does the container have to be to make sure they stay in, or does it need to be screen enclosed?

My boxes are 3 - 4" high and they can't climb them, they don't even get on the sides, they pretty much stay on the bedding.

WHOOOOPPS sorry there Lucille...........
The mealies have only 3 pairs of legs and they cannot climb any SMOOTH surface, but beware they can climb the rubber seals in the corner of aquariums [baby mealies bigger ones have a hard time doing this]
A screen is a good idea if you have beatles in there, I have not fouind any beatles in my room but that is because I screen the top.
They can fly but I have yet to see one take wing also , some people just keep them in drawers but I like to put snakes in drawers
take care