Raising Mealworms
Getting Started
Container: I prefer to use a clear plastic, 7-drawer unit from Wal-Mart. It has 3 large draws in the bottom (I use 1 for storing extra bedding and the other 2 for beetles. It also has 4 smaller drawers on the top, which I use for storing the different stages of mealworms.
Bedding: wheat bran, powdered skim milk, and dry Brewer’s yeast
Other necessities: sifter (you can get a fine mesh sifter at Wal-Mart in the kitchen department), tweezers (if you’re like me and don’t like to touch the bugs), something to put the food on(plastic lid, butter dish, etc…)
Mealworms
Bedding: 2/3 wheat bran, 1/3 powdered skim milk, and a small amount (maybe 5% or less) of Brewer’s yeast. Fill container with about 2-3 inches of bedding.
Food: Potato, oranges(peeled), grapes(washed), kiwi, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potato, a slice of bread, etc… Stay away from most fruits because they mold too quickly. When feeding fruits/vegetables with skins it is best to peel them first to prevent any pesticides from getting to the mealworms. Make sure the food doesn’t touch the bedding or it will cause the bedding to rot. Put it on a plastic lid, piece of foil, folded paper towel, butter dish, etc…
Temperature: 75-80 degrees is ideal. If it’s too hot it will negatively affect the growth rate and size of the mealworms.
Moisture: Keep moisture high by making sure that there is always moist fruits/veggies in the container or by putting a paper towel over the top of the bedding and misting it lightly each day. You can also place a bowl in the bedding (high enough from the surface to prevent the mealworms from getting inside) and put a paper towel or sponge inside and soak it with water. Replace the paper towel with a new, soaked towel once or twice a week. If the moisture is too low it will slow the growth rate and overall size of the mealworms. Be sure not too have too much moisture, however, because you don’t want the bedding to get moldy.
Light: mealworms prefer the dark and should be kept out of direct sunlight. However, studies have shown that mealworms develop faster when provided with light, so, feel free to experiment with it.
Pupa
Bedding: plain wheat bran. It only needs to be 1/2” -1” deep
Food: none because they don’t eat at this stage
Temperature: 75-80 degree
Moisture: keep the moisture high by placing a bowl of water in the container with the pupae. Make sure that the beetles that emerge cannot get into it.
Light: doesn’t matter
Beetles
Bedding: 2/3 wheat bran, 1/3 powdered skim milk, and a small amount (maybe 5% or less) of Brewer’s yeast. Fill container with about 3 inches of bedding. Add an egg carton or newspaper for the beetles to lay their eggs on.
Food: Potato, oranges(peeled), grapes(washed), kiwi, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potato, a slice of bread, etc… Stay away from most fruits because they mold too quickly. When feeding fruits/vegetables with skins it is best to peel them first to prevent any pesticides from getting to the beetles. Make sure the food doesn’t touch the bedding or it will cause the bedding to rot. Put it on a plastic lid, piece of foil, folded paper towel, butter dish, etc…
Temperature: 75-80 degrees is ideal.
Moisture: Keep moisture high by making sure that there is always moist fruits/veggies in the container or by putting a paper towel over the top of the bedding and misting it lightly each day. You can also place a bowl in the bedding (high enough from the surface to prevent the beetles from getting inside) and put a paper towel or sponge inside and soak it with water. Replace the paper towel with a new, soaked towel once or twice a week. Be sure not too have too much moisture, however, because you don’t want the bedding to get moldy.
Light: *same as mealworms*- mealworms prefer the dark and should be kept out of direct sunlight. However, studies have shown that mealworms develop faster when provided with light, so, feel free to experiment with it.
Maintenance
Check your farm every couple days and remove any dead beetles/pupa/worms.
Replace the bedding once it begins to look sandy (that means it’s all been eaten and is now waste) or if it smells.
Sift all the beetles every 2-3 weeks. Put the old bedding in a new container (this bedding contains eggs and baby mealworms) and give the beetles new bedding. Be sure to also replace the egg carton/newspaper and put the old one with the old bedding as well because it too contains eggs.
It’s important not to allow any of the bedding or fruits/vegetables to get moldy! If anything gets moldy then you will have to toss it out along with the entire container of worms/beetles because any bug that ate of the mold can be harmful to your gliders.
Life Cycle
Eggs: 1-2 weeks
Mealworms: approx. 10 weeks
Pupa: 1-2 weeks
Beetles: 2-3 months
Container: I prefer to use a clear plastic, 7-drawer unit from Wal-Mart. It has 3 large draws in the bottom (I use 1 for storing extra bedding and the other 2 for beetles. It also has 4 smaller drawers on the top, which I use for storing the different stages of mealworms.
Bedding: wheat bran, powdered skim milk, and dry Brewer’s yeast
Other necessities: sifter (you can get a fine mesh sifter at Wal-Mart in the kitchen department), tweezers (if you’re like me and don’t like to touch the bugs), something to put the food on(plastic lid, butter dish, etc…)
Mealworms
Bedding: 2/3 wheat bran, 1/3 powdered skim milk, and a small amount (maybe 5% or less) of Brewer’s yeast. Fill container with about 2-3 inches of bedding.
Food: Potato, oranges(peeled), grapes(washed), kiwi, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potato, a slice of bread, etc… Stay away from most fruits because they mold too quickly. When feeding fruits/vegetables with skins it is best to peel them first to prevent any pesticides from getting to the mealworms. Make sure the food doesn’t touch the bedding or it will cause the bedding to rot. Put it on a plastic lid, piece of foil, folded paper towel, butter dish, etc…
Temperature: 75-80 degrees is ideal. If it’s too hot it will negatively affect the growth rate and size of the mealworms.
Moisture: Keep moisture high by making sure that there is always moist fruits/veggies in the container or by putting a paper towel over the top of the bedding and misting it lightly each day. You can also place a bowl in the bedding (high enough from the surface to prevent the mealworms from getting inside) and put a paper towel or sponge inside and soak it with water. Replace the paper towel with a new, soaked towel once or twice a week. If the moisture is too low it will slow the growth rate and overall size of the mealworms. Be sure not too have too much moisture, however, because you don’t want the bedding to get moldy.
Light: mealworms prefer the dark and should be kept out of direct sunlight. However, studies have shown that mealworms develop faster when provided with light, so, feel free to experiment with it.
Pupa
Bedding: plain wheat bran. It only needs to be 1/2” -1” deep
Food: none because they don’t eat at this stage
Temperature: 75-80 degree
Moisture: keep the moisture high by placing a bowl of water in the container with the pupae. Make sure that the beetles that emerge cannot get into it.
Light: doesn’t matter
Beetles
Bedding: 2/3 wheat bran, 1/3 powdered skim milk, and a small amount (maybe 5% or less) of Brewer’s yeast. Fill container with about 3 inches of bedding. Add an egg carton or newspaper for the beetles to lay their eggs on.
Food: Potato, oranges(peeled), grapes(washed), kiwi, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potato, a slice of bread, etc… Stay away from most fruits because they mold too quickly. When feeding fruits/vegetables with skins it is best to peel them first to prevent any pesticides from getting to the beetles. Make sure the food doesn’t touch the bedding or it will cause the bedding to rot. Put it on a plastic lid, piece of foil, folded paper towel, butter dish, etc…
Temperature: 75-80 degrees is ideal.
Moisture: Keep moisture high by making sure that there is always moist fruits/veggies in the container or by putting a paper towel over the top of the bedding and misting it lightly each day. You can also place a bowl in the bedding (high enough from the surface to prevent the beetles from getting inside) and put a paper towel or sponge inside and soak it with water. Replace the paper towel with a new, soaked towel once or twice a week. Be sure not too have too much moisture, however, because you don’t want the bedding to get moldy.
Light: *same as mealworms*- mealworms prefer the dark and should be kept out of direct sunlight. However, studies have shown that mealworms develop faster when provided with light, so, feel free to experiment with it.
Maintenance
Check your farm every couple days and remove any dead beetles/pupa/worms.
Replace the bedding once it begins to look sandy (that means it’s all been eaten and is now waste) or if it smells.
Sift all the beetles every 2-3 weeks. Put the old bedding in a new container (this bedding contains eggs and baby mealworms) and give the beetles new bedding. Be sure to also replace the egg carton/newspaper and put the old one with the old bedding as well because it too contains eggs.
It’s important not to allow any of the bedding or fruits/vegetables to get moldy! If anything gets moldy then you will have to toss it out along with the entire container of worms/beetles because any bug that ate of the mold can be harmful to your gliders.
Life Cycle
Eggs: 1-2 weeks
Mealworms: approx. 10 weeks
Pupa: 1-2 weeks
Beetles: 2-3 months